I conducted a little experiment for over a year when I first started writing for The Deli. I knew that Philly had plenty of talented young artists who weren’t getting any exposure for one reason or another so I decided to scour MySpace each week (when it was still somewhat relevant) to find acts that I liked with a thousand friends or less (remember when people used to “friend” each other instead of “like”) to give fledgling acts a little exposure and support. My column was called “Artist(s) Who Deserve Your Friendship”, and it was really so much fun to discover and write about musicians who most people had never really heard about before. If you happen to have been following The Deli during that time, you may have noticed a lot of those acts that I wrote about eventually getting more press from other media outlets (more of a testament to their talent than my writing, of course) which was very cool to see. Well, a while back I came across tracks like “Rid Thyself” and “I Am (the springtime)” from Lion Versus and was instantly captivated by lead singer-songwriter Hilary White’s sultry vocals and beautifully poetic verses. So much so that I booked her for one of our showcases before ever seeing her perform live which I never do. I didn’t know this at the time, but White had just moved here from Savannah, GA, and she was at a crossroad. She was “trying to get back into playing music again, but felt a bit discouraged.” White recently sent me an e-mail thanking me for the piece that I had written for my column letting me know how it really encouraged her to continue trying, which was quite touching and encouraging to me. Well, the duo that once performed at our showcase is now a full blown 7-piece band that is celebrating the release of their new EP Five Hearts tonight at North Star Bar, and you should definitely go support as well as check out White’s other artwork HERE! Lion Versus will be joined by fabulous orchestral pop ensemble Cuddle Magic, Perseverance Jazz Band and The Horrible Department. North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St., $8, 21+ – Q.D. Tran