Sommo Festival Day Two | Hidden Beats

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Sommo Festival - Day Two

If Day One of Sommo Festival set the tone, Day Two raised the bar even higher. By mid-morning, the grounds were already alive, fans shaking off the night before as the first notes drifted through the cooling summer air. The second and final day carried a different rhythm: looser, louder, and somehow even more connected. The lineup promised another day of unforgettable performances, blending familiar names with fresh discoveries, all bound by that easy, unmistakable East Coast energy.

Brooks & Bowskill

The husband-and-wife duo Brooks & Bowskill opened up the Main Stage with a chemistry that was as effortless as it was captivating. Hailing from Canada’s vibrant roots scene, Brittany Brooks and Jimmy Bowskill blend folk and country rock ’n’ roll into a sound that feels both timeless and deeply personal. Individually, they have built impressive careers; together, they craft music that is richer than the sum of its parts — a blend of intricate guitar work, warm harmonies, and stories that linger long after the song ends.

Their set at Sommo drew the early crowd in with an easy rapport, their voices weaving together like threads of a shared story. Tracks from their debut album Too Many Roads sat comfortably alongside fresh material from Blissful State of Mind, their newest release, creating a setlist that balanced nostalgia with forward momentum. The audience responded with quiet focus and bursts of applause, the kind of respect reserved for performances that feel both genuine and heartfelt. For a festival filled with spectacle, Brooks & Bowskill offered a reminder that great music is often born in simplicity and sincerity.

Good Dear Good

Halifax favourites Good Dear Good brought their magnetic indie pop-rock to Sommo Festival with a set that felt equal parts warm and pensive. Their name — drawn from the common Cape Breton exchange, “[I’m] good dear, good” — reflects the balance in their music: infectious melodies layered with a subtle undercurrent of melancholy. On stage, that balance came to life, creating a performance that was both energizing and deeply resonant.

They treated the audience to a mix of tracks from their debut EP Arrival alongside previews of their upcoming EP sook, which would be released nearly two weeks after this show. That glimpse into their evolving sound left fans buzzing, reinforcing why Good Dear Good’s fanbase continues to grow with every stage they take.

Chiara Savasta

Chiara Savasta brought a different kind of intimacy to the Sommo Festival Main Stage — one rooted in reflection and self-discovery. The Montreal-based singer-songwriter has a knack for romanticizing the chaos of coming of age, turning moments of uncertainty into something achingly relatable. Her 2024 release brand new girl, brand new machine marked a turning point, solidifying her sound and voice with newfound confidence. On stage, that growth was unmistakable. Chiara moved with the ease of someone fully at home in her craft, dancing across the stage with an unguarded energy that pulled the crowd closer.

Her voice is equal parts tender and commanding, filling the open air with weaving stories of love, longing, joy, doubt, and transformation. The set felt intimate despite the sprawling festival stage, a shared moment suspended in time. Her songs are deliberate, melodic, and richly textured, resonating with those in the crowd who are living through similar experiences.

Charlie Houston

Over at the Nova 7 Stage, Charlie Houston took the afternoon with a performance that was as personal as it was captivating. Her story alone set the tone — a return to music after a hiatus prompted by a challenging experience, and a renewed commitment to exploring the deeper questions of life through song. The Torontonian’s alt/indie sound, anchored by her moody, evocative vocals, carried both grit and grace, drawing listeners into her world.

Her set wove together tracks from her 2025 release Big After I Die, each one layered with introspection and an unflinching willingness to confront life’s complexities. Houston moved with quiet confidence, her voice shifting from intimate whispers to soaring crescendos, inviting the crowd to lean in and feel every note. It was a set that balanced melancholy with resolve, a reminder that music can be both a refuge and a reckoning.

Hollow Coves

Hollow Coves brought a serene wave of sound to Sommo Festival, their music carrying the warmth of a late-summer afternoon. The Australian indie-folk duo — led by vocalists and guitarists Ryan Henderson and Matt Carins, with Henderson adding delicate flourishes on keys — crafted a set that felt both expansive and delicate. Their latest release, Nothing to Lose, was the heart of the performance, each song an invitation to step into a shared vision of paradise.

