Interview: Sophia Scott ain’t conforming to your standards
Pop-country upstart talks empowerment, Shania Twain, viral single “She Ain’t Me” and song-building.
Weighing your life against someone else’s is fruitless, if not soul-damaging and downright silly. Austere figurehead Theodore Roosevelt once made a shrewd observation about living: “Comparison is the thief of joy.” 100 years later, it’s still a sword with which society both lives and dies. And social media certainly hasn’t made things any easier; it exacerbates our need to feel loved, appreciated, admired. Likes funnel their way into our sense of self-worth, often shattering a reality that’s simply just fantasy dressed up in glitzy costumes. Tugging between her own mental capacity and a resolve to be better with herself, pop-country upstart Sophia Scott screams from the mountaintops with her single “She Ain’t Me,” framing as an intimate, tear-soaked admission and a wind-swept rallying cry.
“Ain’t the kinda girl that you cut out of a magazine / I’m a little bit rough, and I’m known to cause a scene / I know you miss it when you see me,” she sings, permitting her vibrato to quake beneath her feet. The song, which sees a brand new acoustic rendering this week (below), on the heels of nearly one million Spotify streams, reconfigures a forlorn romance as a statement piece on personal transformation. Scott breathes in and then out, replenishing her spirit with the cool evening air. “True love ain’t always easy / And perfect ain’t as perfect as it seems,” she whispers. Her presence is penetrating.
“We live in a world driven by social media, and we’re almost forced to compare ourselves to people on a daily basis. I think comparison from a young age is something that gets to everyone, and now, it is in our faces more than ever,” writes Scott to B-Sides & Badlands over email. “The portrayal of ‘perfect’ women has certainly affected me and impacted my relationships. Although this song is arguably about comparison, what I wanted to acknowledge is that comparing every detail of someone else to yourself is essentially pointless. At the end of the day, you are you, so why not stand up and be proud of that.”
“She Ain’t Me,” which follows a string of such high-powered singles as “White Fence” (featuring the critical lyric: “I don’t need no man at home / I don’t need a white dress / No, I’d rather die alone”), scrapes even deeper into Scott’s knack for big hooks and social messaging. “I was acknowledging my flaws or what I perceive to be my flaws and owning up to them as a positive, rather than a negative trait about myself,” she says. “A lot of empowerment has also come after releasing this song and seeing other people find a source of empowerment through the lyrics. That’s the best and always the hope for me.”
As she does so astoundingly on “White Fence,” Scott forges the fire in her gut as a shield of armor, shiny yet practical for battle. She later deconstructs leers at her image, blasting in the speakers, “I don’t need to make sense, I’ll keep dancing on my own.” In turn, she allows life to wash over her, but with each moment, she draws it unto herself for the long-haul, almost as trinkets and other bric-a-brac. “I think standing up for yourself and what you believe in for anything is always harder than going with the grain and keeping your mouth shut,” she says, also considering the pressure she undergoes from the outside. “I also believe that that’s the only way positive change can happen, and you have to be willing to take on the negativity if you’re going to say something that you know other people are going to have a problem with. I feel like my journey with that is just beginning.”
Scott is a hurricane ⏤ strong, sensitive, towering in her songwriting. Equipped with other key cuts as “Strangers Again” and “Quit,” she is a genre-grafting adventurer, culling sunny LA pop with the more homespun country music found down in Nashville. In embracing every tattered facet of herself and the craft, she emerges as a propulsive renegade for the cause of truth and liberation. Below, she talks burgeoning fame, breakups, building hooks and Shania Twain.
In wracking up your social numbers, including millions of YouTube views, does that bit of fame put more pressure on you?
Definitely. In many ways, both good and bad. It’s what I have signed up for and what I want to do. The pressure is only going to grow which is a little bit stressful. I like pressure, though. It keeps me going and makes me want to perform better in every way.
You recently posted on Instagram an excerpt from the book “I’ll Tell You in Person” by Chloe Caldwell about how singing actually affects one’s emotional and physical states. Is that something you’ve witnessed first-hand in your work?
Yes! My step-sister sent that to me and it rang so true when I read it that I had to share. I have had so many conversations with people (especially other singers) about how singing…and I mean just carefree, in your house, belting it out, singing, can make your mood go from 0-100. There is something so incredibly therapeutic about it, and evidently science has proved that it releases endorphins which makes a lot of sense. It fully cures my anxiety. I suggest it to everyone.
Given the current state of mainstream country music, even more pop-influenced than ever, do you find the limitless possibilities pretty exciting?
Extremely! I love where country music is headed, and I’m exploring every day with new writers and producers. I’ve really been trying to walk into a session and not focus on the genre, per se, but on what inspired an idea and just run with it.
In your music, how do you know what a song requires, musically?
Hmm…I just know what I like and what I’m hearing or not hearing in the moment that drives where the song will go next.
One thing that is especially striking is your proclivity for immediate, infectious hooks. Does that part of your craft come easily?
Sometimes, it comes to me, and sometimes, it’s like pulling teeth. [laughs] No song is ever the same, writing-wise. It’s always a different method or thought process.
What are some of your all-time favorite hooks?
Oooooh, so many. “Like a Prayer” by Madonna. “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen. “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston. “Black or White” by Michael Jackson. And omg, most recently, “Jealous” by Nick Jonas. Such a smash!
“Strangers Again” is another standout from your catalog so far. Within the song, you speak on falling in and out of love, waxing bittersweet on an ex-lover. What did you ultimately take away from such a breakup?
Honestly, just that it’s really sad to become strangers with someone again. You spend so much time and make someone such a part of your life and then due to romantic complications have to cut them out. I always think it’s so great when I see people that stay friends with their exes.
Without breakups, would you be a completely different person? What has been the toughest breakup?
Absolutely. I think that it’s a part of life, and I wouldn’t be human without breakups. Whether it’s been breaking up with friends, or family, or romantically, I have learned so much and grown from every situation. I think even if you’re not in the relationship, but are directly affected by it, it can be just as hard. My parents’ breakup was easily the toughest to deal with and certainly taught me the most, especially in regards to not staying in a bad relationship. Time is everything, and I’ve had enough time now to realize that it was the best thing for everyone involved.
Through exploring the complexities of love, what has been the hardest lesson you’ve learned?
Probably realizing that people don’t change…unless they really want to for themselves, but even still.
You’ve stressed Shania Twain as one of your biggest idols and influences. What is it about the legendary performer that has empowered you?
Initially, from just seeing her on MTV and hearing her music, I just couldn’t keep my eyes off her. The songs are all hits. They’re catchy as hell. She’s a freakin diva…she demands your attention, and you just can’t not look at her. ‘Man! I Feel Like a Woman’ is like the women empowerment anthem. Then, the more I learned about Shania as a human being, the more I fell in love and respected her so much. She has been through an insane amount of struggle and keeps her head high and uses the power she has to be a helpful voice and source of courage for others. She’s a boss…and an angel, for that matter.
Since you began posting YouTube covers four years ago, what things have you come to learn about phrasing and your approach to lyrics, as well as finding strength in your voice?
If I am covering someone else’s song, I try and make a point to sing all of their lyrics correctly even if I have to do it over. In fact, I’ll choose the performance that’s worse if the lyrics aren’t correct. I practice and warm up a lot more; I take my time. I used to rush performances, and I think it really showed. I try my best not to overdue a song. I used to over sing a lot. Mostly, I try to make it my own version. It’s so much easier than copying the way the original artist does it. Plus, I always think it’s cool when I hear people singing my songs in a different way and appreciate a good change up.
