Freya’s Felines releases single, holiday EP amidst unplugged show at the Brightside

The matinee performance will be on Nov. 24.
Freya's Felines, 2024. (L-R) Kyleen Downes, Sisco Red, Abigail Moone, Gabriel Erbacher. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Freya's Felines, 2024. (L-R) Kyleen Downes, Sisco Red, Abigail Moone, Gabriel Erbacher. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

“Sisco Red and Abigail Moone were in projects that definitely rocked harder than what I’d been used to doing. So when they pulled me into their circle, it’s like they gave me permission to explore different sounds.”

Dayton four-piece band Freya’s Felines plays earthy cat rock. Here, in a nutshell, is what that means:

All four members love cats. Some are also into mythology, hence the variant spelling and reference to Freyja: the Norse goddess who travels via a chariot of cats. Combining that with environmental lyrics and visuals, Freya’s Felines makes a sub-genre of rock music that is haunting, heavy and aesthetically imaginative.

Freya’s Felines will be unplugging for an intimate matinee show on Nov. 24 at the Brightside Loft.

Pre-sale tickets are encouraged as seating is limited. Early bird tickets also include a complimentary drink.

Freya’s Felines will perform acoustic renditions of songs from the band’s catalog, while also premiering originals from the upcoming three-song Christmas EP, “Flannel Tidings”: a yuletide pivot from the band’s enchanting woodland vibes.

“Flannel Tidings” is set to be released digitally on Dec. 6.

The matinee show is also celebrating the release of the band’s non-holiday single, “Sisters,” which patronizes ears with ethereal acoustics, booming drums and eerie harmonies. The music video, fittingly released on Halloween, is essentially a horror short film. Collectively filmed by the band, the video plays with shadows, poly- and monochromatic lighting, flashy editing, nature photography and performance art.

“Sisters” is, subjectively, creepy — visually and sonically.

But with album art resembling a coven in the woods surrounding a campfire — designed by drummer Abigail Moone — this writer would be concerned if it were anything but creepy.

Fronted by guitarist and vocalist Sisco Red, Freya’s Felines has been making earthy cat rock since 2017. Originally a three-piece between Red, Moone and guitarist Kyleen Downes, the group added a fourth member to the mix in 2023, bassist and vocalist Gabriella Erbacher.

Earlier this year, Erbacher, a multi-instrumentalist, added vocal harmonies to Downes’ solo single “Left on the Pavement”; she’s also one of the main architects of why this earthy cat rock band is releasing a record with sleigh bells and merry festivities.

But just as “Flannel Tidings” seems to be a cozier departure from the Felines’ icier present catalog, Downes’ involvement in the darker tones of the band’s oeuvre is a departure from her usual pop inclinations.

It was Moone’s and Red’s stage presences, though, that made Downes want to play music in Dayton to begin with.

“When I saw Abigail Moone play,” Downes recalled, “she basically reached down and grabbed some guy in the audience by the scruff of his shirt, and just sang and belted into his face. I was just like... I want to feel that empowered on stage. She really plays without abandon. She’s 100 percent in the moment.”

With Red, there was lots of head-banging, wailing on the guitar and powerful vocals — a dynamic range that Downes now also tears into when with Freya’s Felines.

“They could just let go on stage,” Downes said. “They encourage me all the time. They’re like, Turn it up!”

And even though this upcoming Brightside show is about turning it down and relying on the raw acoustics of the room, Freya’s Felines will surely create an ambient atmosphere that is both dark and joyful — just like cats.

Brandon Berry writes about the local music scene in Dayton and Southwest Ohio. Have a story idea for him? Email branberry100@gmail.com.


How to go

What: Freya’s Felines Unplugged

When: 3:30 p.m., Nov. 24

Where: The Brightside Loft, 905 E. 3rd St., Dayton

Cost: $20 pre-sale, $25 at the door

Tickets: venuepilot.co/events/freya-s-felines-a8b549/orders/new

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