Interviews
Sophie Auster – Dancing with Strangers
By: Alejandra Gil M.
Q) How would you describe your sound?
A) American songbook meets contemporary alt pop.
Q) Who are some of your musical influences?
A) Irving Berlin, Tom Waits, Carol King, Peggy Lee, Aretha Franklin, The Beatles, Buddy Miles, Sly and The Family Stone, Laura Nyro.
Q) Your new single “Hey Girlfriend,” featured on Wonderland Magazine, is out now. What was the song writing process like?
A) I wrote this song pre-pandemic and then demoed it during the initial lockdown. The first production draft felt almost like a Black Keys song. But I realized it didn’t convey the feeling and emotional weight of the song. So, we actually ended up speeding up the song, adding synths and a lighter drum approach that, I think, really helps bring out the sadness and nostalgia of the song.
Q) The single captures some of those deep attachments between non-sexual female friends that include attraction, jealousy, and love. What do you expect people take away from it?
A) A lot of women have reached out to me and told me how much they connect to the song. A lot of women have a story just like the one I’m describing in my song, but it isn’t widely discussed in music or our culture. I’ve also gotten some angry men who have written puke emojis on my social media, but I think they’re just threatened because it’s not about them! [laughs]
Q) What was it about this song that made you want it to be a single off your upcoming EP?
A) I don’t think a lot of people understood the song in its initial incarnation, but I really believed there was a place for it and telling a story like this, so I was adamant about releasing it. I think it will be a sleeper success that people continue to discover over time.
Q) Speaking of that New EP called Dancing with Strangers, what are some other themes you will be exploring in it?
A) Risk, freedom, loss, and love are the predominate themes on this EP.
Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?
A) I’m involved in every step of the production process. I’m no engineer, but I know what I want, and I really love to collaborate with producers who know how to make my vision come to life.
Q) What songs on the EP hold a special place in your heart and what makes them so significant?
A) “Hey, Girlfriend” is the most personal song on the EP, but I also am very proud of “The Fall” that will be coming out on Dancing with Strangers. It’s a new disco song that is purely fun. I often write by myself and haven’t done a writing collaboration in a long time, so writing a dance bop is a bit out of my comfort zone. I tend to lean into quieter songs because I’m alone. So, I tried to think about what I’d like to play live and what would make an audience get up and dance.
Q) Will you be headed out on tour, US or international, to help promote the EP?
A) I am heading out on a European tour in May. I will be playing London on May 22nd at Oslo, Vienna at Porgy & Bess on May 24th, Ibiza at Contrast Ibiza on May 27th, and Zurich at Papiersaal on May 29th. All information is up on my website at sophieaustermusic.com
Q) With that in mind, where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?
A) Some of my favorite places have been Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota, Paris, London, Vienna, Buenos Aires and Madrid.
Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?
A) I’d like to collaborate with Mark Ronson. I really like what he did with Yebba’s album.
Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?
A) I’ve been listening to Yebba’s album and Tropical Fuck Storm. I like Yebba’s album because it brings me back to a nostalgic feeling of the music I grew up with and Tropical Fuck Storm is just wacky and really fun.
Q) What would you like to say to fans and supporters of you and your music?
A) Thank you so much for your support. Without you I couldn’t continue to do this.
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