Margo Price at Scala

Margo Price

Maya Lane

Scala, 18 June 2025

Back in 2016, I was lucky enough to see Margo Price touring her debut album, Midwest Farmer's Daughter, at this very venue, the Scala. Every time I've seen her since, including at the far bigger and grander Koko last year, I knew I was in the presence of a true star. I didn't think I would have the chance to see her in such a small venue again but almost ten years on, here I am back at the Scala to see Price where I first fell in love with her big time.

I managed to get (almost) the same spot where I saw Wednesday, almost a year ago, and I couldn't help reminiscing about standing in front of MJ Lenderman playing guitar with them and feeling a little sad I would never see him play with them again (he's still recording with them, just not touring). But then I didn't think I would get to Margo Price at the Scala again, yet here we are. 

The chap next to me looks like the youngest person there and it turns out he's only there for the support act, Maya Lane, a young singer-songwriter from London. When she emerges with long blonde hair, wearing a diaphanous short white lace dress, looking like a 70s Laurel Canyon dream, I get why he's so besotted. 

Playing an acoustic guitar, she has a clear and lovely voice that reminds me of a young Joni Mitchell (she kind of looks like her too), and sings folk-tinged country music. She sings songs about being single, about instead of being "an eye for an eye" its a Heart For A Heart and perseverance, on the song Beyond Alaska. Some she performs alone on guitar, in true Joni mode, but I think my favourites are when her "one man band" (I think his name was Jack!), joins her behind the drums, and plays a kick drum and bass guitar, as well as providing harmony vocals. It makes me think she would be really great with a band backing her.

She seems really lovely and sweet too, but she really wins my heart when she plays a fantastic acoustic version of Fleetwood Mac's The Chain (minus the bass-part and guitar-soloing end of course) and gets the audience singing along at the end. She was an absolute delight (and I had to admire the fact that she was competing with the loud air-conditioning - as it made her hair and dress flutter, she said it made her feel like Beyonce!)

The main attraction though was Ms Margo Price herself, and as her band took their places, it was clear this was an entirely new band for Price (in fact she tells us later that this is their first show together). I was surprised to see though that Jeremy Ivey, her talented guitarist husband who has always been in the band with her, isn't here tonight. He has a music career of his own, so maybe he is concentrating on that for a change. I do miss their natural chemistry I must say, but that's not to say Price's new band isn't kick-ass in their own way and she definitely was having a lot of fun with them tonight.

When Price takes to the stage, she looks absolutely incredible, her hair in soft waves, her makeup immaculate and wearing a gorgeous sparkly mini dress and cowboy boots. I had forgotten how petite she is because as a performer she is larger than life but she immediately takes centre stage and owns it. 

She begins the show with Hands Of Time, surely one of the greatest songs of the past ten years. Already I feel this if going to be a different kind of show than the last few Margo Price shows I've seen. Her new album is supposed to be a return to the more country sound of her debut, and by starting the show with Hand Of Time, it definitely sets the right tone for the night.

After easing us in with a beloved song from her back catalogue, she and the band immediately take us to more unfamiliar territory, treating us to a lot of the new album, which sounded rootsy and raw, like real old-fashioned outlaw country music (the new single, which she plays tonight, a cover of Kris Kristofferson's Don't Let The Bastards Get You Down, certainly sets the tone perfectly).

Most of the new songs are upbeat and fun, like Losing Streak and Wild At Heart, which has a slight Tex-Mex feel, but there are a few heartbreakers too, including one ballad about growing up in the country (I think this one was called Nowhere Is Where, which kind of gives you a feel of the song).

Unlike the Koko and Lafayette shows, where Price was pure show-woman, making costume changes and often strutting across the stage with just her microphone and lots of charisma, she pretty much played her acoustic guitar for most of the set tonight, only putting it down for two songs (and sometimes replacing it with a tambourine), which allowed her to jump down closer to the audience and dance across the stage, which was amazing to get to see her up close (she was standing right in front of me at the barrier at one point but I didn't manage to get a pic, I was so dazzled!), but she looked like she was having just as much fun with her guitar to be honest.

Even though the new material sounded fantastic and it felt really special to catch these new tunes live, maybe for the first time, it was also great to hear some old favourites (again most from her debut, aside from Loner from its follow-up All American Made which she prefaced with a a big sigh over what is going on in America right now: "he's not our president!" someone shouted, "you're lucky" she said with a sad smile).  Songs like Tennessee Song and Four Years Of Chances sounded like absolute stomping classics and had the whole crowd bouncing (even the old dudes in attendance and believe me there were a lot). Annoyingly, during the latter, some woman behind me starting picking a fight for some reason and the security guys had to get involved, so it ruined part of the song for me but what can you do? They handled it quickly and efficiently, so big kudos to them.

Playing guitar and providing some really nice harmony vocals, was another singer-songwriter who apparently is well-loved as a solo artist himself, Logan Ledger. He looked like a country star in his stetson hat I must say and he sounded fantastic duetting with Price on a song from the forthcoming album, Love Me Like You Used To Do (she said Tyler Childers sings it with her on the record) as well as her cover of the Andrew Combs song Too Stoned To Cry (funnily enough he supported Price at the 2016 Scala show: everything comes full circle it seems!).

For the encore, Price returned with a truly funky version of the old George Jones tune I Just Don't Give A Damn. I absolutely love George Jones so hearing her sing one of his tunes and turn it from a typical Jones ballad to a danceable Margo Price showstopper was really something. It sounded amazing and it was great to see her roam the stage sans guitar and really enjoying herself and the band.

The show ended on the absolute stormer, Hurtin' (On The Bottle), which I said all those years back sounded like a future classic, well, it truly is now and was an completely joyous way to end the show.

As usual, Price got a bunch of roses and began throwing them into the crowd. As I was right at the front, I felt like I was definitely going to get one tonight, but alas, not only did the one heading in my direction get caught by the old dude standing next to me, he then turned around and threw it to some (probably prettier) girl behind him. So it wasn't to be, which bummed me out a little but what can you do.

It didn't diminish how wonderful this show was and what a treat it was to hear all these new songs first. It felt super special I must say. At one point Margo told us "I don't even have an album out yet, you must really be true fans here tonight" and it definitely felt that way. I didn't get a rose, it's true, but I did, along with everyone else there, get one hell of a show. What a Queen, Margo Price is. We are so lucky to have her.