The type of hug you wished lasted just a bit longer. Hazlett’s (Mitch) Coming Home Tour felt like that, at least to me. Or similar to a warm and long hug you’d receive when you return to wherever you call home after being away for a long time.

Fellow Brisbane/Meanjin-based indie-folk artist, Maddison Kate, opened the evening with nothing more than her voice and guitar. Listening to her set felt like you were being carried on quiet ocean waves, each song layering onto one another to set the gentle and intimate tone for the night. Unsurprisingly, my favourite was Ask The Ocean.

Hazlett and his band (Greg – Drums, Roland and Nicholas – Guitar) then came along to deliver a set that felt like a warm and familiar embrace. The band was nothing short of incredible as well, seamlessly blending in and falling into step with Hazlett during transitions from solo moments to fuller arrangements.

Throughout the night, the theatre would often settle into a shared stillness of sorts. There were many moments where it was so quiet and still, the only sounds being Hazlett’s tender and steady vocals and guitar filling the space. Each song felt like someone holding your hand and guiding you through your garden of memories – some tied to home, some to love, others to the act of letting go.

When Hazlett shared about how he started off singing at pubs in Brisbane – and being fired for performing his originals (their loss, really) – before moving to Sweden and now coming back to Brisbane/home to perform, it vicariously felt like a full-circle moment. Personally, listening to the lyrics and melodies live felt oddly cathartic. It was as if someone was sitting with you while you revisit old memories – both the tender and difficult ones.

The song that made me explore more of Hazlett’s music in 2025 was doing my best. When I first heard the song, I remember being overwhelmed with emotions. The song had somehow beautifully condensed the chaos of emotions I had from feeling stagnant and lost into a gentle reminder – that sometimes simply trying is enough. What a blessing it was to hear it live, as the closing song for the night.

Needless to say, I queued his latest album, last night you said you missed me, to accompany me on the way home from the gig. If you’re in a season of change, feeling lost or learning how to navigate whatever stage of life you’re in, I hope Hazlett’s music will feel like a hug that never ends every time you listen to it.