Softcult at Cobra Lounge.
The enchanting and outspoken Canadian grunge duo hits Chicago’s Cobra Lounge.
taken by Taylor Pate.
Softcult is taking the U.S. by storm with their summer tour. It was insane to see the Ontario-born twin sibling duo, Mercedes and Phoenix, stand on Cobra Lounge’s stage on June 29th, embodying a haunting, yet electrifying, energy. As they started their set off with their hit “Haunt You Still,” Mercedes’ sweet and atmospheric vocals filled the room. There was an intimacy between the band and the audience, fostered not only by the small venue, but also by their chilling and nostalgic music.
As the show went on, they gradually ramped up the energy, leading up to one of my favorites, “Spit It Out.” What particularly struck me when seeing the duo perform was not only their chilling sound, but the range of topics they cover in their songs. “Spit It Out,” as they state in an interview, is about “rejecting harmful ideologies that we’ve come to accept as normal, even though they perpetuate our own oppression.” Many of their songs address various political and societal issues that increasingly impact us on a day to day basis. The song “Take It Off,” played earlier in the set, tells the tale of a controlling boyfriend in an abusive relationship. And the song “Drain,” played towards the end of the show, is about how the need for profit is not only draining people of creativity in industries, but also draining our environment and the people.
The peak of the show, no doubt, was their performance of “BWBB.” After playing “Young Forever” and “Gaslight,” Mercedes spoke out about the injustice minorities face, specifically the misogyny, mistreatment, and violence women face. She specifically spoke on the case of Sarah Everard, which the song “BWBB” was inspired by. Sarah Everard was a 33-year-old woman who kidnapped, raped, and murdered in Kent, England by a male perpetrator. I wasn’t the only person in the crowd who was enraged yet empowered to keep fighting, as every person in the venue sang word for word, moving their bodies and pumping their fists.
Softcult’s performance overall was a reminder that we have to continue fighting in spite of the way society is progressing. Not only are their vocals and melodies powerful, but so are their words. And so are mine.
Be sure to check out their EP Heaven out on Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, and Deezer.
edited by Joseph Mooney, Editor-in-Chief.
photos taken by Taylor Pate.
usage permitted to Firebird Magazine & members for non-commercial Editorial & Social Media purposes.
