Being born into Nashville’s musical bloodstream might sound like a golden ticket, but in reality, it can be a double-edged sword. The city teems with talent, and standing out amid the endless parade of country standards and barroom gigs requires more than just skill—it demands audacity.
For RobinAugust, the solution has been to lean into outsider status. Rather than chasing Nashville’s well-worn paths, she’s chosen to be bold, unpolished, and unapologetically raw. Where others blend in, she breaks free—quirky, fierce, and untamed. It’s a dangerous path, but when it’s authentic, when the music is lived rather than performed, it can be electrifying. Her 2022 debut album, Avocado Head, proved as much: a record bristling with wild-eyed energy and razor-edged songwriting, equal parts reckless and desperate. If it were a film, it would be two teenagers lighting a cigarette in the school bathroom, stealing a car, and disappearing into the horizon.
That same hunger for freedom has brought August across the Atlantic, and on Tuesday night at The Louisiana in Bristol, she showed just how vital that instinct can be.
What began as an almost understated entrance quickly dissolved the moment August tore into Painted Lady. The riff cracked open the room, and the girl-next-door façade was gone—replaced by a frontwoman who owned every inch of the stage. Backed by brothers Sam (bass) and Lucas Johnstone (guitar), Griffin DiNardo (drums), and Glancy Piper (keys), August’s sound was muscular, confident, and far removed from the fragile indie tag some might have expected. This was a rock show—loud, lean, and impossible to ignore.
The set pulled heavily from Avocado Head, with Painted Lady, Ghost, and the title track anchoring the performance, while newer material—School Boy, Parasite, and Bad Idea—offered a glimpse into where she’s headed next. Between songs, August offered just enough context to pull the audience further into her orbit, her candour only amplifying the rawness of the music itself.
When the band announced Baby Wants to Drive as the closer, the disappointment in the room was palpable. One fan even stormed the stage, commandeering the microphone to demand more. After a brief huddle, August obliged with Kiss Where It Hurts—a fitting finale and perhaps the perfect entry point for anyone looking to understand what makes her so compelling.
RobinAugust doesn’t play at being a rock star. She embodies it. On Tuesday night, The Louisiana didn’t just host a gig—it witnessed the early sparks of an artist with the potential to carve her own mythology into rock history.
@thebristolnomad / @bristolnomad_gigphotography
Role: Photographer / Reviewer / Interviewer
Chief, the one that bugs the team for team for their reviews and images. Creator and founder of The Bristol Gig Guide. Can usually be found swamped in admin or getting cramp kneeling at the front of a gig.
Available for: Gig Shoots, Gig Reviews, Photo Shoots, Album and Single cover shoots, Videography work, Interviews and Touring
First attended gig: Republica, circa 1996.
First gig shot: Hands Off Gretel, at The Louisiana!
Dream gig: Huge metalhead and my ultimate dream gig would be shooting my heroes Slipknot at a huge stadium gig, or as festival headliners. And to experience shooting a headline tour outside the UK
