“Now Would Be A Good Time” for Folk Bitch Trio at Schubas
Article by Sinéad Bane
The line outside Schubas Tavern on November 16th spilled out onto the sidewalk, with patrons eager to get out of the cold, and even more eager to catch the Sunday night show. Inside, the sold-out crowd huddled close, illuminated by the twinkling lights festively woven into green garlands lining the walls of the performance space.
The opening act, folk singer Alex Amen, quickly won over the crowd with an easy charm, and, while performing solo with only an acoustic guitar and a table full of differently tuned harmonicas, managed to capture the audience with a classic folk sound. His set charted a journey across the continental U.S., from growing up in Texas, to a stint living in Washington state, and settling now in Los Angeles, punctuated by his song “California Blues” from his June 2025 debut EP, The Zorthian Tapes from After Hours Records. He also played his cover of Frank Sinatra’s “This Love of Mine,” which Amen released in January 2025, and told the crowd at Schubas that his debut album will be coming out next year. With a charismatic acoustic set, Amen commanded the room. He joked that he brought the harmonicas along to fill out the sound in the absence of his usual band, but his compelling solo performance held its ground excellently, a feat that speaks to the talent of this emerging folk artist.
Headliner act Folk Bitch Trio hails far from the continental U.S.. The Melbourne, Australia-based band took the stage with a stripped-back set, letting the warmth of their three-part harmonies and soft acoustic sound fill the space. The band is comprised of three members, Grace Sinclair, Jeanie Pilkington, and Heide Peverelle. Their debut album, “Now Would Be a Good Time” was released by the Bloomington, Indiana based indie label Jagjaguwar in July 2025 and, as they told the crowd, “We’ve been on tour ever since.”
Their album, though polished with a professional-studio sound, retains the charm and intimacy of their true acoustic brand, with their warm and precise harmonies carrying the tracks. On stage at Schubas, these harmonies took center stage as they opened with their a capella cover of Ted Lucas’ , “I’ll Find A Way (To Carry It All),” highlighting the trio’s musical chemistry and setting the tone for the intimate, sincere show to come.
Uniquely, Folk Bitch Trio does not have one lead singer. Each of the members trade off singing lead and background on different songs. With another group this might feel disjointed, but in Folk Bitch Trio, it flows naturally, leading to a cohesive performance that moves like a conversation, with each of the musicians taking their own moment to deliver the confessional style lyrics, while always supported in the background by two other voices. Even while each dressed in a uniform black outfit, their distinct hairstyles and personalities made for a trio that was not homogenous, but complimentary, as they played off of each other and moved easily within a clearly established group dynamic.
Folk Bitch Trio closed out the set with their lead single, “God’s A Different Sword,” to the delight of the crowd. This audience would have happily stayed for a five-song encore, if the lights hadn’t come on. With only one album out, an encore was hardly expected, and so the audience tempered their disappointment, but Folk Bitch Trio is a band to watch out for. Be sure on their next tour, the crowd won't let them leave without one more song.