I've never been brought to tears listening to Haddaway's "What is love," but when Diane Birch sang it at the Independent this past Thursday, the waterworks erupted.

Diane Birch sings with such a high level of emotion and craft that she can mold any song into her own, even if it is a classic electro-pop dance song from the 90s. "Welcome to the Birch church,"  the singer said, letting us know that we were perhaps in for more than a usual concert event. The daughter of a preacher, Birch is making her debut tour with her first album Bible Belt, that incorporates blues, folk, gospel and lots of soul.

Each of her songs comes with a story. In "Don't Wait Up," Birch recalls her goth days and the awkwardness of coming home late at night, decked out in scary black make-up, to find her dad sitting in the living room reading his bible.

"Ariel" is about the frustration of not being able to communicate with her boyfriend who was travelling in China, despite the age of advanced technology we live in. Her voice is absolutely gorgeous and as the evening progressed the audience was experiencing high levels of euphoria as this was a true musical religious experience.

If you haven't yet, check out her super-cute video for "Valentino":