Zara Smile: Queer Joy, and Rage!

Following the release of their newest single "Listen" on the 4th of September, Manchester based Zara Smile began a 3 date tour, stopping in Liverpool on the 12th at the Kazimier Stockroom, Seel Street. Smile's music is inspired by riot grrrl, indie rock, and the alternative scene, and explores love, growing up, identity, and the rage of living in the present day of 2026.

Supported by Luke Small, self described as a "nice little appetiser", who serenaded the crowd on an acoustic guitar with love songs like "My Evangeline", and Tilly Louise, who refused to start until the crowd came closer - as they should have - and launched into her newest single "Root Cause", which filled the room with an incredibly fun energy.

Of course, I can't go further without mentioning the absolutely adorable merch: all ghost themed, of course the usual t-shirts, totes, stickers, but also hand crafted crochet ghosts and keyrings! The cutest little guys, which I feel encapsulate the love and care Smile puts into everything they do.

By the time Zara Smile took the stage, the crowd had been sufficiently warmed up by the romantic guitar of Small, and the chaotic dance-y tunes of Louise. In between songs "Human" and the new single "Listen", Smile commented on how the set was basically a "series of crashout songs", which really - I think is what we all feel like right now, "Listen" ("the most recent crashout song") is a vulnerable song about desperately begging to be listened to, after being ignored for so long and making yourself small, capturing the rage of everyone struggling to be heard in cishet male dominated scenes, and truly captures the confidence and sound that Smile has found within themselves with this new EP.

Before the next song, an ominous figure rose in the back of the venue... a balloon in the shape of the number 2, bumping against the coloured LED lights of the Kaz Stockroom ceiling, which was definitely not supposed to be removed earlier in the day. "Rewind" was clearly a crowd favourite, and was preceded by the grounding reminder:

"as bad as life gets, there's always a little dance with your friends"

that the crowd took to heart, dancing through the rest of the set.

By this point, the energy of the room was infectious, as Smile also told us the story of the time they played "Skin" (one of my favourites!) at The Great Escape, 2pm on a Thursday and Smile had come off stage to find their guitar drenched in blood from the sheer passion of playing the song. Personally, I don't think TGE appreciated it as much as they should have, and I imagine soon Smile will be playing on bigger stages to bigger crowds much later in the evening.

Ending the set was "Better", the first single from the "Listen!" EP, a song about how healing isn't linear, and how that's really annoying! It also asks the question on everyone's mind right now: when does it get better? The audience happily joined as Smile led them in a sing along of the line, clapping in time, and hell, even two stepping to the tune!

Smile has a wonderful audience, passionate about the music and the message it carries, dancing to every beat and singing every line. The joy and rage that they're able to inject into a live set is ravenous, to the point where Smile joked that one day the rest of their band might kill them.

And now for the question you've all been waiting for... What's the Haps, Zara?

Up next for Zara Smile is the release of their second EP "Listen!", named for the recent single, which will be releasing on the 16th of October, as well as multiple dates in Manchester - a headline on the 18th of September, and a support slot with New Zealanders Dateline on the 2nd of October; a show at Beg Steal and Borrow in Withington on the 15th of October (Soft Serve - A Sapphic Social), and an as-of-yet-unannounced Leeds date in November. After all the work of the EP, tour, and various shows, Smile plans on just chilling, which to me is perfectly deserved.