We’re constantly in full-on awe of the artists we get to see perform Sofar shows. You just never know who you’ll see, or when you might see them again at a Sofar, or a festival, or perhaps even headlining the festival. Here are eight artists we got to see play stripped down, intimate sets before they made it, big time.
1. LAUV
Do you happen to be part of the 1.3 BILLION people who’ve streamed LAUV’s “I Like Me Better”? On Spotify? What about the handful of people who got to be in the room seeing him play this sparse, solo version on the nord?
2. Zak Abel
Back in 2017, some folks were starting to know the mighty talent of Zak Abel, in part from his guest vocals on Gorgon City’s single “Unmissable”. It was clear the artist was bound for big things, which made this poppy Sofar performance of “Unstable” all the more fun to see (and dance to).
3. Moses Sumney
A few years before Aromanticism came out and made us all swoon at its sonic beauty, we got to see Moses Sumney give “Plastic” a sultry spin. Also, fun fact, aside from his musical talents, he also has a creative visual eye—he directed Sylvan Esso’s “Frequency” music video.
4. Sylvan Esso
And speaking of Sylvan Esso …before the Grammy nominations, or their eponymous debut album release, we got to see the duo play in London. It was their first night in the city, but they made themselves right at home with this performance of “Play It Right”, which had everyone up off the floor, dancing in no time.
5. Lennon Stella
Some knew her from the television series Nashville, but in 2018, when we got to see her play this Sofar show, Lennon Stella was just getting her solo career started. This acoustic performance of “Like Everybody Else” feels well-worn and polished—Lennon was clearly already a pro.
6. Lianne La Havas
Truth: Lianne La Havas was already riding a pretty strong wave of success when she played Sofar, but we’re still gushing over this gorgeous performance of “Midnight”.
7. Billie Eilish
She may only be 20 years old, but Billie Eilish has been putting the work in for years to build her pop star cred. It was truly a treat to see her and her brother/co-collaborator FINNEAS give this highly intimate performance of “Six Feet Under”, one of her first ever official releases.
8. Bastille
Before the song was number 2 on the UK Singles Chart, or the band was winning Brit Awards, we got to see Bastille perform their hit track “Pompeii” in a living room and get the entire room to sing along.
Photo credit: Sylvan Esso, photo by Louisa Stickelbruck
