In Conversation with Sophie Ali
by Rebecca Tregaskis
Singer-Songwriter Sophie Ali released her new single ‘There’s more’ last week. The now Glasgow-based singer has already racked up milestones as she performed her debut single ‘The Bluest Bell’ at the Eurovision National finals in Lithuanian and also released her debut EP last year. Now she’s entering a new chapter. Having released ‘You can feel hot’ in April of this year, ‘There’s more’ is Sophie Ali’s second release since her EP.
Echo: Could you tell me a little bit about the story behind your new single ‘There’s More’?
I had just come to uni that year, and when I wrote it I was friends with somebody and then it turned into a vibe, you know? So it turned into more of a situation and I was thinking about the idea of modern dating. People are just so afraid of a proper relationship. There’s like random terms and there’s all these tropes - it’s a whole thing. I was caught in the middle of that and it was just very fascinating to be in that position where you just want to be with a person. You don’t want to put any pressure on it but you can’t avoid that conversation. It has to happen like ‘what are we?’ I wrote the song during the peak of that relationship and I finished it long after it had ended. It was an interesting time for me.
How's it feel like putting that out now? Now the experience you are writing about is long over?
I think it’s interesting because I feel like it will be applicable to other situations I will find myself in in the future. So, I don’t feel super disconnected from it. But I do have songs, like from my EP, where if I play those now, I feel disconnected from those because I’m so not there anymore. It’s definitely an interesting feeling. With this one it’s kind of funny to be promoting it as if it just happened. That’s so fun, I love that.
Your first ever single was "The Bluest Bell" and since then you’ve released an EP and started a new chapter in music from that. Can you tell me a lesson you’ve learned along the way?
I think for me the main difference now versus then is that I’m coming into my own with who I’m working with and the input I’m giving. With my first EP I was very shy. I was a bit nervous about giving my input to the producer I was working with. I was new to everything and it’s a scary thing to be a young girl and have an opinion. I’m discovering that it's different to work in a studio and record everything together versus being remote and recording everything on your own. It’s different to feel more like a co-producer and come up with the production aspects of it and give my input there. I feel like I’m definitely more confident now than I was during the first EP. I’m excited to have that confidence and do it again.
So what are some of your musical inspirations and how they influence your songwriting?
I listen to a lot of the main pop girls. I grew up listening to Taylor Swift and have memorised the entire discography. People like Phoebe Bridgers, Gracie Abrams. I feel like any music that is very lyric focused I’m drawn to. I’ve been listening to a lot of Jack Minch. The lyrics are just devastating and I love really sad lyrical music. I take a lot of inspiration from that and just people being vulnerable with their art and what that provides for people. As a listener there’s nothing I love more than during a mental breakdown than to listen to music that will make it worse before it makes it better. That’s what I want to be for somebody else.
In your Spotify bio, it says how you want your music to be the soundtrack for other people's lives. If you could choose one song, what would definitely be in your life soundtrack?
I feel like it’s going to sound depressing but ‘This is me trying’ by Taylor Swift. I’ve gone back to that song so many times. Not the most uplifting answer. I find myself always falling back to that because sometimes life gets difficult.
You did your first gig in Glasgow last month. How was that playing in a new city?
It’s definitely different. I think the city that you’re in has a big impact because people have different listening cultures. I feel like here it was a very likely crowd and people were very loud which was great. I really enjoyed that, especially playing with a live band and having a full show. It’s really nice when the crowds are super loud and super supportive and everyone’s visibly having a good time. It just made me want to play more shows here immediately.
You're going into a new chapter with music. What is next for you? I know a goal of yours is to tour.
Yes, at some point, it has to happen. I have so many outfits planned. Honestly, I think right now, I just want to record as much music as I can. I have so many songs written that I want to eventually put out whether that be an album or another EP. I want to continue experimenting with different producers. I really did enjoy working with Grace Gardner on this new song. They are incredible and I love everything that they make. I’m always looking for new people to work with and it’s really nice to be in Glasgow where the music scene is so big and there’s so many musicians here.
Check out Sophie Ali’s ‘There’s More’ here
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