Good news: incredible new music is popping up everywhere right now. Bad news: you aren’t everywhere right now. Catch up on the new singles, delightful performances, and trending tours that captivated the Sofar community this month.
It’s your Sofar Artist News for July.
- What better way to join in the festival fun than with some special shows? We partnered with London Heathrow Airport for a series of summer concerts at Terminal 5. “Heathrow Introducing” featured a lineup of emerging artists who played for the 30 million passengers traveling through the airport this summer. Artists included Olivia Nelson, Saeed Gadir, Lola Moxom, and so many more!
2. 2024 NPR Tiny Desk Winner (and Sofar artist with over a hundred shows under his belt) The Philharmonik got his moment last month, at the smallest desk in show business. He ripped through a hot set that included his winning song, “What’s It All Mean?”, and the tongue-in-cheek funk song, “Drugs”.
3. Oh He Dead’s new single, “Strange Love”, plays like the kind of song you’d hear at the climax of an offbeat romcom, where the protagonist is dancing in a mostly empty room. Maybe there’s a disco ball.
Strong guitar moments and synth motifs weave seamlessly together to create a glittery longing for that person we love but can’t quite figure out why.
You may have seen Oh He Dead in our recent Noteworthy Artists article, and you’ll likely see them again in the very near future. They’re gearing up for the release of their third studio album, Ugly, in late August.
4. Philly faves Mt. Joy got their North America tour underway this month, with massive upcoming dates at Red Rocks, Madison Square Garden, and Chicago’s Salt Shed. Grab a Sofar VIP package, which includes a premium ticket, a photo opp with the band, and a chance to ask them questions and hear stories from the road.
Wanna get a taste of how Mt. Joy sound live and in-person? The band just released a live album from their December 2023 shows at the Salt Shed. Get it spinning and don’t miss your chance to see them when they visit your city!
5. LOREN KOLE dropped a new single, “ashes”, in June. It’s a dance-pop track, even if the lyrics are about the dying embers of a relationship. Sometimes, when what you once loved is dying, you just wanna dance it away.
Wanna see KOLE perform “ashes” live, probably? She’s playing Sofar Dallas on August 2.
6. North London singer-songwriter Hohnen Ford’s new single “I Wish I Had A God” strikes a nostalgic chord. The track tells of the love the singer has for a lost parent, and how much she’d be willing to bargain in order to see them again. “Take my internal organs, tell me it would be ok. I wish I had a God, so I could see you again,” Ford sings over sparse piano chords.
To add to the nostalgia? Ford wrote and recorded the song in her childhood bedroom.
We’re not crying. You’re crying.
7. Earlier this year, Casey Conroy released the atmospheric pop track “In My Head”. It’s a song about overthinking things, and how we’d rather swap our anxious thoughts with thoughts of the ones we love. Now, Conroy’s released an unfiltered version of the track.
“In My Head (Stripped Down)” features only Conroy’s masterful vocal delivery and a soft synth. It’s a fitting, sparse rendition of an already introspective song, and highlights Conroy’s talent for pop hooks and harmony.
Catch Conroy at Sofar LA on July 28!
8. Pssst, a new Wic Whitney single just dropped. “Ginger” showcases Whitney’s soulful voice and smooth flow, while exploring the limits of love. Whitney’s been quite prolific since his Afternoon Tea EP dropped earlier this year (which we covered in our February New Music Alert).
9. Kerensa makes hypnotic choral music, and their new single, “creature”, is a prime example of their unique style. The track features layered vocals, a pop beat, and triumphant orchestral flourishes so that the song sounds both old and new, resplendent yet melancholic.
See these artists and so many others at a Sofar show near you!