By the end of their set, Hollow Coves had not only contributed to the soundtrack of the cloudy afternoon, but had created a moment between hearts and a reminder of the beauty found in stillness. It was music built on gentle acoustic strums and layered harmonies. Their sound carries the kind of quiet honesty that invites listeners to slow down, breathe, and notice the world around them. In that moment, under Cavendish’s vast sky, their songs were a reminder that stillness can be vibrant.

Billianne

Billianne brought a heartfelt warmth to the Nova 7 Stage, her voice carrying both the depth of experience and the vulnerability of discovery. The Ontario-based country-folk singer has already drawn comparisons to a “young Adele,” and her presence at Sommo proved that praise is well-earned. Her viral cover of Tina Turner’s “The Best” brought her international attention, earning recognition from pop heavyweights like Taylor Swift, P!nk, and Joe Jonas. Billianne’s music dances between romantic and melancholic escapism, exploring not only her own emotions but the essence of what it means to yearn for your purpose.

Her newest release, Modes of Transportation, brings these themes to the forefront, and the set at Sommo reflected that artistic clarity. Across a setlist that spanned her career, she delivered each song with an eased intensity. There was joy in her movement and purpose in her gaze — a performer clearly devoted not only to her craft but to the audience before her. By the end of her set, Billianne had created a space of shared emotion, where wistfulness and gratitude lingered long after the final note.

Adam Baldwin & The Jenny Wren

Is it really an outdoor Maritime festival if there isn’t a little rain? That was the joke as Adam Baldwin & The Jenny Wren took to Sommo’s Main Stage — arriving, it seemed, with the Nova Scotia rain in tow. Yet the rain only added to the atmosphere, with fans donning ponchos and raincoats, gathering to brave the storm in the name of music. Baldwin, an indie rock singer-songwriter, builds his sound around a tradition of raw storytelling, blending grit and melody in ways that make us look at the less-than-shiny parts that can make up coastal living.

His music is a testament to the lives, struggles, and characters of the Maritimes, delivered with the conviction of someone who treats the stage as both pulpit and home. That evening, his voice rang out against the rain, every lyric carrying the weight of lived experience. Baldwin’s set was a sermon in sound, grounding the festival in the soul of its place. it was a shared act of endurance, a celebration of community in its purest form.

Adam Baldwin & The Jenny Wren - Sommo Festival

Ichi-Bons

Ichi-Bons stormed the stage while the rain continued to storm outside, delivering a performance that felt like a burst of pure adrenaline. The Toronto-based Japanese rock ’n’ roll band blends surf, garage rock, and a touch of rockabilly flair into a sound that’s as reckless as it is exhilarating. Frontman Mamoru “Mamo Banzai” Anzai embodied that spirit completely, clad in a sharp suit as he shredded across the stage with a ferocity that pulled the crowd in from the start.

Their set was loud, raw, and unapologetically theatrical. Waves of gritty guitar riffs, pounding drums, and rollicking basslines rolled over the audience like a tide, each track building on the last with a thrilling momentum. Mamo’s electric stage presence turned every song into a showpiece, a celebration of rock ’n’ roll in its purest form. By the end of the set, the swelling crowd roared their approval, calling Ichi-Bons back long after the set had ended. They certainly left their signature on Sommo Festival.

PVRIS

PVRIS brought an electrifying blend of edge and awe to the Main Stage. Led by frontwoman and LGBTQ+ icon Lynn Gunn, the Massachusetts-based project has carved out a sound that defies easy categorization — a fearless fusion of electropop, synth pop, alt-rock, and hints of the post-hardcore intensity from Gunn’s earlier work. Her music delves into terrain that is deeply personal and universally resonant, exploring everything from relationships and health struggles to themes of empowerment.

On this night, PVRIS layered soaring synth textures with driving guitar riffs, building an electric soundscape that challenged the impending bursts of rain and showcased her discography. Gunn’s presence commanded the stage, her voice a powerful blend of raw intensity and fierce determination.

