Greetings, Music Lovers. We’re kicking off a new series dubbed Sofar Alumni News, celebrating the adventures, releases, and achievements of some of the incredible artists in our Sofar community. Tours, Grammy Nominations, Blockbuster soundtracks– here are just a few things to check out:
1. Did you catch Ela Minus’ recent strobe-laden, experimental music video for “N19 5NF”? It’s the track named for the London zip code where the artist spent two days in the ICU. She’s also about to hit the road for February US tour dates with Caribou. If you can’t make the dates, revisit her Sofar where Ela builds a soft, texture tapestry of sound, all while casually seated on the ground.
2. Yoko Ono turns 89 in just a couple weeks, and to celebrate, Ben Gibbard’s put together a crew of talented artists including David Byrne, Yo La Tengo, Sharon Van Etten, and Sofar alum Jay Som, to pay homage through a cover album, Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono. We can’t wait to hear the new takes, but until then, we can sit with Jay’s serene-yet-stark Sofar performance of “I Think You’re Alright”.
3. Black Panther 2 is reportedly in the works, and so is its soundtrack. Brent Faiyaz is rumored to be tapped to write a song or two for the upcoming superhero sequel, along with Doja Cat, The Weeknd, among others. We’ll see what the future holds, but fortunately we still have the Sofar artist’s stripped-down performance of “Poison”.
4. The 2022 Grammys have officially been rescheduled for April in Las Vegas, and we’re rooting for Sofar alum Mon Laferte, who’s been nominated for Best Regional Mexican Music Album for her album, SEIS. (Also, don’t forget about her other 2021 LP, 1940 Carmen.) While we wait for the spring ceremony, fortunately we have the artist’s Sofar Mexico City performance to revisit.
5. Speaking of awards ceremonies– the 2022 BRIT Awards are just around the February corner, and this year, Joy Crookes is nominated for Best New Artist, and Best pop/R&B act. It doesn’t appear the artist will be performing at the ceremony, but fortunately we have this stunning Sofar to hear Joy share her voice.
6. In the end-of-year holiday whirlwind, we want to be sure you didn’t miss Anna Field’s newly released EP, Late Bloomer, a dreamy collection of six tracks that feel like that little horizon crescent of light we all need in these deep winter days. We’ve had the chance to share multiple Sofars with the artist, but her 2019 performance of “Go” in Atlanta remains a top favorite.
7. One more important thing about the Grammys this year– Brandee Younger is nominated for Best Instrumental Composition for her song “Beautiful is Black” from her album Somewhere Different. If you haven’t, go listen to the lush track, then make your way back to the artist’s Sofar where she makes the harp sing beside a saxophone, a stand-up bass, and an intoxicated room of listeners.
