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Now in its 20th year, MoPOP’s Sound Off! is the premier 21-and-under music showcase in the Pacific Northwest. This year, we’re celebrating a milestone anniversary of the program, which has built upon an incredible legacy in the local music scene.
Things may look a little different this year, but rest assured audiences and performers alike will still have the opportunity to experience the heart of where music is headed in the Northwest. With the help of our talented production team, eight selected artists recorded live sessions in MoPOP’s Sky Church, which we’ll broadcast in a single, standalone livestream at 7 p.m. PT on Saturday, May 15, hosted by KEXP DJ Troy Nelson, and featuring two-song performances and brief artist interviews.
What makes Sound Off! so special? This rockin’ showcase exemplifies MoPOP’s mission to make creative expression a life-changing force by offering experiences that inspire and connect our communities. Sound Off! empowers tomorrow’s visionaries by giving participants the opportunity to showcase their original music in MoPOP’s Sky Church, connect with peer musicians, receive mentorship from industry leaders, and join an artistic community invested in welcoming them as full-fledged members of one of the nation’s most vibrant music scenes.
Let's meet this year's artists!
Aurora Avenue is proof that necessity is the mother of invention. Forming a few months into the pandemic, the J-pop-influenced indie outfit with a 3-piece horn section has honed their bright pop songs in backyards and under carports. A culmination of the diverse music tastes of its members, Aurora Avenue blends their influences seamlessly into a sprawling, unique sound.?
Trevor?Eulau?is a composer and guitarist based in Seattle, Washington. He is equally at home in the classical, jazz, and pop realms, writing music for string quartets, voice, jazz combos and rock/pop bands. Above all else,?Trevor?makes music that is visceral and that freely combines ideas from his disparate musical backgrounds.
CANNXN is all about blurring the lines between glitter and grunge. Mixing high-energy guitar riffs with sparkling synths and vocal melodies, their music transcends the pop genre by creating something organic. Starting as the solo project of?Megan?Cannon, CANNXN has since evolved to a collaboration between friends who want to capture lightning in a bottle.
Brenna Bruce captures a folk sound that makes you nostalgic for voices from the past. Moved by the honest writing and soothing melodies of Americana, she is inspired by the universality of telling stories through song and sound. She has one of those voices that captures all the air in the room, leaving the listeners stunned, curious, and viscerally connected to the present moment.
The first thing you hear when Kiddus Fecto takes the stage is the deep bass of his voice, and though he immediately commands a space when he sings, you’re also drawn into the depth of his craft as a songwriter, producer, and performer. Swinging naturally between hip hop and R&B, and fiercely devoted to the music community, Kiddus lifts his listeners up.
Rooted in Seattle, electronic duo?Sundust?combines the intensity of dance music and the melodicism of orchestral music to create new, yet accessible sonic landscapes. Building upon danceable beats, Xander Johns and Sam Clement lay down dazzling synth lines with bright bursts of saxophone and vocal melodies into songs that are impossible not to move to.
Aurelio?Valdez is a?Mexican-American,?Seattle-born hip hop artist with a potent style. With songs about a range of topics, spanning from politics and history to identity and his upbringing,?Aurelio’s music focuses on what it means to truly embody hip hop culture by empowering himself and his people. Influenced heavily by those who pioneered the culture such as?Nas, 2Pac, and KRS-One, his alluring lyrics provoke thought with every track.
Lexi Lalauni describes herself as a dreamer, lover, singer, songwriter, and performer. Her soaring, dynamic voice and contemplative lyrics show that she is all those things and more. Drawing inspiration from the natural world and a desire to connect directly to her listeners, Lexi’s brilliant mix of dream pop and indie style invites you along for a musical adventure.
This program takes a village to build, and we are grateful to The Looking Out Foundation and Mackie for their generous support of Sound Off! 2021.
We’d like to thank our community partners in helping to amplify the work of these young artists and for their support of Sound Off! 2021: KEXP, London Bridge, and The Recording Academy Pacific Northwest Chapter.
Learn more about Sound Off! + for contests, the latest news, and behind-the-scenes content, be sure to follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
If you like what you see, support our work by planning a visit or making a donation to MoPOP today!
