In the utterly addictive and personable spirit which has already earned her much acclaim, SOFY opens up a conversation around romance, social media and toxic masculinity in her fresh EP “Bored In Colour (Pt. 1)”. As her raw, authentic vocals grace five brand new singles, SOFY gets candid about her own struggles, overcoming them with zen-infused tunes.

Presenting us with an unfiltered version of herself, SOFY proves that you do not have to chase the sublime to achieve happiness — but rather, we should appreciate the laid back pleasures of mundanity. Reflecting those sentiments within her sound, her lyrics flirt with a stripped back production. While “Strawberry Milkshake” gently tickles at the ear drums, the rhythmic percussion of “Lads! Lads! Lads!” has us dreaming of those pool-side chill out sessions with a group of friends.

“Bored In Colour (Pt. 1)”, SOFY explains, is “Basically all about finding the magic in the mundane, celebrating the vibrancy and boredom of modern life in Britain. I love people and the different nuances of how we interact, especially in relationships, and I wanted to reflect on that as authentically as possible.” In light of this, we sat down with the artist to unpack these ideals while she prepares for her first headline show.

To stream the EP and for the full interview, scroll below…

Hi SOFY, how are you today? Your music is about celebrating the vibrancy and boredom of modern life in Britain, growing up in Leicester, how have your experiences and surroundings influenced you?
I’m actually writing this on the day of my first headline show, so I’m pretty buzzing today, thank you for asking. I grew up in a sleepy village outside of Leicester and there wasn’t much going on, and I was super gassed to move to London but as soon as I did, the pandemic hit and it was lockdown –  so I started writing songs to pass the time. At first I thought I wouldn’t be able to write anything good because I wasn’t really experiencing anything deep or exciting, it was all just mundane day-to-day stuff. But then I realised that there are no rules and music doesn’t always have to be profound or poetic, it can actually just be about whatever the fuck you want it to be. When I removed that barrier and started writing songs using my own narrative and perspective I really fell in love with it. “Bored In Colour (Pt. 1)” is basically all about finding the magic in the mundane. The songs celebrate both the vibrancy and boredom of modern life in Britain – revolved around football, going to the pub, social media, and the struggles of 21st Century romance. I love people and the different nuances of how we interact, especially in relationships, and I wanted to reflect on that as authentically as possible, to celebrate and create space for these everyday situations. Hopefully people can see a piece of themselves, their mates or their dickhead ex in there.

How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?
Imagine Lily Allen and Easy Life walk into a pub, Blur are behind the bar and Outkast are on the decks, and that’s the SOFY vibe.

The single “Lads Lads Lads!” makes light of themes such as toxic masculinity and lad culture, what was your intention for this song?
All of my songs are inspired by everyday experiences, and I feel like lad culture and the problematic behaviours associated with it are a big part of life when you live in a city like London. It’s something that me and my friends talk about all the time so it felt like a natural topic to write about. I thought there was space in the general discourse around the topic for a song that addressed the issues in a more tongue in cheek way, because behaviour like cat-calling is so ridiculous it felt right to ridicule it right back. 

Your EP is very honest and shows a more vulnerable (but real) side to you, I wonder what it’s like as an artist to create and put out a project that is so personal?
My EP is all about real-life, no filter scenarios, but if I’m being completely honest not all of them are based solely my own personal experience. I hate drama, I avoid it wherever possible, so a lot of the time I find myself drawing upon things my friends have told me or snippets of conversation I’ve overheard on the tube or something. I actually really like that though because in my day to day life I’m very laid back and hate conflict, so it’s really fun to write a song like “Chameleon” for example that’s so sassy and angry. I would NEVER go off on one like that in real life haha. But yeah, there’s definitely a bit of my own experience weaved into every track, particularly in the more vulnerable songs like “Sorry That You’re Mine”. Writing is cathartic, it really helps me process my emotions. 

If you had to name your musical inspirations, who would they be?
Lyrically, I’m inspired by artists like Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse and Matt Maltese – I love how their lyrics are all super witty and funny but can also transcend more serious subjects too. There are also definitely some 90s hip-hop influences in my tunes too, and I’m a huge Brit-pop fan. I grew up on bands like Blur and The Stone Roses and I just love the boisterous energy they bring and how much fun they have with lyrics. I say all the time to my manager that I wanna bring back Brit-pop, but with a fresh female edge, so watch this space.

This year you’ve held a sell-out show and been noticed by many different artists and magazines alike, how does it feel for this to have happened in such a short space of time?
Yeah, it’s nuts — I’m super grateful for every single experience I’ve had so far, the past year has been chaos but in the best way. I’m enjoying the ride so much, especially because I get to work with all the people I love: my manager and my band are my best mates, so we’re just having the best time with it all. I’m only just getting started though — we have huge plans and I can’t wait for what’s to come. 

Looking ahead, can we expect any collaborations in 2022?
Watch this space, I’d love to write a song with Leicester legends Easy Life — boys if you see this, you know where I am!