Best of Mahogany Sessions

Mahogany Sessions delivers beautifully produced videos of emerging artists multiple times a week. Here are a few of our favorites.

Written by Kasey Clarke

Live performances like the beloved NPR Tiny Desk Concerts or MTV Unplugged are a great way to discover new artists or learn more about the artists you love. The goal of most of these performance series is to showcase a more stripped down version of an up-and-coming artist. Mahogany Sessions, however, has a high production value in their live recordings but still maintains a sense of intimacy in the performances.

According to Mahogany’s YouTube channel, Mahogany tries to create the “best online music discovery experience in the world” through their “cinematic” live sessions. Here are some remarkable Mahogany performances that do just that:

Imogen Heap - “Hide and Seek” featuring London Contemporary Voices

This performance exemplifies everything good about Mahogany Sessions. Fully acapella with the added support of London Contemporary Voices choir, this version of “Hide and Seek” emphasizes the punctuated silence of the song and the emotion of the lyrics. Imogen and the choir are dwarfed by the huge, dark church, illustrating the loneliness expressed in the song as Imogen is singing about a relationship that has lost its love.

Jacob Banks - Unknown (To You)

Jacob Banks provides outstanding vocals in this rendition of “Unknown (To You).” Though hard to tell where this video was filmed, the keyboard in the background makes this look like the best subway performance the world has ever seen, and the acoustics aid Banks’s powerful voice in creating an incredible sound. The camera work and setting in this video are simpler than in most Mahogany Sessions, but it demonstrates how these videos can be “stripped down” in an instrumental sense without sacrificing the fullness of an artist’s presence.

Rhodes + Birdy - Let It All Go

This is a standout Mahogany Session simply because of the set up: Rhodes and Birdy sit at two pianos facing opposite each other. During the dueted parts, the camera pans around them in a circle to show both of their faces. During solo parts, the camera shows a tight shot of each singer’s hands. This visual representation of the duet adds another layer to the song that makes the viewer feel as if they’re in the middle of the performance.

Hozier - “Cherry Wine”

Hozier was basically born to be in this video and “Cherry Wine” was basically written to be performed like this. If you weren’t a Hozier fan before, you will be after watching this video. This version is officially “unplugged” but so is the version on the album. So even though this one is basically the same as the studio version, it provides a stunning visual that adds even more to the song.

Mahalia - “Borrowers”

Despite the Mahogany Sessions success, they fail to feature as many women as men. Well-known female artists are pretty scarce on their channel, but there are some hidden gems like Mahalia. Her rich vocals on “Borrowers” remind me of Amy Winehouse, and this Mahogany Session provides an excellent snapshot of what a fiery, stylish artist she is.

Amber Run - “I Found” ft. London Contemporary Voices

Part of the charm of the Mahogany Sessions is the London Contemporary Voices who add an undeniable charisma and passion to every video. The harmonies sung by the three men of Amber Run are even further opened up when supported by the voices of the choir. Just acapella, this video brings out the intricacies of the song’s vocal arrangement, which allows the listener to hear the subtle ebbs and flows of each phrase and achieves the intimacy that the Mahogany Sessions strive for.

Leon Bridges - “Coming Home”

This Leon Bridges performance is so intimate that watching it feels like spying in on a private concert. Like most Mahogany Sessions, the original song is a bit altered, this time with added saxophone and background singers. The slowed tempo of the song brings out the soulfulness of the lyrics and brings attention to Leon’s vocal talent.

Keaton Henson & Lisa Hannigan - “How Could I Have Known”

Keaton Henson’s heartbreaking ballad “How Could I Have Known” is reimagined into a duet with singer-songwriter Lisa Hannigan for this Mahogany Session. Focusing on Henson’s written lyrics and Hannigan’s clasped hands throughout the video makes it especially poignant, as if their message is so personal, they can’t bear to look the viewer in the eye. Mahogany seems to have this particular type of song down to a science, always driving home the intensity of emotion in sad love songs like this.

Although the genres represented on Mahogany Sessions are admittedly a bit limited, its aesthetic fits well with the indie and singer-songwriter sound it promotes. In a recent Music Ally interview, Mahogany CEO Mark Murdoch said, “For us, it’s all about being the closest you can get to the artists,” a sentiment certainly reflected in the feel and sound of the videos.

Afterglow ATXAugust 22, 2019kasey clarke