{"id":4065,"date":"2025-05-17T05:52:11","date_gmt":"2025-05-17T05:52:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/?p=4065"},"modified":"2025-05-14T21:12:19","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T21:12:19","slug":"sofar-artist-news-may-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/articles\/sofar-artist-news-may-2025","title":{"rendered":"Sofar Artist News: May"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We have a lot to catch up on for May’s Sofar Artist News, so let\u2019s lock in. From dreamy debuts to fresh albums and tours, these artists are booked, busy, and blessing our ears. Here are the viral covers, international tours, and yes, one song about cheese- that Sofar artists have been cooking up this month.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">\u00a01. Fresh off a Sofar London set and a<i> (tender!) <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/conferences.ted.com\/ted2025\/speakers?utm_campaign=speakers-network&utm_content=yijiatu&utm_medium=social&utm_source=speaker&ltclid=e8856e46-4afc-4559-8825-d5e1b6bb65f6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TED Talk<\/a>, Yijia released her single, <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/track\/1J7TrS5y4muqxtw6beDa0h?si=472b4a62af164fdc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cLullaby\u201d<\/a>\u2014and it’s exactly what it sounds like. Yijia blends Chinese folk with indie-pop, and the result is a melodic dreamscape. If you haven\u2019t yet, check out her EP <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/album\/7oFvoxrzHCNk2WElpbY4Ru?si=GtFBcQXSQGuxAZp75698hg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Chinese Whisperer<\/i><\/a>\u2014and <a href=\"https:\/\/linktr.ee\/yijia_music?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAafbUY0jTqP84VxTmvULLNj9JpDE010Nw4omafoA-t-cQGWv2I2rT6_9rSDJ-A_aem_dDqYSHUAHX1J4w4Tfe97hg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stay tuned<\/a> to see what stage she takes next!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Yijia - One of Me | Sofar London\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eO7ye2ipwHs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">\u00a02. The idea of a pop princess has transformed a generation, and right now, Nia Ashleigh is emerging royalty. Her latest single, <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/track\/7FhiN6Gcmj8iQzQU3pIuTL?si=28b2f3df066743d8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cAll the Same,\u201d<\/a> is a vulnerable and controlled anthem that complements a smooth jazz and R&B vibe. Catch her<a href=\"https:\/\/www.trousdalemusic.com\/#tour\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> on tour opening for Trousdale<\/a>. (You might even spot Nia\u2019s fans Lady Gaga and SZA in the crowd!)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Nia Ashleigh - All the Same (Official Lyric Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-I2I7t1YRTw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>3. <a href=\"https:\/\/hms.harvard.edu\/news-events\/publications-archive\/brain\/dancing-brain\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Research shows<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> dancing can help get those happy brain receptors moving, and we have just the thing for when you need to dance <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">it<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> out. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/album\/4jhL9VYjPbn7hfiVC8m5Zm?si=BW4kN2KqTF2xqeG2-3KA9A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Desire! <\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is the third album from Friend of a Friend, featuring the impossibly catchy <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/track\/4FzbCxQCNdEXqKJvO1jMtt?si=1efa755d11664d22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOasis\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and all the hypnotic indie-rock they\u2019re known for. See FOAF on their <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linktr.ee\/FOAFONTOUR2025?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAadKQKCk2A10d74m7LgBF3VbmOE8rBj7csYws3aGyZRZumu00i2VAHz3_P4qpA_aem_EsllkOQnr1iSj6VBUhU4AA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">U.S. tour<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and, yes, consider wearing your dancing shoes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"oasis (music video - Friend of a Friend)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VAU0GlMnGiU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>4. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bryan Elijah Smith\u2019s cover of Chris Isaak\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/album\/5QeOCXGt5FQATz7M1S5UNo?si=4dmkVT3iS7iH9FoqcBM6XQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWicked Game\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> brings the right amount of spook for your spring. Country-folk fans may recognize Bryan from his viral hit <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/track\/05Ue7NlY1Eq8PGKo6tFeb5?si=f1f153671357470f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOne Shot,\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and with a suitcase full of heartbreak and harmonicas, he\u2019s back on the road for more crooning. Catch him on stage with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bryanelijahsmith.com\/tour\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">summer dates across the U.S. and Canada!<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Bryan Elijah Smith - One Shot\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CTdC4oYXTxM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>5. <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/track\/7hFRv4DCCSY3wtndkZiDAi?si=7f69a79f6b5943ae\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cChasing Cheese\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a genius Broadway-worthy drop by one-man show, Spence Hood. In it, Spence mixes theatre camp charm with Taylor Swift storytelling, and he has us begging for a part II. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@spencetok\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Follow his TikTok<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for upcoming show dates or enjoy a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/spencehood.com\/houseconcert\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHouse Concert\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> set! Choose <em>your<\/em> show date for Spence to serenade your party!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Spence Hood - She | Sofar Seattle\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NwLlva0R4TI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>6. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With a voice that sounds like it\u2019s echoing from a cabin deep in the woods, Charlie Bishop just released<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/album\/298wASJUdUgW0e9oN2fb0u?si=wSFeGjOCQRWYWNHzdVSIUw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Far Away<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, an album that blends Northeastern folk and Western country for an overall Americana feel. The album flows with poetic, stripped-down lyrics that can feel close to home. Wanna catch Charlie on stage? <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/charliebishop.net\/shows\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He promises more show dates are coming!<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DAR3ejzyySU\/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<p> <\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DAR3ejzyySU\/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Sofar Sounds Bay Area (@sofarsoundssf)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>7. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Claire Ernst\u2019s debut album, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/album\/0PelhWEycAMaDEvbYxcuJ8?si=pD-s5bmgQGm0RRdzNYpsMg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oh, Hello!<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a delightful intro to her genre-blending style.\u00a0 She\u2019s mastered the \u2018Shania Twain\u2019 country-pop hooks, with a seamless mesh of timeless R&B. The track <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/track\/5KoF1ogZo5BNZRNwgz71gl?si=bc62944b8f5745b8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMe at the Moment\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is as catchy as it is clever, and lucky us, she\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.claireernst.com\/tour\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">teasing even more shows for the summer<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. (Starting in Nashville, naturally).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Funny Now by Claire Ernst (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XPlpz8fzkZA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Catch these artists and more just like them at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a Sofar near you!<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We have a lot to catch up on for May’s Sofar Artist News, so let\u2019s lock in. From dreamy debuts to fresh albums and tours, these artists are booked, busy, and blessing our ears. Here are the viral covers, international tours, and yes, one song about cheese- that Sofar artists have been cooking up this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":4067,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4,26,27,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artists","category-community","category-news","category-video-round-up","category-videos"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4065","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4065"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4065\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sofarsounds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}