Emerging artist Sofia is carving out a sound that feels both nostalgic and deeply personal—blending the spirit of the ‘90s with the aesthetic soul of the ‘70s. She opened up with us about her songwriting process, emotional honesty, and the journey of growing into herself as both an artist and a person.

At the heart of Sofia’s music is authenticity. Her songs aren’t just inspired by life—they are her life. “Pretty much all of it comes from my own experiences,” she shared, reflecting on tracks like no idea and think too hard. Written during lockdown, no idea captures the weight of holding onto a past relationship, while think too hard dives into the overanalysis that comes with having a crush. Over time, even those intense emotions fade, but the songs remain. “You grow and then you get great songs that I play at every show now.”

Sofia describes her sound as “singer-songwriter pop rock,” rooted in acoustic guitar and layered with introspective lyrics. Her work often explores unrequited love, self-reflection, and her experiences navigating life as what she calls a “party girl.” Despite this, she admits she doesn’t have many traditional love songs—at least not yet.

A defining idea in her upcoming work is captured in one powerful line: “The further I am from what I know, the closer I am to who I am.” This lyric serves as the foundation for a new album currently in development. After touring across North America and Europe, Sofia realized that stepping away from her hometown of New York gave her a clearer understanding of herself. Distance, it turns out, sharpened her sense of identity.

When it comes to influences, Sofia’s taste is wide-ranging and deeply rooted in both classic and contemporary sounds. She cites Joni Mitchell as her ultimate aspiration, while also drawing inspiration from artists and bands like The 1975, the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, The Beatles, and Led Zeppelin. “I think I just try to make stuff that I like,” she said. “Sometimes I’m like, I don’t know what the hell this is—but I love all of those things.”

Her songwriting process doesn’t follow a strict formula. Sometimes it starts with a feeling, other times with lyrics or chords. But one thing remains consistent: emotion comes first. “It’s always been feelings and vibes first,” she explained. Even when writing for other artists, stepping into their perspectives often helps her better understand her own emotions.

Despite her strengths as a songwriter, Sofia admits that one of her biggest challenges is promoting herself in today’s digital landscape. “I’m really good at it when I want to be—I just don’t want to put the energy towards that sometimes,” she said candidly, calling it “self-sabotage” or even laziness. Still, she recognizes that social media is part of the job, even if she prefers real-life connections through live shows and songwriter circles. “Word of mouth is a longer trail than going viral—but going viral can be a flash in the pan.”

One of the most pivotal songs in her journey is an unreleased track called reality. Written in a safe, collaborative environment, the song pushed her to open up in ways she hadn’t before. “It felt like I finally wrote the song that I wanted to write,” she said. Looking back, she’s amazed at how accurately it captured emotions she would only fully understand years later.

Looking ahead, Sofia has big plans. A new single drops March 31 alongside a music video she describes as a “labor of love” and her biggest creative investment yet. An EP is expected in May, followed by more releases throughout the summer and, eventually, a full-length album.

Through it all, Sofia remains grounded in the belief that things will fall into place—even if the path isn’t perfectly planned. “Even if the plan doesn’t keep up, everything usually works out.”

With a sound rooted in honesty and a mindset focused on growth, Sofia is proving that sometimes, the best way to find yourself is to step away from everything you thought you knew.