Even voorstellen - Sophia Ammann - 'Dancing', single
Polymoon Music
Release: 12 december 2025
Sophia Ammann - Dancing (Official Video)
Met 'Dancing' brengt Sophia Ammann een tweede dansbare single uit van haar debuutplaat die in maart 2026 verschijnt. “Best sad dance jam” om het met producer Shane Leonard zijn woorden te zeggen. Het nummer wordt ingezet met nostalgische strijkers die een bitterzoet verhaal aankondigen. In 'Dancing' zingt Ammann over het dubbelzinnige gevoel dat we kunnen ervaren na een relatiebreuk. Over hoe het loslaten van een relatie en een oude geliefde tegelijk zwaar en licht(er) kan aanvoelen.

Sophia Ammann: “Ik schreef het nummer in een vrij moeilijke periode en kon het een lange tijd niet zingen zonder overspoeld te worden door verdriet. Jaren later, in de studio, kwam er een extatische dimensie bij. Dat was zo'n mooie verrassing, hoe iets heel pijnlijks en verdrietigs via de muziek uiteindelijk tot een soort warm feest werd getransformeerd. De eerste take met de band heeft me toen ook erg geëmotioneerd, maar dan waren het dankbare tranen.”

De videoclip werd door Sophia zelf gemaakt en bestaat uit een montage van oude filmbeelden. “De dubbelheid van het nummer en de spanning tussen licht en donker deed me meteen denken aan Film Noirs. Daar zit steeds iets melancholisch maar ook iets komisch en stunteligs in. Zo kwam ik terecht bij de Butterfly Dances, van de allereerste films met dans. Het was meteen een perfecte match.”

Hoe kom je erop om je plaat in de VS te gaan opnemen? Gek genoeg verliep dat heel organisch. Sophia ontmoette producer Shane Leonard op muziekkamp in Amerika op een eiland te midden van het Winnipesaukee meer. Op een gezellige avond in het boothuis werd de gitaar doorgegeven, ieder bracht om beurten een lied, zo ook Sophia en Shane (die naast drummer ook singer-songwriter én multi instrumentalist is). De rest is geschiedenis. “Ik was al even op zoek naar een producer en kon moeilijk de juiste connectie vinden, op het moment dat ik er helemaal niet naar op zoek was heb ik ‘m gevonden. Het is alsof het zo moest zijn.”

File under: Laura Veirs, Weyes Blood, Joni Mitchell, Julia Jacklin, Hanne Hukkelberg.

Met de eerste single ‘Dinner On The Kitchen Floor’ kondigde Sophia Ammann in september haar langverwachte solodebuut aan. In het verleden was Sophia de frontvrouw van de band Little Dots. De groep was artist in residence in de Ancienne Belgique, speelde op Eurosonic en Gent Jazz. Daarnaast was ze vaste zangeres bij Ansatz Der Maschine. De voorbije jaren heeft ze vooral gespeeld met het project Sophia Ammann plays Leonard Cohen, met een uitverkochte tournee langs meer dan 30 culturele centra. Het project leverde haar ook een tournee op in Nepal en Canada. Klaar om haar eigen weg uit te tekenen komt ze nu met haar solodebuut in maart 2026. Verwacht filmische songs op het snijpunt van indie, folk en country, doordrenkt met magisch realisme. Voor de opname van haar debuutalbum trok ze in maart 2024 naar Amerika om er op te nemen met producer Shane Leonard (Josh Ritter, Anna Tivel, Flora Hibberd, Humbird). Belg Tim Vandenbergh (Colorist Orchestra, SunSunSun) werkte mee aan de productie en arrangementen van de plaat en vloog voor de opnames naar Amerika. Live zal hij met zijn bas ook van de partij zijn. Net als drummer Jan Dhaene (Ansazt der Maschine) en Dietrich Strause (piano, keys, gitaren en backing vocals).

De videoclip van ‘Dinner On The Kitchen Floor’ werd in de zomer van 2024 opgenomen in Eau Claire, WI, door videomakers Sarah en Erik Elstran. De hartverwarmende video geeft een inkijk in de tijd die Sophia heeft doorgebracht in Eau Claire, waar ze haar album opnam.  “Eau Claire voelde als thuiskomen. Ik heb er de tijd van mijn leven gehad, zowel in de studio als met de vrienden die ik er maakte. De hele periode was een transformerende en bevrijdende ervaring.”  Het zal wellicht geen toeval zijn dat Eau Claire veel gelijkenis toont met Winnipeg, de Canadese stad waar Sophia regelmatig tijd doorbracht toen ze klein was.

LIVE
24 maart 2026, Minard Schouwburg, Gent

26 maart, Hnita Jazz Club, Heist-op-den-Berg

28 maart 2026, Club Mortsel

2 april 2026, Brugotta, maZ, Brugge

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Open’er Festival 2026 – 1 July till 4 July 2026, Gdynia – names

Ring the alarm! Open'er reveals more artists for its 2026 edition. Joining the line-up are global sensation Addison Rae - just after her first Grammy nomination, PinkPantheress - one of the key British artists, whose "Fancy That" landed in the UK Top 3, Tomora - a special project merging the worlds of Tom Rowlands of The Chemical Brothers and Aurora, one of the most distinctive artists in pop. Opening Alter Stage line-up are The Afghan Whigs – who will celebrate their 40th anniversary at Open'er, horsegiirL - the charismatic DJ and producer known for her uncompromising blend of hardstyle and Europop, Anna von Hausswolff – the unpredictably creative Swedish artist who combines the tradition of organ music with monumental rock experiments, as well as Don West - a revelation of the soul revival.

