7ebra

The Shack

Words & Pics by Captain Stavros

Sleepy Swedish Duo Deliver a Charm Offensive at The Shack 

As the dying crackle of The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s 'Anemone' fades into the ether, a pair bearing an uncanny resemblance to Ghost World’s Enid and Rebecca drift onto the stage at The Shack.

Famously hailing from Sweden—having pulled a bleary-eyed all-nighter just to make it to the venue—7ebra are tired, disoriented, and rattling with a palpable undercurrent of stage fright. It is completely, disarmingly endearing.

A false start ripples through the air as Ella addresses the room from the wall of keys which lay atop a high-stool, chalking the hiccup up to nerves while half-apologising to her sister, Inez. Inez, meanwhile, is already deep into set-opener 'Lime Green Jell-O', entirely too busy coaxing hypnotic tones from her guitar to care about false starts or apologies.

When the synth drops out, a shorthand only true twins possess takes over: mysterious keys yield to the slow, muted jangle of a guitar. And then comes the revelation—that relentless backbeat isn't a drum machine at all. Peeking out from beneath a Frankensteined rig of keys are electric drum pedals, operated in real-time by a pair of Converse see-sawing back and forth. It’s a first for us, and gets the Tarantino-forehead-beaded-with-sweat of approval immediately granted. Every thump hits like a velvet-gloved gut-punch.

'I Like to Pretend' rolls in carrying an unusual, intoxicating sonic cocktail: high-gain guitar grinding against circus-organ keys, establishing a rulebook that refuses to stay written. By the time 'Normal People' arrives, we’re straddling a strange, exhilarating sonic faultline. Imagine club-anthem grandeur meeting dark-wave gloom—club-wave? dark-anthem? Either works. Had the room been any sweatier, we’d be mainlining electrolytes by the chorus.

Another false start arrives, this time courtesy of 'Dinner and a Movie'. Inez throws her hands up: “I always do this wrong! It's not right!” Third time’s the charm, but not before Ella chimes in with a quintessential piece of sibling ping-pong: “We’re tired—no, sorry, nerves. Wait, no. I'm not tired, I'm nervous. I'm tired.” By the end of the banter, we’re exhausted just listening. But the crowd creases up, the tension breaks, and when the track finally drops, it’s gloriously gravelly and rumbly in the tummy. Throughout the set, this running dialogue makes it feel less like a gig and more like we’ve been invited behind the fifth wall.

“We’re going to play an old one. We also played some new ones before. We'll be playing old ones and new ones, that's the plan.”

It’s wonderfully unpretentious. Any early slip-ups are met with total grace because the music and the anxiety are locked in a permanent, fascinating tug-of-war. 'Patient Boy' and 'Lean' follow—the former easily stealing the crown with its hypnotic xylophone-key motif and a guitar finally coming into its own, snarling with purpose.

By the time the finale 'I Have to Buy Stuff' rolls around, whatever nerves they brought onto the stage have burned off like vodka in a hot pan. It’s full steam ahead, delivered with a cheeky, self-aware wink that gently herds us toward the merch table.

To top it all off, a surprise cameo from label-mate Stephanie Gilbert and her band (fresh off supporting duties the night before at The Social) turns the room into one big happy family reunion. We spent some time trading anecdotes with the sisters, Steph and co leaving us wishing we could bottle the night up and live in it forever. But, they’re touring, so go share these spooky vibes at a dive near you.