Soccer mommy and Kacey Musgraves are an unlikely pairing. The 4 piece support the country singer on her current U.K. tour. Their mellow and gloomy tones contrast the airy, light melodies and general loveliness of Kacey Musgraves. For their first proper Scottish show, neither the venue or the audience was suited to Soccer Mommy. An audience that couldn’t appreciate their potential. More likely well placed at a king tuts headline or indie band support slot and progress further playing to fans of their genre. The band played for themselves and their few fans dotted about the auditorium.
Despite the mismatching, Soccer mommy perform with an effortless edge. Their sometimes sinister lyrics spark an intrigue. Sophie’s light, hypnotic voice bounced off the walls, paralleling brilliantly with the harsh, grungy instrumentals. Playing fan of favourite “Your Dog” relatively early in the set, the harsh lyrics catch some by surprise. Me personally? it pulled me in. Bass lines and drums were tight, mimicking each other in perfect rhythm. Sophie dressed in an early noughties/sporty spice inspired look, she addressed the audience with a comedic personality, fully aware the audience wasn’t their usual “type”. Mid set Sophie performs solo, first a cover, Bruce Springsteen’s I’m On Fire and moving into “Still Clean”. A stunning performance of the song, those unphased by the performance thus far perked up and finally recognised the talent standing before them. Back with the full band they finish their set with “Scorpio Rising.”
Soccer Mommy are a fantastic band, far more intriguing than many of their fellow indie bands. On this occasion, everything about the set up was wrong and worked against their favour. Had they been playing to the right audience and in an appropriate venue, they could have performed the gig they deserve. Maybe fans were won over on this night however they just choose to remain quiet. I hope to see Soccer Mommy return to Glasgow and play a gig suited to their sound, style and size, have their energy reciprocated and their lyrics sung back to them. Listen to Soccer Mommy below!
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