Saturday, May 13th • 8 pm
The room around me disappeared shortly after sitting on a floor cushion opposite the minimalist band footprint at XO Seattle’s rooftop art experience last summer. I found myself lost in meditative reverb, and in songwriter-guitarist Natasha El-Sergany’s unearthly voice. Listening to somesurprises live was like being engulfed in a full-body sound bath, simultaneously drenched in the possibility of what the rest of the season held and the grief of losing what is ephemeral.
What began as a solo project and an exercise in self-soothing ten years ago is now a hazy, shoegazey four-piece band that retains the same sense of intimacy. This month, the band is gearing up to tour the West coast; their 10-show run kicks off at Machine House Brewery on May 13th, with local talent Beret and Bad Luck opening. Expect to hear tracks from their self-titled album alongside a few new (unreleased!) songs.
El-Sergany and I spoke about the highly-personal reflections inspiring her music: “I try to think of songs like poems, where you’re taking this moment in time or this single image and trying to capture something in it. Songs are… like paintings [too]. They stop time, help explain a mood or a feeling.” Slow-burn songs like Cherry Sunshine are drawn out, best understood “through your senses… I think my bandmates share that vision.”
This is the last show Machine House will host before their move at the end of the month. My recommendation: grab a pint of seasonal Stinging Nettle Ale before the show. If you’re feeling sweet, wish the band well with some dark chocolate (their fave!) from Fran’s Georgetown next door.
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