Spending an afternoon lounging in the backyard? Hanging with a few friends in the park? Our stellar Local Leads have put together a playlist to accentuate those mystical chill vibes that make that relaxed moment all the better. Hear the songs below, along with a few words from each of our Leads on how they arrived at their track choice.
Mina Aevum : “Wishing 4u”
Wishing 4 U is by the sick Cleveland local Mina Aevum (@tendertones on IG). The breathiness of her vocal delivery is really immersive, relaxing, and intimate. It feels adjacent to great pop artists like FKA Twigs– restrained production, near whispered vocals. Makes for a great track!
-Andy Schumann, Cleveland
Pinc Wafer : “0%”
Pinc Wafer is an up and coming Glasgow musician with a silky smooth, futuristic sound, and plenty of catchy hooks. His soft and rich vocal style will have you drifting away in no time to a world of relaxation.
-Matthew O’Donnell, Glasgow
Sango : “Middle of Things, Beautiful Wife (feat. Xavier Omär))
This song relaxes me from the first note every time. It gets better every second.
-Kindra Parker, Detroit
Bert : “44 Save All”
We had Bert play at our final show of 2021, and I booked him off the back of hearing this song. Bert played with a live band of keys, guitar and backing vocals, and their live set was such a warm, gentle blend of hip hop, singer-songwriter and indie. I find the chorus going round in my head quite a lot.
-Amy Illingworth, Leeds
BAERD : “Holy Dancers”
If you want to feel like you are a flightless bird being able to fly for the first time, BAERD is the music for you. Hauntingly beautiful.
-Olivia Resnick, Nashville
King and Harjas Harjaayi : “Shaamein”
I love genre bending through language and style. It puts me in my happy space, especially when mixing the chill R&B vibes with Hindi moody songs.
-Neha Gandhi, San Diego
BisonBison : “Hover”
Whenever I listen to [“Hover”] I feel like I’m floating on a cloud, and surfing on a wave of calm.
-Winnie Bower, Toronto
Kings of Convenience : “Rocky Trail”
“Rocky Trail” [is] my go to pick me up song. If I’m ever feeling blue and a bit burned out it always makes me smile and feels like a nice warm hug.
-Rohit Jepegnanam, Birmingham
Sean Focus : “Mulholland Drive”
It feels like going on a road trip or just getting in a chilled groove, ready for the weekend. It has quite an international sound and vibe, which I love! Sean is also one of our alumni artists making big waves in the UK rap scene and who performed at our last Sofar Show in Edinburgh. He is a Zimbabwean born Edinburgh based artist and producer and his son talks a little on the track, which makes me smile when I hear him.
-Sara Sutherland, Edinburgh
Leon Bridges and Khruangbin : “Doris”
“Doris” is such a special song about Leon’s grandmother and it helped me through a really difficult time. I’ve led creative projects for 10 years and after joining Dead Oceans last year, I was on the projects team to help Sofar alums Khruangbin & Leon Bridges release this album.
-Steven Rutherford, Indianapolis
Fred again… : “Me (Heavy)”
Love this song because it’s about being vulnerable and how a person is brave to speak about the one person they love.
-Tita Garcia, Miami
Mojoflo : “Keep Holding On”
Hearing “Keep Holding On” live is a treat for one’s ears, and listening to it in private is a treat of inspiration for one’s soul. This song truly captures the social/cultural melting pot of Columbus, OH and symbolizes the hope of this generation.
-Terry Tertiary, Columbus
Celeste : “Strange”
This song is filled with raw emotion and causes you to wonder about the fragility of human connection. Her voice carries an air of reflection and longing, and the entire song moves me beyond words!
-Alyssa Danley, Oklahoma City
Squerl Noir : “Irrationnels”
Squerl Noir is a dope francophone Ottawa-based artist! He is truly one of Ottawa’s hidden gems and such a talented artist.
-Martyna Turczynowicz, Ottawa
Oktoba : “CHANCE”
OKTOBA was one of the 3 acts that helped Sofar Brighton relaunch at our March show, and he reminded us all what we’ve been missing for 2 years. Haunting vocals, confident guitar playing, with a personality and delivery that just held the the crowd from first song until the last. Stunning!
-David Elphick, Brighton
BASI VIBE : “Wallflower”
Sacramento artist BASI VIBE brings melodic artistry with uptempo rhythm for an amazing vibe.
-Chinua Rhodes, Sacramento
Photo credit: Sofar Vancouver, photo by Elicea Andrews
