Tempo Talks: A Conversation with Sophia Rogers
THE RELEASE
Deep in the heart of Dallas, TX, and steeped in the robust arts scene of New York, Sophia Rogers emerges as a refreshingly distinct voice in the contemporary music and fine arts landscape. Crafting her talents from an early age, a period alone in her Manhattan dorm room during the throes of the pandemic sparked a profound intimacy with the art of songwriting. She has since graced the stage at legendary venues such as the Berlin Under A, the Bowery Electric, and the Granada Theater, showcasing her versatile musicianship that cites folk, Americana, and jazz to rock, layered over country, classical, and theater. Permeated with lyrical prose spun with an explorative introspection, Sophia’s lyricism elegantly navigates the complexities of the human experience. Her performances are a genre-sweeping phenomenon, yielding an enduring resonance that bridges the gap between storytelling that harmonizes an intensely private narrative with inflections that are universally resonant.
Sophia Rogers unveiled her debut release, “Sophi’s Lullaby," a slow-churning song that colors the sadness of unbridgeable distance and profound loneliness. Her freshman solo effort reveals strategically Sophie’s ability to blend a lush melting pot of instrumentation from grand pads to orchestral anthems, cultivating a soundscape that deftly sidesteps genre dichotomies. Produced and mixed by Taylor Hurt with Greg Muzljakovich handling mastering. Covered in heartfelt lyricism and the somber, soul-moving bloom from the delicate strum of Sophie’s nimble acoustic guitar as she invited other local players Warren Louie (upright bass) and Anton Kot (drums) to flesh out the track. The culmination is a gutting, intimately personal poem to the tune of someone’s agonizing absence. I think it’s jogging to become apparent that she, too, is—for lack of a better phrase—a natural at it, effortlessly threading a rare balance of singularly personal yet universally relatable.
THE INTERVIEW
If you had to create a Mount Rushmore of inspiration, what four individuals molded the artist you are today?
So many amazing artists have shaped who I am today, but the 4 I think that have had the most profound impact are Madison Cunningham, Sara Bareilles, Fiona Apple, and Cécile McLorin Salvant. When I first started taking my own writing seriously in 2020, Madison Cunningham was a huge source of inspiration. To me she was the whole package: unique and profound vocal, guitar, and lyrical prowess I felt I had never heard before. As a kid playing piano and singing, I wanted to be the next Sara Bareilles. (I mean who would've known that guitar would become my main accompanying instrument but regardlesss-) Although at the time I never felt like I could be a songwriter, her colloquial and often tongue-in-cheek writing style has stuck with me! Fiona Apple is probably my biggest soundscape influence. I just love the rawness about her, in her vocal quality, the production on her recordings, and her lyrics especially, along with the way she's unapologetically herself in everything she creates. Lastly, Cecile Mclorin Salvant's multi-genre performance quality is highly inpiring to me. I've seen her live several times, and each show fills me with inspiration. It's so awesome to leave a show feeling that spark of creativity every time!! She weaves different genres so seamlessly and her storytelling is like no other; all in all she's helped me realize that the bounds of what I can incorporate into my performing is limitless.
Were there any specific challenges or breakthrough moments during the production of your new single that had a significant impact on its final form?
This song being my first to be released, there were plenty of learing curves throughout production, but a lot of discovery as well, as this song was the most like a blank slate from a production standpoint. Most of my songs are written on guitar, and at a time before I knew a lot of amazing musicians, I just wrote material for me to play by myself. Expanding my perspective to account for all the things I could possibly write in or add was crazy. From a collaborative standpoint, I kind of gave the lead vox & guitar song stems and the song's lead sheet to the bassist (Warren Louie) and drummer (Anton Kot), and just let them experiment with it, since I had very little concrete ideas to give them. It really was amazing to comp those things and use it as a jumping off point: my co-producer, Taylor Hurt, and I recorded many keyboard riffs that were based on/paralleling Warren's bass, for example. The collaboration was key for sure. I often have a really strong vision for any project I work on, but not always the means to execute it. That's where a talented producer and amazing musicians step in and are able to go far above my expectations! It also helps that they are some of my best friends!
Can you articulate the impact or impression you hope your new song leaves on listeners long after they've experienced it for the first time?
I guess what I hope first-time listeners get from this song is the sense that none of us are alone, that we're all interconnected in this world. Almost 2 years after writing this song, I think its impact has shifted for me, and I'm dealing with very different struggles now! (and no longer in a long-distance relationship) But there are people in my life that have passed away or moved across the country or just who I don't see as much as I used to, and this song has always soothed the part of me that misses them so bad! So I hope people can get that comfort however it resonates with them.
Looking ahead, how does the release of this single pave the way for future projects, and are there any hints or clues about the direction your music might take in the coming months?
Well, I can say that my next song, out february 14th, is a massive departure from my first release. It's more of a campy rock-country tune BAH, but I am super excited for it. It's one of those crown pleasers I've played every single show since writing it, and I think my tiny fanbase (my parents) is gonna be ecstatic to listen whenever they please. A lot of my future projects are somewhere in the middle ground between sophi's lullaby and the new release style-wise, sitting in what I'd describe as "folk-rock," but I have some other tunes I'll be recording soon that expand into other genres as well. I never imagined my songs would turn out SO rock-based, but here we are! Super excited to see where this leads me.
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