Thurs., 10/8/26

somesurprises, Ilyas Ahmed, Chuck Johnson

8:00pm, $15 adv., $18 door

somesurprises

somesurprises is the Seattle based band led by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Natasha El-Sergany. Born in Letterkenny, Ireland, and raised in the north of England before moving to Florida at age ten, El-Sergany eventually found home in the evergreen mist of the Pacific Northwest. What began as a bedroom project focused on spectral balladry and late-night exploration, somesurprises has since evolved into an enigmatic collaboration with synthesist and guitarist Josh Medina. Since 2017, the duo has created a unique blend of reverb drenched folk, motorik dream pop and drone rock.

Their most recent full length, Perseids, is the band’s most expansive sound yet. Building from the initial intimacy of El-Sergany’s delicate guitar playing and lilting voice, the group find themselves enveloped in a celestial framework. Creative guidance from bassist Laura Seniow, drummer Nico Sophiea, and cellist Lori Goldston, help forge the band into uncharted territory, where layers of electronics, strings and effects set the stage for somesurprises’ sonic meditations. The album was released by Doom Trip Records in 2024 and has since received glowing praise from NPR, The Quietus, Aquarium Drunkard, The Fader and Bandcamp, the latter stating “(that) by patiently working around the fringes of shoegaze and dream pop, somesurprises finds itself a form that’s unbeholden to the times or trends.” 

https://somesurprises.net

instagram.com/somesurprises

Ilyas Ahmed (Grails, Grouper)

Ilyas Ahmed is a musician and artist whose work spans spectral dream-folk, ambient and experimental drone, blending singer-songwriter sensibilities with abstract sound design. A member of Grails, Ilyas' solo output is complemented by collaborations with Liz Harris (Grouper) and Golden Retriever under the moniker Dreamboat, reflecting a subtle, exploratory approach to composition and texture.

https://ilyasahmed.bandcamp.com/

https://www.instagram.com/iilyasaahmed/

Chuck Johnson

Composer, musician, and producer based in Oakland, CA. Recordings available from Western Vinyl, All Saints, Thrill Jockey, VDSQ, Longform Editions, Three Lobed, Kompakt, and more.

https://chuckjohnson.bandcamp.com/

instagram.com/chuckjohnsonmusic