The Softies: Consistency, Longevity, and Tenderness
Words: Delaney O’Dea
January 5th 2025
My friends and I walked into a near-empty AS220 on the evening of September 29, giddy with the cold from our walk down College Hill and buzzing with excitement for the evening ahead. The day prior, one of my close friends had asked if I wanted to accompany him to a concert: The Softies were coming to Providence, touring after the release of their first album in twenty-four years. I agreed without hesitation.
Even before the first of the three opening acts began, we spotted Softies’ guitarist Jen Sbragia at the merch table and vocalist Rose Melberg energetically chatting with anyone who approached her. Their openness and approachability struck me; the 1990s indie duo is legendary among anyone familiar with the genre and practically viewed as the patron saints of Sad Girls all over the world. Melberg first emerged as a prominent voice in West Coast alternative with the short-lived twee pop band Tiger Trap, which released their only album in 1993 (at the concert she elusively hinted that their breakup was related to a mysterious incident involving the towing of a van).
The show opened with the (extremely) unique act “In Glove with Bach”, an act bordering on performance art by clam fisherman/pianist Joe DeGeorge in which he plays J.S. Bach’s Invention No. 8 seven times with successively thicker gloves. DeGeorge even included a special Hulk hand finale in celebration of Melberg’s 52nd birthday, which she was celebrating that day. In Glove with Bach (who also performed at Brown’s annual Bach Marathon on the night of November 1 and into the next morning) was followed by two local Providence bands, Japanese-language indie pop duo Courtney and Brad, and alternative synth act zowy. Finally, after two hours at the venue, it was time for the Softies to take the stage.
Because of our early arrival, my two friends and I ended up immediately in front of the stage by the beginning of the Softies’ set. After a few minutes of Melberg’s easy, casual conversation, the show opened with the eponymous track of the group’s 2000 album Holiday in Rhode Island. I found this especially apt: a song about Rhode Island performed by Californians, sung in Rhode Island to at least one Californian (myself) in the audience. From the very first chords, I knew this show would be something special: rather than being a band stuck in the past and chasing a long-gone greatness, the Softies both retain their characteristic musical beauty while embracing the change in themselves and the world they exist in.
Many of the songs performed came from the Softies’ new album The Bed I Made, released in August of this year. The album returns to their signature minimalist, gentle sound with lyrics that—while remaining relatively close to the themes of their earlier music—contain a new clarity and depth as the group has aged. Almost all of the Softies’ songs center around unrequited love: as Sbragia says in a recent interview, “crushes not working out is my favorite songwriting topic, apparently.” From “California Highway 99” to “Sigh Sigh Sigh,” the intimate performance of these very new-yet-old songs entranced us, eyes glued to the stage, soothed by the sometimes heart-shattering words recited through Melberg and Sbragia’s gentle and meticulous harmonies.
Of course, a few old favorites were brought out as well: with the first chords of “Hello Rain,” one of the band’s most popular songs, the whole crowd cheered. The irony of this wasn’t lost on me: celebrating sadness is the cornerstone trait of a Softies fan, and being able to enjoy the pain of heartbreak is something I found uniquely comforting as I stood amongst varied generations of listeners. For all of us at the show, I think, the “softness” embraced by the Softies provides a haven from the unfeeling world we must endure every day, and shows us that heartbreak, and thus love, is nothing to be afraid of.
My friends and I had bought identical Softies t-shirts at the merch booth, and as we walked back up College Hill we remarked on Melberg and Sbragia’s personability and friendliness. We felt like we knew them, not just through their performance but through their lyrics and even tone. Unlike many of the short-lived indie bands in their movement, the Softies continue to reach out across generations, certain in their identity and with a diverse audience brought together by an appreciation for the raw, simple human experience. Even after just a few hours spent standing in AS220, I felt more sure, less fearful of, and entirely comforted by the softness I have now learned to fully embrace.