Sombr covered Phoebe Bridgers‘ ‘Motion Sickness’ during a recent stop on BBC Radio 1’s Piano Sessions – check it out below.
- READ MORE: Sombr – ‘I Barely Know Her’ review: smirking sad boy pop
The singer, who this year secured a Grammy nomination in the Best New Artist category after making his name with his viral sad boy ballads, played a tender cover of Bridgers’ breakout 2017 single alongside his own runaway hit, ‘back to friends’.
Fans have been quick to compliment the crossover – especially given that both artists share a predilection for songs about ailing relationships – and are now clamouring it to be uploaded in full to Spotify.
Asked about his approach to the stripped-back session, he said he thought it would be fun to perform with only the piano. “It’s not something I do very often, so [it’s] a good change. Don’t get used to it.”
As for his choice to cover Bridgers, he shared that he discovered her in high school and she become on of his favourite artists. “I’ve been wanting to do a Phoebe cover for a while now, so I think this worked out great.”
His stop at BBC’s Maida Vale studios comes ahead of his upcoming UK and European tour dates, which will see him play in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy and more throughout February and March, before heading back to the UK for shows in London, Manchester, Birmingham and more – you can visit here to buy tickets.
Sombr’s UK and European tour dates are:
2026
FEBRUARY
10—Annexet, Stockholm (Sweden)
11—KB Hallen, Copenhagen (Denmark)
13—Inselpark Arena, Hamburg (Germany)
15—Stodola, Warsaw (Poland)
16—Forum Karlin, Prague (Czech Republic)
18—Gasometer, Vienna (Austria)
19—Tonhalle, Munich (Germany)
20—Halle 622, Zurich (Switzerland)
22—Alcatraz, Milan (Italy)
24— Palacio Vistalegre, Madrid (Spain)
25—Razzmatazz, Barcelona (Spain)
27—Salle Pleyel, Paris (France)
MARCH
2—AFAS Live, Amsterdam (Netherlands)
4—Columbiahalle, Berlin (Germany)
5—Palladium, Cologne (Germany)
6—AB, Brussels (Belgium)
8—O2 Academy Brixton, London (UK)
12—Academy, Manchester (UK)
13—O2 Academy, Birmingham (UK)
15—O2 Academy, Glasgow (UK)
16—3Arena, Dublin (Ireland)
All live shows come in celebration of Sombr releasing his debut album ‘I Barely Know Her’ in August.
That album was given a four-star NME review, which read “‘I Barely Know Her’ is an album driven by heartache but that hasn’t stopped Sombr from creating a gloriously dynamic record that’s less about misery and more about catharsis. It’s sad boy indie with a smirk.”
His track ’12 to 12′ also came in at Number on NME‘s round up of 50 best songs of 2025. “Sombr has a penchant for putting melancholic heartbreak to a funky melody and making it sound like an intoxicatingly good time,” the entry read. “The dirty disco rock and deadly bassline of ‘12 To 12’ draw you in before the 20-year-old pulls off a spine-chilling falsetto.”
He also made the Top Five for BBC’s Sound Of 2026.
As for Bridgers, last summer saw the singer-songwriter secure another legal win in the long-running defamation case brought against her by music producer Chris Nelson.
The case dates back to September 2021, when the singer-songwriter shared an Instagram thread that accused Nelson of “grooming, stealing [and] violence”. Nelson, who owns the Sound Space recording studio in Los Angeles, claimed the post was defamatory against him.
He sought $3.8million (£2.8million) in damages, claiming Bridgers “intentionally used her high-profile public platform on Instagram to publish false and defamatory statements” about him “in order to destroy his reputation”.
In November 2022, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge dismissed Nelson’s suit, and ordered Nelson to pay Bridgers $392,070 (£291,805) in legal fees and costs. That is in addition to a previous order to pay $496,600 (£369,600), totalling to $888,768 (£661,480).
It comes after Boygenius – the trio of Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker, announced they were going on hiatus after the completion of their critically acclaimed album ‘The Record’ in 2023.
