Sofia Isella

On 25 May 2026 at the Melkweg in Amsterdam, Sofia Isella brings her dark, alternative-tinged pop to the stage. The Los Angeles–based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, classically trained on violin, pairs electronics with guitars and constructs songs that move between slow ballads, sharper outbursts and melodies close to indie pop. Her voice is central: she plays with contrasts and dynamics, while the lyrics probe contemporary unease, intimate relationships and an occasionally bleak worldview, not far from a horror-like imagination.

Isella released her first tracks in the early 2020s and was spotted by the likes of NME and Australia’s triple j Unearthed, which earned her a place in an international scene between experimental pop, narrative songs and gothic influences. Live she translates that universe with an emphasis on interpretation and performativity: theatrical accents without bombast, a set that builds and releases tension, and arrangements that put her voice and melodies front and center. At the Melkweg she continues that line, staying close to the songs while leaving room for the friction between electronics, rock and cinematic atmospheres.