Berit Dybing, known to her growing fanbase on both sides of the Atlantic as Ber has been on the rise since the release of her debut song Bad For Me just two years ago now. In that time, she has been both writing and developing her live performance in addition to releasing new music. This culminated in a Ber opening for Norwegian star Sigrid as part of a massive, high-profile tour of the U.S. last autumn and the release of E.P. Halfway, which dropped in February.
Of the E.P. Ber said: “I wrote this 6-song EP about not being over a boy that ghosted me (but really trying to be). They all come from that funny and uncomfortable place in between heartbreak/happy and paint a picture of how I felt when I finally felt like I was Halfway through my breakup.”
Originally hailing from Bemidji, Minnesota, Ber spent most of her early adult life residing in the U.K. before moving back home in 2021 where she lived in her uncle’s basement. During this unexpected transition, she began to create her debut EP, And I’m Still Thinking About That, remotely while collaborating with the likes of Sfven, Hazel English and Hot Dennis. Upon its release, the lead single, Meant To Be, immediately went viral and has since amassed over 70 million streams globally.
Ber has now taken her brand of indie-pop on a the U.K. road, as part of the recent Great Escape festival with a single headline show at London’s newly fashioned The Lower Third, in the heart of Tottenham Court Road. And that is where Rockshot Magazine’s Rachel Lipsitz found her.
Rousing Halfway cut Boys Who Kiss You In The Car opens up Dybing’s set before she dives into latin-infused debut EP tune I’m Not In Love, the 25-year-old having a relatable story she takes time to fill her audience in on with each tune.
Delicate Feels So Easy leads into even more delicate and deeply personal debut track Bad For Me, before Superspreader and EP title track Halfway demonstrate the growth in Dybing’s songcraft, “I’m quite unimpressed by all the boys that I’ve met” she sings. Ber endears herself to her audience, telling them about Minnesota in lockdown and her hometown in general, which informs a lot of her work and her identity.
Chicago-born, California native Jordy joins Ber on stage for a cover of his tune South Dakota, a tale of moving from California to comparatively sparsely populated northern mid-western state. Lyrics that seem simple like “We’re meant to be just not made to last” really hit you in the gut and belie the strength of her songwriting.
Night-closer Slutphase is an uptempo romp and a welcome change from the confessional songs of heartbreak.
Throughout the night Ber seems genuinely awestruck and flattered by the adulation her London audience shower upon her as she repeats how tonight is her best show. But what tonight demonstrates in spades is that the best from Ber is yet to come.
Live photography of Ber @ The Lower Third by Rachel Lipsitz on 17th May 2023.