Open'er Festival powered by Orange 2026 will take place July 1-4 in Gdynia, at Gdynia-Kosakowo Airfield. Among already announced artists are The Cure, Calvin Harris, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The xx, Halsey, Teddy Swims, David Byrne, Zara Larsson, Jade, Ethel Cain, IDLES, Clipse, Sofi Tukker, Reneé Rapp and Audrey Nuna.

ADDISON RAE
Addison Rae has become one of the most recognizable and promising young stars. Her debut album „Addison", released in June 2025 to critical acclaim, helped Rae receive her first Grammy nomination. Forbes hailed her "pop music's newest ‚'it' girl" and the Associated Press declared "a new pop powerhouse is born". In August, she released "Diet Pepsi", which became Addison's first track to enter Billboard Hot 100. She followed with "Aquamarine", "High Fashion", "Headphones On", and "Fame is a Gun." After her album release Harper's Bazaar announced, "the next big pop star has been born". At the same time she combines her passion for music with her rising Hollywood fame. Since the beginning of 2020, Addison has amassed over 88 million followers on TikTok, with over 5.8 billion likes, and 34 million followers on Instagram. In its review of Rae's debut album, Pitchfork asks the world: „Are we ready for Addison"? The answer seems obvious. We can't wait! Addison Rae comes to Open'er on July 4. XO. Let's go!

PINKPANTHERESS
Victoria Walker, better known as  PinkPantheress, started just a few years ago by creating music in her bedroom, and today she's effortlessly described as an icon. Her work is based largely on elements of drum'n'bass, UK garage, and hyperpop, with a touch of nostalgia for the sound of the '90s. As early as 2021, when her debut mixtape "To Hell With It" dropped, her major success was already being predicted. Growing in strength, PinkPantheress topped the BBC Sound of 2022 list. In 2023 she released the album "Heaven Knows", featuring the hit "Boy's a Liar Pt. 2", which only reinforced her status. This year's mixtape "Fancy That" landed in the UK Top 3, and "Illegal" quickly became the soundtrack of millions of online videos, making it to the top of NME's "50 Best Songs of 2025" list. Catch PinkPantheress on July 4th, Tent Stage, at her specially crafted show.

TOMORA
TOMORA is the result of two unique and pioneering artists' worlds colliding, inevitably. As one half of The Chemical Brothers, Tom Rowlands has defined the sound of British electronic music, and AURORA has established herself as one of pop music's most distinctive voices. Their orbits began to converge, and before long AURORA featured on The Chemical Brothers' GRAMMY-winning 2019 album „No Geography" - a favor returned when Tom produced some of her acclaimed 2024 album „What Happened To The Heart?". The natural chemistry between the two artists, and alchemy that came from their collaboration, has led us to this point. And by way of an introduction to their world, they have unleashed "RING THE ALARM" ; a glorious, mechanized sound of alien contact, alive with chaos, mischief and release. It's a record that slips across eras, and a sharp reminder of what 33 revolutions per minute can do. TOMORA at Tent Stage, July 4!

THE AFGHAN WHIGS
Since their reformation in 2012, The Afghan Whigs have stormed back to life with several world tours, major festival appearances and released three new critically acclaimed albums „Do To The Beast „(2014), „In Spades" (2017) and „How Do You Burn?" (2022). "The Afghan Whigs are better now than they've ever been. The last decade of the band's output (...) reflect a streak unmatched by any other period in their storied career" – wrote SPIN, joining the praise from outlets like Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Stereogum, Billboard and more. 2026 marks the 40th anniversary of The Afghan Whigs. We are so happy, that Open'er will be a part of that celebration. See them live at Alter Stage, July 3.

HORSEGIIRL
Eat, sleep, slay, repeat! horsegiirL is a DJ and producer gaining momentum thanks to her uncompromising blend of hardstyle and Europop. Known both for her viral tracks and her distinctive horse mask, horsegiirL admits, she wants to express what unites humans and horses: the deep emotions of existence. Remembering her home at Sunshine Farms, she pursues her dream of galloping over the world's biggest stages. And on July 4th, she'll charge onto Alter Stage in full speed!

ANNA VON HAUSSWOLFF
Anna von Hausswolff is a Swedish musician and composer whose work carves out space for the celestial and the transcendent to enter into the modern world. Following her breakthrough album, "Ceremony" (2012), von Hausswolff's subsequent releases quickly cemented her as an artist of unpredictable and vast creativity, always moving forward, always melding tradition with experimentation in unimaginable ways. Taking the pipe organ, with its ancient whirring character, as her instrument of choice, von Hausswolf's sound has long played with the ethereal qualities of breath: of taking in, holding, and releasing it. This sometimes takes the form of colossal, doom-laden rock songs, and at other times, as intimate organ pieces. On „ICONOCLASTS", which features appearances from Ethel Cain, Abul Mogard, Iggy Pop and Maria von Hausswolf, her sound evolves again, bringing a poppier and more vibrant element to her moving songs. Don't miss her live at Alter Stage, July 3

DON WEST
Riding the wave of the global soul revival, Don West is carving out his own distinctive place in the genre. Drawing inspiration from legends like Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield, as well as contemporary artists such as Jalen Ngonda and Thee Sacred Souls, Don West brings a fresh yet timeless sound to modern soul. His debut EP (2024) introduced key tracks like "Small Change" and "Friends", both earning international acclaim. Building on that momentum, DON WEST kicked off 2025 with the release of singles "Send It Back", "Julia" & "Give Me All Your Love" - a bold statement of what's to come. With his debut album, "Give Me All Your Love" (2025), and a global tour in the works for 2026, Don West is an artist fully hitting his stride - confidently defining his own chapter in soul music. Catch him on Alter Stage, July 2.

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