May 23, 2025 - Chicago, Illinois

Before starting her tour in September, Billie Marten is opening for Tennis on the Farewell Tour. On May 23 at The Salt Shed, Marten was on her second show with Tennis. With only one opening show under her belt, she was ready to jump into the night. As she started to strum on her guitar, the crowd started to slowly wander in. Little did they know, they were about to be enchanted.

Arriving on stage with her bleach blonde hair and ruby red shoes, Marten’s entire vibe emanated whimsy. Her vocals are ethereal and breathy as she goes into a higher register. Little encouragement and shouts of “I love you” filled the air in between her songs, which Marten responded to and smiled at. One person even said, “I love your shoes,” and I overheard multiple people quietly agreeing.

“Mice” received one of the loudest cheers of the night before it was played. With over 36 million streams on Spotify, it made sense this was a crowd pleaser. Marten told fans, “I’ve played it so many times I actually don’t know what it is about at all—so you tell me,” and gave fans a chance to create their own memory and meaning. Marten’s soothing voice and melancholy vocals provide a strange sense of calm throughout The Salt Shed.

Following “Mice,” Marten played “Cartoon People” and “Crown.” “Crown” is a song from the upcoming album, Dog Eared, releasing on July 18. She really connected with the crowd and treated them with the same politeness they gave her. Between songs, Marten and the crowd went back and forth telling each other they were “very cool” and “awesome.” Airing on the side of simplicity, Marten told the crowd she was only selling two pieces of merchandise: her album and a bandana. Only having two items made the choice easier for fans who, like me, can't make decisions.

One of Marten’s passions is supporting independent bookstores and reading. She spoke of what she’s calling her “traveling book club.” Prior to every show, Marten finds an independent bookstore and hides a bookmark in her favorite book. She’s been posting the book and bookstore on her social media pages and encouraging her fans to go find the bookmark. Once found, they’ll be able to purchase the book and read it. She intends to choose some of her favorite books to keep this traveling book club going. This book club gives Marten an opportunity to connect with her fans while encouraging and supporting local businesses. It also allows for the British singer to explore various bookshops around the United States.

For the last three songs, Marten switched to an acoustic guitar. She effortlessly worked her way through “Vanilla Baby” and “Toulouse.” After working through most of her set, Marten abashedly noted she hadn’t said her name once throughout her entire set. Finally introducing herself, she played her last song, “I Can’t Get My Head Around You.”

Marten’s 45-minute set was worth the watch. Her guitar plucking and quiet, yet powerful voice have a way of making the venue feel like a small living room. If you’re going to see Tennis and are wondering who Billie Marten is, listen to just one of her songs, and she’ll suck you in.