Singer-songwriter Sophia has released her new single ‘Negatives’.
Drawing on inspiration from the 70’s rock scene, as well as contemporary pop and R&B genres, her releases flow with relatable lyrics.
Speaking of the single, Sophia explained: “I wrote this song during a time in my life when I was feeling stuck. I was fresh out of a breakup and quite overwhelmed with college. I found myself constantly thinking of the future, my goals, and what I wish I could be pursuing. I just wish I had taken a step back to appreciate the current moment. It’s so easy to get tunnel vision and obsess over the future, and in doing so, I was missing opportunities to grow and to be grateful for what I had right in front of me. A picture really will last you longer if you let the present moment slip by without taking anything in.”
To celebrate the release of her new track, we caught up with Sophia to uncover 5 tracks that influenced ‘Negatives’.
Led Zeppelin – Black Dog | Listen via Spotify
Growing up, I was lucky enough to be raised on classic rock (thanks, dad). While recording this song, I knew I wanted a taste of that, which is what inspired the distorted electric guitar in the chorus.
The Neighbourhood – Scary Love | Listen via Spotify
The Neighborhood is one of my all-time favourite bands. I love their use of synth, especially on their most recent album. I wanted to do something similar on ‘Negatives’ to add a bit of texture and depth to the track.
Ellie Goulding – Guns and Horses | Listen via Spotify
Ellie’s ability to tell stories through her music is something that has inspired me for a long time. While writing ‘Negatives,’ I wanted the lyrics to be sort of conversational, just like a stream of consciousness (which is how I go about writing a lot of my lyrics).
The Alan Parsons Project – I Wouldn’t Want to Be Like You | Listen via Spotify
This is just such a killer song. ‘Negatives’ has kind of a chill mid-tempo beat, something that The Alan Parsons Project has always captured well. The band’s ability to build a lively, moving song around chiller beat is super cool to me.
Young the Giant – Panoramic Girl| Listen via Spotify
Young the Giant (another one of my favourite bands) has definitely inspired a lot of my music. I really love the way they produced the vocals on this song. I wanted to try and capture some of that same energy. I also chose to put the vocals upfront in the mix, because I really love listening to the lyrics in songs, especially as a songwriter myself.
You can listen to Sophia ‘Negatives’ via Spotify below: