The Strongroom Bar in Shoreditch recently hosted the November edition of the In Transit event devoted to new music from up-and-coming artists.
Swedish indie-rock artist Linn Koch-Emmery; English singer IMOGEN; and Norwegian folk-pop band Casilian graced the venue’s small stage that night. But the main reason we were there was to see the English pop act Strawbey, who over the last few years has been gathering some much-deserved hype.
When we got to the room with the stage, Casilian was in the middle of their set, so we decided to stick around. The Norwegian band’s indie folk sound combines acoustic melodies with beautiful harmonies from the four members. Their musical energy is reminiscent of an Icelandic band that reached mainstream success in the early 2010s, Of Monsters And Men. It was a heart-warming set that left us curious to hear more from this promising band.
After Casilian it was time to get some much-deserved dinner before Strawbey’s 10pm gig. Before going on stage Ruben Pope (aka Strawbey) told us that this was going to be his last concert of the year, and that we should expect some surprises on the setlist.
To listen to Flore’s interview with Ruben before the gig, watch the video below:
The room was bustling with what seemed to be a mix of friends, established fans and other people who were there to get to know Ruben’s music. And then there he was, up on stage, accompanied by his three bandmates.
After the first couple of songs he spoke to the audience, with a voice that showed some signs of nervousness. However, during the songs the nerves completely disappeared, and his performance was near perfect.
Although Strawbey’s lyrics can provoke feelings of sadness or sorrow, the guitar progressions and drum patterns make it impossible not to bop, whirl or even dance for most of the time.
Most people in audience were really feeling the music, and some were singing along. As Ruben had told us beforehand, the set featured mainly unreleased songs. But there was also time for some of his older stuff such as “How Do You Feel”, which is one of his most streamed songs across multiple platforms.
As per usual at these sorts of events the set was short: around 20-25 minutes. That being said, it was wonderfully-performed, and for anyone not familiar with Strawbey, it was an excellent introduction to what they have to offer.
Editors: Carissa Svedberg and Nadrine Narku
