Liquids slosh politely out of glasses as a flock of twenty-something-year-olds shuffle their way from the bar to the petite venue tucked away in the back of Baby’s All Right in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Dozens of mason jars adorning multi-colored lights face the audience, backlighting two figures fastened with acoustic guitars who breeze their way on stage. The crowd whoops, bubbling with excitement as they’re welcomed by crisp English accents. This is their very first show of their headlining tour in the United States. This is Flyte.

Will Taylor takes the lead, cheekily slipping the pair into their first song, “Mistress America.” Guitarist and co-writer Nick Hill strum along beside him, the two guitars falling into contrasting rhythms with stunning chemistry. Taylor has a distinct nasal quality to his voice aligning well with the elusive vintage feel the band provides. This elusiveness comes not from the inability to pinpoint a certain quality of their sound but instead from the simple timelessness of it.

There’s no set list, instead, the two converse with the crowd asking for requests and checking in to see how much time they have left on stage. It’s affable and relaxed, with a respectful crowd considerate of the power their voice holds in this 250-person venue. Taylor prefaces most songs with their experience writing them. “White Roses” was written in honor of his late grandfather; their soon-to-be-released song “Even On Bad Days” is an homage to Taylor’s partner; “Chelsea Smiles” is another unreleased song written about football, that area of London, and really nothing at all.

When the show came to a close, Taylor and Hill shared that they would personally be selling and signing posters so they could meet any fans who have come and enjoyed the show. Taylor said that starting off the tour in Brooklyn felt very appropriate somehow. Being from London, they have a bit of an affinity for New Yorkers as the two cities have much in common and given that their music is entrenched in London culture, it translates well to New York.

Flyte’s musical rite of passage was guided by classics such as The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Paul Simon, Radiohead and The Smiths, but now feel their sound has developed into something more self-influenced that feels like their own.

“Starting out, maybe we were channeling a lot of the artists we grew up loving but now we’ve kind of gotten to the point where it’s less helpful to have references or music playing in the studio and instead channel the truth of us,” Taylor commented on their upcoming album.

“We’re a lot more comfortable in our own skin. We trust ourselves more,” Hill added.

“It’s just a natural development for all artists. You begin to take influences from your own life, and cinema and literature and music is the tool, I suppose, to transmute it. I think that’s the thing. You take influence from as many things as you can, and then eventually, you find that you’re… you,” continued Taylor. “I would say quite confidently that this latest record is our best work yet. It’s very true to us and features a lovely combination of all the wonderful musicians that live around us in London. Just an extraordinary group of musical corporators.”

Flyte has a single set to release on May 4, 2023, as well as a new record on the horizon.