Here at Bloom Sesh we are anything but inconsistent… yes, we closed the last show with some fierce rock energy through FIKA and for September, our finale will be no different. Horns in the air people… The Sound of Modesty is here!
Perhaps one of the coolest pseudonyms out there, The Sound of Modesty is a project by Yvonne Han. Originally hailing from London, she’s up in Leeds for study and boy, are we lucky. Since arriving in Leeds, she’s already made quite as name for herself as an exceedingly exciting artist who is constantly developing and her recent trajectory demonstrates that! From being booked to play Liverpool’s Sound City Festival, to being recognised by Apple Creative Studios in London, Yvonne is really one to watch.
According to the artist herself, The Sound of Modesty “is everything you’ve been too afraid to say out loud.” Indeed, listening to Yvonne’s music, hesitation or shyness aren’t emotions that present themselves easily, rather it is bold, dramatic and wholly dynamic. The genre of rock is exceedingly vast, and Yvonne picks elements from throughout the catalogue, but you can certainly hear influences of indie rock, through to heavier tones of pop-punk and j-rock. Plus, don’t even get us started on her voice… it has the ghostly crystallisation of, say, Kate Bush mixed with the power and range of Florence Welch.
Moreover, the production on her music is top class. Whether it’s adding strings onto her latest release, ‘A Perfect Blue II’, or reworking an entire song into Japanese – Yvonne has built a really strong team around her, who she champions at every opportunity. One of our favourites is a track she released last year called ‘Warm Floors/Cold Bodies’ or ‘憧憬’, or as we affectionally call it, ‘the honey badger’. Fast, furious and fearless this track epitomises why we love The Sound of Modesty, not to mention why we are so glad we’re not the skin on a bass drum. It’s also impeccably j-rock and could honestlybe mistaken for an anime opening. Explaining the journey behind the track on YouTube, Yvonne’s friend and collaborator Ryan Chan put Attack on Titan alongside and it was seamless! The entire video itself is a fascinating watch, documenting how creatives had to make do and mend during the pandemic and how this masterpiece came from a crackly acoustic voice note (it’s a must watch for TSOM fans!)
Yvonne has brought her rousing, unique rock concoction to the city of Leeds and we’re all the better for it! This special brew is all at once intoxicating and refreshing, and with the buzz around her only increasing – we cannot wait to see what she does next.
Take a listen for yourself:
Bloom Sessions 