There was an energy in that moment that was both defiant and tender: a collective refusal to let the weather dim the magic of live music. By the end of this penultimate Main Stage set, PVRIS had not only captivated the audience but had built a shared space of resilience; the perfect bridge into the night’s headlining moment.

King Cruff

King Cruff closed out the Nova 7 Stage with an electrifying performance that was perfectly suited for Sommo Festival. As the grandson of Bob Marley, he carries the weight of a legendary legacy — but Cruff approaches it with his own fearless spirit, using his music to connect with audiences in deeply personal ways. His sound is a restless fusion of Black musical traditions, where hypnotic hip-hop grooves meet the sway of reggae and the infectious bounce of funk. Cruff describes his sound as “punky,” and there was something punk about the way he owned the stage. His songs explore the weight of insecurities and the journey of introspection, but on stage they became a release, an invitation for the crowd to shed burdens and join in the joy of the moment.

Under the damp, clouded skies of Cavendish, the audience, bundled against the cool night air, gave themselves over to the music. They danced, they sang, they shouted back at him, drawn into a shared pulse of rhythm and release. In the end, King Cruff closed Nova 7 Stage at this year’s Sommo Festival with a moment of pure, resilient joy.

Hozier

In the moment that the masses had been waiting for, Hozier stepped onto the Main Stage to thunderous applause, greeted by a wave of collective energy that seemed to roll across the festival grounds. The Irish musician channels a deep and soulful blend of folk, soul, and blues, and his live performance transforms that blend into something transcendent. With a full band and backup chorus, Hozier created a rich, dynamic soundscape that elevated his already remarkable voice into something almost cathedral-like — powerful, deeply rooted, and impossibly stirring.

Beyond the music, Hozier used his platform to speak to causes close to his heart, bringing a Trans flag on stage near the set’s close and speaking of the community needed to bring us together, of the place and purpose we each hold on this earth. Between songs, he introduced every member of his band to the crowd, a gesture of gratitude and recognition that made the moment feel deeply human.

His set was filled with fan favourites, weaving together tenderness and intensity, including a personal highlight in “Too Sweet,” and closing with the anthemic power of “Take Me To Church“. Huddled beneath the darkened Cavendish sky, the crowd sang back to him with unrestrained passion. By the end, it was clear that the response to Hozier could be heard across all of PEI, a roaring echo of connection, reverence, and joy. This will surely be an experience that Sommo Festival goers will be buzzing about for ages.

A Taste Of Sommo

The offering from the Taste of Sommo showcasing were still creating a buzz on the second and final day of this year’s Sommo Festival. The scent of fresh spices, delectable pasta, and sweet treats drifted on the breeze, colliding with the salty tang of the nearby ocean and the earthy perfume of Cavendish after a morning dew. Festivalgoers arrived in waves, wrapped in colourful layers and rain jackets, their breath visible in the cool air, their laughter cutting through the hum of sound that filled the grounds.

There was an electric sense of familiarity, the kind born of shared rituals and moments lived together. People moved between stages with confident purpose, beverages and snacks in hand, voices carrying over the music as conversations turned to plans for the night ahead.

Vendors and Vibes

Building on the success of Day One, the air buzzed with the scent of freshly grilled meats, savory pasta, and indulgent sweets, while the cool Maritime breeze swept gently across the festival grounds.

The vibe at Sommo is something rare — a mix of warmth, inclusivity, and upfront celebration of individuality. There’s a sense of championing the underdog, of creating a space where everyone feels welcome to be exactly who they are. In my years covering festivals across the country, I’ve never encountered one where paramedics themselves remarked on how calm the atmosphere was. That detail speaks volumes: Sommo isn’t just a festival, it’s a carefully cultivated community. It’s a place where wellbeing and connection matter as much as the music.

An Incredible Finale

As the final notes fade and the lights go out, this year’s Sommo Festival leaves a lasting feeling of belonging. It’s a festival that proves that events like these can be more than entertainment; it can be a movement, a gathering grounded in empathy, joy, and genuine human connection. Sommo invites you in and makes you part of something bigger, leaving you eager for the next round.

Huge thanks go out to the teams responsible for putting together this spectacular event, and for having us on board. Until next time!

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