Softcult: Artist Of The Week

WHO?

I’m Mercedes and I play guitar and sing in Softcult. Phoenix is my twin sibling and they play drums and also sing.

WHERE?

We’re from Kitchener, ON, Canada.

WHEN?

We’ve always been drawn to music since I can remember. Our parents signed us up for music lessons when we were about 6 years old, learning different instruments like piano, etc. Finally around the age of 14 we started playing in bands and stepped into our respective roles of guitarist and drummer. We’ve played in a few bands over the years, but didn’t start writing for Softcult until 2020 while the world was shut down. When things opened up again in 2021 we started playing our first ever shows as Softcult.

WHY?

To be honest, I really can’t imagine doing anything else with my life. Even if we weren’t in a band, I know that I would need to create art in some way. It’s a part of who I am and how I process my emotions. I think our music is an extension of us, in a way. For me, Softcult is more than just a band. It’s our contribution to activism and raising awareness about issues that are important to us. We’re trying to create safe spaces in the music industry and our global community, and inspire others to empower themselves and do the same.

HOW?

Phoenix and I are twin siblings, and during the pandemic we were living together and working out of our home studio. We started writing songs about the frustration and rage we feel about the injustices and oppression within our society, almost as a way of coping, and then realized that we needed to start a band and champion this message. We’re very inspired by the riot grrrl movement of the 1990s, as well as the grunge and shoegaze bands from that time, so Softcult is a combination of all those influences.

PAST?

Phoenix and I have been in bands since we were teens. Music has been our life as long as I can remember. Outside of that Phoenix is a talented producer and engineer, and I teach music lessons and do freelance cinematography on the side.

PRESENT?

We’re influenced by the sound of 1990s shoegaze and grunge bands like My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Nirvana, Hole, Veruca Salt, etc as well as goth aesthetic and the riot grrrl feminist ethos. Combine all of those influences and you get Softcult.

FUTURE?

We’ve been touring a lot, all over, lately, but there’s a great big world out there and still a lot of places we want to go to. My dream would be to play on a bill with Bikini Kill, as they are one of our all time biggest influences. I just want to shake Kathleen Hanna’s hand and thank her for everything.

DID YOU KNOW?

We get accused of being “industry plants” almost every day in some random comment online, but if you saw our studio and the conditions we create in you would realize how truly hilarious that is.

WHAT’S NEXT?

We’re about to release our 4th self-produced EP called “Heaven” on May 24, and we’re going on a headline tour across the USA in June / July to support it. You can also catch random dates across Ontario Canada this summer and in Mexico this winter.