If you have ever been to an Indie rock concert, you are likely aware of the movement…or the lack thereof. Concert goers stand in the crowd with their craft beers and bisexual partners, swaying to the soul-crushing lyrics produced by a 20 something nepo-baby from the west coast. Oftentimes, it could be assumed that they are incapable of busting down on a beat, tired, or just straight up bored.
However, in the case of Hana Vu and Soccer Mommy’s harmony this past Monday at the Ogden, onlookers didn’t appear to be lacking entertainment, but rather they seemed to be in a captive trance. Vu’s opening set was a culmination of her most recent release Romanticism alongside older projects such as Public Storage and How Many Times Have You Driven By EP. An exciting addition to the pop/ indie rock scene, Vu offers themes that haunt many young girls’ minds for most of their teens, trickling into adulthood. She tackles the notions of uncertainty, insecurity and dwindling youth across all her works. During her set she sang with the gravity of someone much older than herself, teeing up Soccer Mommy for her headlining performance.
Sophia Allison, the creator of the beloved Soccer Mommy, is a Nashville native who has been in the alternative scene since she released her first album in 2016. For Young Hearts was immediately received in the indie sphere with open arms. Like many others in the late 2010s music business, she started her journey releasing music on Bandcamp as she found her footing at New York University. Struggling with direction, Allison turned to the inescapable captivity of music, signing to her first label by the time she was 20. She went on to release five more albums between 2018 and 2024, her most recent release being Evergreen.
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Soccer Mommy performing on stage at The Ogden
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Soccer Mommy performing on stage at The Ogden
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Soccer Mommy performing on stage at The Ogden
In an interview with The Line of Best Fit, Allison explains that “practicality always gnawed at the back of her mind.” Even when she was immersed in her creative creations, she found that the concept of going all-in was almost estranged; “It was more of a passion project” Allison admits. Even while gaining popularity and traction within the realm of sad-girl music, Allison admits that the creation of art within the professional sphere wasn’t always something she was thrilled to be a part of. The destruction of personal boundaries, intimidation by labels, and overall stress to produce can oftentimes leave artists feeling detached from their own work. However, Allison admits that “I’m trying to find something that can be inspiring for me and hopefully for other people. I love when fans really see a connection and deeper meanings.” Her music is a pathway to expression that can oftentimes not be found elsewhere.
The evidence for her love of her craft can be seen when she performs live. At The Ogden, she opened her set with a fresh piece off Evergreen, enchanting the crowd with a story about a character from the video game Stardew Valley in Abigail. Her light and airy presence was complimented by floral stage arrangements and dreamy visuals through a portal-like screen that was positioned to look like Allison was emerging from a flowery pink alternative universe. The rest of the performance featured a number of fan-favorites from her newest album all the way to her original compositions, leaving the masses with (arguably) one of her grungier hits, Your Dog. Themes of one-sided love and teenage angst flowed through the entire set, showing the complexity of her arrangements and maturation of her songwriting over the last seven years.
Soccer Mommy and Hana Vu delivered a fantastic female-fronted indie rock concert that satisfied even the most anti-indie dad in the crowd.
Find their music here (Hana Vu, Soccer Mommy).
