SOAK

Though they don't believe either word accurately describes their music, Irish singer/songwriter SOAK says the stage name came from combining "soul" and "folk." Bridie Monds-Watson's breathy, emotionally revealing songs and evocative, often spare performing style are certainly soulful and folk-influenced, but there's just as much indie rock in their musical formula. SOAK released a series of EPs beginning in 2012 before issuing their debut album, Before We Forgot How to Dream, as a teen in 2015. It was nominated for a Mercury Prize. The songwriter grappled with the realities of young adulthood on 2019's Grim Town, then revisited formative experiences on 2022's If I Never Know You Like This Again after embracing a non-binary identity.