Baroque/Alt/Art Rock band, Zara blends musical genres with cinematic and symphonic sensibilities. Zara's music "engulfs listeners in a whirlpool of emotion, enveloped by a dark, epic, and energetic ambiances, blending influences from grunge, indie rock, and alternative genres, and embodying the tumult of internal and external chaos through its evocative lyrics and captivating arrangements." Zara was founded by Seattle-based musician and visual artist Max Zara Bernstein (she/they). While Bernstein is the primary composer, arranger, producer and designer for Zara, Zara's live ensemble has had several iterations. The current line-up includes Max Zara Bernstein on guitar and vocals, Dave Braun on drums, Mal McDowell on bass, Julian Nguyen on viola, Nikhita Sheller on saxophone, Jessica Kitzman on cello, Shelby Mass on violin, and Peter Nelson-King on baritone and trumpet. Zara will be releasing its first full length album in Spring of 2025 accompanied by a slurry of visual material.

Fotoform's critically acclaimed new album, Grief is a Garden (Forever in Bloom), explores loss and grief through shoegaze-inflected post-punk with poetically disarming honesty and vulnerability. The Seattle band have refined their crystalline sound into a warm gauze of beauty, sadness, and drive on their latest album. Kim House (vocals, bass, synths, guitar) and Geoff Cox (guitars) create an intimate and profoundly personal work, highlighting themes of loss, pain, resilience, and transformation. Fotoform dives deep into existential questions - at turns, cathartic, graceful, and propulsive - all the while unflinching and direct. Kim House's lyrics continue to surprise and disarm, while the music shimmers, swirls, and shudders, driven forward with Aaron Nicholes joining on drums live. They just completed a European tour in May, and this will be their second show back in the PNW.

Dead Spells is a dark post-punk band from Seattle that weaves haunting atmospheric melodies from a variety of influences. Drawing inspiration from the cinematic vibe of westerns, 60s psychadelia, and post-punk noise, the band crafts a unique sonic experience. Their second EP will be released in 2025.