5 minutes with SOFY: The Leicester artist bringing indie-pop’s bite back

I stumbled across SOFY the way most of us discover new music these days — through Instagram. But unlike your typical social media earworm, her sound carries echoes of peak British indie-pop, with that razor-sharp Lily Allen attitude that’s been missing from the scene. It’s probably this authentic edge that caught FIFA’s attention too, landing her on their coveted soundtrack and catapulting her music to a global audience that continues to surprise even SOFY herself. “It always catches me off guard when I get a DM from someone in Australia or Mexico,” she tells me. “Far away places I’ve never even set foot in. That’s wild to me.”

This organic growth has seen her graduate from intimate pub gigs to commanding stages alongside Liam Gallagher (“even my dad was impressed with that one,” she admits). Her latest single “mine” marks something of an evolution for the Leicester-raised artist. “I relied on sarcasm and irony a lot in my previous work,” she reflects, “but I found that the songs which connected with people most were the ones that were a bit more sincere.” This new vulnerability is woven throughout her forthcoming mixtape Another Day In Paradise, which drops March 7th. And speaking of “mine”, we’ve got exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from the music video shoot to share.

In “mine,” you’re confessing feelings but keeping it tentative. How do you navigate that line between vulnerability and protecting yourself in your songwriting?

It’s kind of the opposite now — I feel like I’m wearing my heart on my sleeve and not doing that much to protect myself [laughs]. I relied on sarcasm and irony a lot in my previous work. That was fun at the time, but I found that the songs which connected with people most were the ones that were a bit more sincere. I’m leaning into that for this new project.

Another Day In Paradise seems like an ironic title. Is there a kind of tension you’re exploring in this mixtape?

The title has a dual meaning depending on which song you’re listening to… It applies ironically to the first half of the mixtape and sincerely to the final three songs. That’s all I’m giving away for now.

You’re playing at bigger and bigger venues… How has this shift affected your approach to live performances?

Playing live has completely changed the way I write songs — full stop. I do most of my writing with Ed (my bandmate) and we now write our music with specific parts for each band member in mind. I think the bigger the stage you play, the more important it is for your live show to be really compelling — it’s harder to connect with the audience compared to when you’re playing in a tiny pub and can look everyone in the eye. We try to add in fun things to add a kind of narrative to the performance and make sure the audience is engaged… And that even comes down to the staging and props. I love playing live so much. Building out a show is my favourite thing in the world.

“mine” follows “togethertogether” — is there a narrative arc you’re building across these singles?

The mixtape tells a story of a relationship in chronological order, so each song represents the next chapter in that narrative. “togethertogether” is about falling for someone but not having the chops to say it out loud. It sort of dances around the subject and makes light of it. In “mine”, that feeling is intensifying and building to this more frantic and emotional moment of confession. “mine” represents a bit of a turning point in the mixtape in that sense.

Like you said, your music being used in FIFA allowed it to reach a huge audience. Has this exposure influenced your creative decisions for future tracks?

Nah. My golden rule as a songwriter is not to let outside influences dictate what I make musically. I make the stuff that I want to make. I think once you start pandering to a certain audience or worrying about how your music will be received, the songs can lose a lot of “you”.

Social media’s been key to your rise. Has it been a creative goldmine, or a ball and chain?

I have to be really careful about how much I use social media because it totally sucks the life out of me. I find it really exhausting most of the time if I’m being honest — I even have an app that keeps me off it for most of the day because it just zaps my creativity. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an amazing tool for promotion and I love that I can always have a say in stuff. That was harder a few years ago — when you were relying on press quotes and stuff. And social media has helped me reach and connect with my fans more. I’m really grateful for that too… But if I use it too much it makes me feel like shit. It’s all about balance, and I’m still figuring it out.

What’s next for SOFY?

World domination.