Nothing subtle about Softcult: Canadian sibling duo rocks the recordBar

Softcult at recordBar. // Photo by Hayden Kalp

During only the third date of their summer tour, Canadian sibling duo Softcult graced Kansas City, bringing their twisted flavor of Shoegaze Riot-Girrrl rock to the stage of the iconic recordBar.

Opening the show was the Bay Area-based alternative act Present. The five-piece seemed to be the perfect fit to warm up the audience, with music akin to the likes of Deftones and Superheaven. Quiet and reserved on stage, the Californians let their music do the talking, and after 45 minutes, the crowd was anxious to hear more.

Softcult at recordBar. // Photo by Hayden Kalp

Not but 15 minutes later, Softcult took the stage. Dimly front-lit by a projector playing silver screen classics and other various videos, the band began their set subtly, opening with “Haunt You Still,” the first song off of their newest EP, Heaven.

While they were on display throughout the entire show, the hauntingly beautiful vocal harmonies from siblings Phoenix and Mercedes Arn-Horn were completely dialed in during the first four songs of their set. These softer tracks allowed the space for their perfect vocal harmonies and honest lyrics.

After that, the set took a turn and began to ramp up in intensity. Softcult played their hit song, “Spit it Out.” Following a brief jam teasing the unique chord structures used throughout the track, Softcult effortlessly brought the audience up to speed for the heavier song.

At this moment, the band began to shed the soft light, and the intensity of the set continued to increase from that point on—simultaneously, so did the band’s energy. The lights began to glow an ominous red, perfectly contrasting the projector images and signifying that the night was only beginning.

Softcult at recordBar. // Photo by Hayden Kalp

After a few more of their more iconic songs, the show’s highlight came during the set’s midway point. Before warning the audience about the dark subject matter, lead singer Mercedes told the story behind the powerful “BWBB,” an acronym for Boys Will Be Boys.

During a powerful monologue precursing the song, Mercedes called out the violence towards women.

“I’m so sick of the excuses of victim blaming. Why was she walking alone at night? What part of town was she in? What was she wearing?” Mercedes said.

Inspired by the real-life case of Sarah Everard—who was falsely arrested, assaulted, murdered, and disposed of by police officer Wayne Couzens while walking home alone—the track sounds off as an anthem against abuse and victim blaming, which are just some of the things the band champions heavily.

They followed with classics “Perfect Blue” and “Someone2Me”—mellowing out the previously punky riffs back to the melodic sounds of earlier.

While the music calmed down sonically, the energy in the room didn’t. A fire was lit inside the band and audience during “BWBB,” and the outspoken activism that endears the group to their fans was on full throttle.

During and between multiple songs, Mercedes called for trans rights, ending violence towards women, and condemned egomaniac men of power. These are just a few of the positive messages the band openly uses its platform to forward.

They rounded off their set with a few more tracks from their newest EP, and after asking the audience to give their all, as they wrapped up with “Uzumaki.” Whereafter Phoenix stood atop their drumset, and Mercedes took their place center stage to continue to champion for human rights.

If you’re unfamiliar with the group, the raw, powerful songwriting of Softcult is something to be marveled at, as is their musicianship. When it comes to their live show, the tightness of the group’s performance was on par with some of the world’s biggest arena acts. The four-piece never missed a beat, and the ambiance they cultivated and maintained throughout their performance was second to none.