It’s been over a year since I last saw Tenille Arts perform at Canvas Manchester, where we had the chance to interview her. Since then, she’s released a collaborative song with LeAnn Rimes, opened for Luke Bryan on his Canadian tour dates, and seen her latest album, To Be Honest, featured in Time Square Spotify billboard ads. Things are certainly looking promising for the Canadian country singer.

On Thursday at the Night And Day Cafe, Tenille took the stage before an enthusiastic Manchester audience, following a solid acoustic set by Niamh McCrystal, who was apparently brought in as a last-minute addition. Tenille kicked off the set with "Back Then, Right Now" from her previous album Girl To Girl. Featuring her drummer, the all-female lineup added a special touch to the performance. She then moved into "Last Time Last," a track she released with country duo Maddie & Tae. Next was "Wildfire and Whiskey," which Tenille introduced with a nod to her early Nashville days, saying, "This song was part of my first experience with music in Nashville—it’s one of the songs that started it all, so here we go."

A highlight of the evening was her cover of Taylor Swift's "Love Story," followed by tracks from her latest album, which the tour is promoting. She performed "Wonder Woman" and "So Do I," the latter of which she described as particularly special: "I was sent this song by one of my co-writers, and I recorded it myself. It was a really special moment."

Fan favorite "I Hate This" led into a sing-along, and then Tenille delivered a heartfelt rendition of The Chicks' "Wide Open Spaces." She reflected on the song’s significance, sharing, "I wasn’t able to grow like this and get out of the country, so when I finally did, this song meant a lot more to me."

The title track of her new album and tour, "To Be Honest," followed. She expressed hope that the song would resonate with her audience, saying, "I really hope you guys like it. I feel a lot of people can relate to it."

"Call Me When You Get Home Friends" came next, one of my personal favorites from her latest album. In a slightly emotional tribute to her friends, Tenille explained, "I started thinking about my friends, who never had any songs written for them. The day I got broken up with, I texted my girlfriends and said, 'Can you move me out of this apartment immediately?' They all showed up, and it was pretty awesome." She then performed "Summer Don't Go," joking, "I'm from Canada, and it's freezing. What's going on?" The crowd was then treated to some popular covers, including Bill Mack/Patsy Cline's "Blue," Britney Spears' "Oops!... I Did It Again," and Miley Cyrus' "Party in the U.S.A." Tenille’s show wouldn't be complete without her most successful release, "Somebody Like That," leaving the audience on a high note.

Overall, It was a great night in Manchester, though last year we were treated to a full band performance. It would have been fantastic to see Tenille with a full band again, but I understand that the logistics of organizing a world tour with a band can be quite challenging.

Author: Andrew Braithwaite

Andrew is the founder and Managing Director of Music Talkers. He's also a keen music enthusiast and plays the guitar.