Words and photos: Lara Pacillo
On a Thursday night in the back studio of Three D Radio, a crowd of adults sits cross-legged on the floor. A few have scored a couch; some are sharing bottles of red wine they brought from home, others are sharing olives. Fairy lights glow across the walls, and we’re all listening attentively to singer-songwriter Ella Ion playing an acoustic set.
It’s Sofar Sounds’ third gig in Adelaide, now one of over 400 cities that the global community encompasses.
“It’s intimate gigs in interesting spaces, discovering new local artists,” explains Em Simonne, moments earlier out front of the studio. She’s joined by Mungo Fagan as the curator for Adelaide’s Sofar, where the duo are big players in the local music and arts scene.
While each Sofar gig follows the structure of three local artist performances, the location is revealed the day before the gig, and the lineup remains a secret until the artist takes the stage. It’s this shroud of mystery that’s the source of intrigue for attendees and has seen the Sofar community spread across the world over the last decade.
“There’s that emphasis on discovering new things, without putting too much out there for people to kind of take a look and make a prejudgment,” Mungo adds. “It’s to put themselves in a space and see what they can find.”
The location itself is often selected on the basis that it’s not an ordinary music venue. People might find themselves somewhere they’ve never been before, which Em says makes it even more special and memorable.
“The place maybe doesn’t have a liquor license. It could be an art gallery, a radio station, a hair salon — it could be anywhere. So, I think just putting it in a space that’s not typical creates a point of difference.”
Sofar launched in Adelaide in March this year, where its monthly gigs have been held at LOC Bottle Bar and Smokelovers on Rundle Street. Tonight’s set being at community radio station Three D Radio spotlights the venue, which acts as a beacon and huge support for emerging artists in Adelaide. It’s also where Em host a weekly segment Sonic Seasoning.
The duo curates the Sofar lineup with diversity in mind. It’s a balance of interesting people Mungo and Em come across in their music and art antics, as well as a selection of artists who can apply to play through the Sofar online portal. Em says popularity is irrelevant, as is genre and discipline.
“It’s super democratic in the sense that if you’re an artist who’s well-known around Adelaide, you can be playing a Sofar gig. But also, if you’re an artist who’s just starting out and has never done a gig before and doesn’t have much of a following, you can also play at a Sofar gig. It’s really about having a diversified crowd and a diversified sound.”
There’s a fine line between audience and performer within the Three D studio. Folk and alt-pop musician Naomi Keyte has attendees harmonising to her unreleased song “Circles”. Artists who played at past shows dot the crowd.
Matt Walters, who is the Australian/New Zealand Regional Director of Sofar Sounds and introduced it in Adelaide, is also here. Working in the business for about 10 years, he says the unique structure of not knowing who you will be seeing adds to the magic.
“The thing I love the most is that it’s a true discovery platform for emerging artists,” he shares with us, as people stretch their legs before the final performance begins.
“I’ve been to Sofar gigs in the US, Europe, and now here in Australia, and I’ve discovered so many amazing artists that I wouldn’t have found otherwise. It builds a community where people invest in discovering new artists and hearing them in a really open way.”
Iranian-born Maryam Rahmani closes the night playing her santur, a delicate 72-string hammer dulcimer. She captivates the room, weaving together sounds of Persia blended with contemporary Western influences.
With picnic baskets and empty wine bottles in hand after the show, members of the audience introduce themselves and share words of praise with Maryam. For some, it’s an instrument they’ve never seen or heard before.
Em says this exploration of different disciplines is just the beginning.
“We want to continue the momentum of fun, intimate, and interesting shows, with more quirky performances like Maryam’s santur to come.
“The Sofar audience is people who want to hear interesting music and want to hear something different. They’re going not for the name of someone; they’re going because this is a place that they want to discover something new, whatever it may be.”
Sofar Sounds
