Sophie Holohan, Candles, and Coffee
SOPHIE H.Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Photo courtesy of Sophie Holohan
By Alexandra LeBaron
Hailing from San Jose, California, Sophie Holohan is brings her fresh vocals and arresting lyrics to the singer-songwriter scene. Her recent single, Cognitive Dissonance, has already garnered over 2 million streams on Spotify. Just last week, she released Your New Girlfriend, a single for which she also designed the cover art.
After changing her ambitions from becoming an entertainment lawyer and deciding to commit to pursuing music full-time, Sophie attended Berklee College of Music for one semester, before signing a record deal, dropping out, and moving L.A. Now promoting her music on the social media app TikTok, Sophie represents how young artists are finding an audience, sharing their talent, and pursuing their careers in the music industry.
When we spoke, she was working on her EP The Space Between, which was recently released and is available on Spotify.
AL: You’re living in LA and making music full time right now. How do you approach the songwriting process?
SH: That's a good question. It’s definitely changed over time. Before I moved out here, I would always write alone, and that's still the way that I prefer to write. With that, a lot of the times I'll have a concept, and that's usually what I build off of. I'll have a conversation with a friend or I'll hear something or I'll be watching a TV show, and sometimes there will be a phrase or something that I can turn into a title. And then I'll start writing based off of whatever that triggers in my brain. That's the way that I like to write, in a freeform way where I don't really judge it.
But now that I live here, a lot of the times, you have sessions with people and things that, where you write with other writers, and that's been an interesting experience, because sometimes, I'll write a song and be like, This is not me at all, [and find that] the other person put more themselves into that song. So it’s about finding that balance. And and yeah, like, working with people that are kind of like, yes, and people. Yeah, where? Yeah.
AL: Do you think it's important for the songs that you write and perform to have that sense of self and contain a core part of who you are?
SH: Oh, 1,000,000%. Nothing that I put out, or that I perform, is ever something that I feel isn't me, because I write all of my songs, whether it's by myself or with someone else. It's so important to have it feel like it's a part of my story, or that I connect to [it]. Even if the initial source of inspiration wasn't necessarily from my own life, I feel like it has to connect to my life in some way.
AL: Do you tend to draw on personal emotions? Or is it mostly just experiences that you hear about, and then that influences the songwriting?
SH: It used to be a lot more of what I have seen, those sources of inspiration, but now it's definitely more like personal experience, as I've lived more. I've definitely drawn more on my own experiences, but then sometimes it’s hyperbolizing those experiences, and now turning it into a bigger thing than it was like for the sake of the song.
AL: Is there an experience that you think was particularly generative for your creative process that you drew from multiple times?
SH: Yes, 1,000,000%. I had this friend who was kind of more than a friend, and then really not a friend. And that whole situation generated probably two albums [worth of songs], just because that was the first experience that I had in a relationship-esque thing. That definitely got the wheels turning for a while and produced a mountain of songs.
AL: Do you think that songwriting is how you process your emotions?
SH: 1,000,000% I think in a lot of ways, I'm definitely more of like a thinker and an analyzer than I am like a feeler. A lot of the times, music is the way that I can actually connect to the emotion of it, instead of just analyzing it in my head all the time. So I get the chance to feel it instead of just think about it and overanalyze all the time.
Sophie lives with her cat, Franklin, in Los Angeles.
AL: When did you start songwriting?
SH: I've honestly like been songwriting for as long as I can remember, when I was like, five, I would have little journals that I would carry around like write little songs. I would steal melodies from Camp Rock and things and put my own lyrics. So, yeah, for a really long time. Also, my family was really musical growing up.
AL: How did you realize that you wanted to commit yourself to making music not just as a hobby, but as a career?
SH: It was always something that I kind wanted to do, but I didn't think it was possible, because you always hear people being like, Oh, it's a one in a million shot. And I was like, Well, I mean, those are pretty low odds. So during high school, I actually went to a really academically rigorous school, and I was really focused on school. I really wanted to be an entertainment lawyer. That was the whole thing I wanted to do, go to Yale, then law school. But I was doing music throughout this time, and that was always kind of in the background of what I wanted to do. But I was too scared to admit to myself that I wanted to do it. So eventually, I went to a program at Berklee College of Music in Boston, over the summer before my senior year. It was a songwriting and performance thing. I did this showcase where I got to play in their big music hall, one of my original songs, and I was like, Oh, my gosh, this is the coolest thing ever. I need to do this. I need to stop lying to myself. So then I eventually only applied to music schools, instead of doing what I wanted to do before.
AL: Are you in music school now in LA?
SH: No, I went to Berklee for a year, and it was COVID. It was really only one semester in person, and then I signed a record deal, and then I dropped out.
AL: I know that you promote a lot of your music through Tik Tok – that's how I found your music. What do you like about the platform? And what do you dislike?
SH: I really like that, in most ways, it’s a fair opportunity for success. If people start liking your videos, you can go from getting 500 views on one video to 500,000 on the next video, and that is pretty crazy. It's pretty amazing that if you have something cool to say that people connect with it, then it can be seen. It can change your life really quickly.
But I think it also is a platform that is very exhausting. You can get burnt out, especially as like a creator in terms of being expected to post a quality stuff. People are saying [that I should be posting] multiple times a day. There is this expectation that you are like constantly supposed to be creating, and I think that that takes away from the music. I feel like this urge to promote stuff instead of create stuff sometimes. And I a;sp think it can be difficult to constantly promote yourself, and see yourself as a product that you're sharing with people. It used to be less saturated, but now it's really saturated with singer-songwriters especially. It's kind of stressful to have to fight through all the noise to get your thing heard.
AL: I've always wondered about that, because especially if you're creating from an emotional place, having to constantly produce and also then market your emotions as a product – I can imagine that there's a dissonance between songwriting being something you really love that comes from a personal place, and then having to turn around and push it on the world.
SH: Yeah, exactly.
AL: Do you ever get uncomfortable sharing some things because your music comes from an emotional place? Or is it just something that you've always done, and the way that you process it, so you're excited to share it with others and connect in that way?
SH: It used to be that I was not really thinking about the repercussions and I was just excited. But then, I started posting things about said friend, and then that had repercussions that I wasn't really expecting. I think it's definitely a weird balance now, where I kind of censor myself with a little bit more than I used to. I think, Okay, if I write a really mean song, I probably shouldn't post it. But also, maybe I should for creativity’s sake. It's finding that balance.
AL: Have you had conversations about the subject matter of your songs with the people you write music about?
SH: Yes, I have. I think it's hard. It really is. It’s hard when that's your job, to write songs. People understand, but it's still hard to not take it personally. It can be really difficult because lately, I've like been writing songs about my childhood, like my parents and things like that. I love my parents, we have great relationships now, but that doesn't mean that they haven't done weird stuff in the past. So it's hard to be like, Hey, Mom. How are you? How's your day? Also, I wrote this song, and it's probably going to offend you. But she’s also really supportive of my music. It's so weird, the combination of things. It's [important for us to] come to a mutual understanding that this is the way that I process; it isn't how I feel all the time. It's just how I feel in that moment.
“Female friendships – those have been pretty much the most formative connections that I've had in my life” – Sophie Holohan
AL: What does your ideal Sunday look like if you just have a day to yourself to do anything you want?
SH: That’s such a good question! Well, I have a cat. His name is Franklin. He’s walking around right now. He usually wakes me up at 4am every day, meowing. So in an ideal world, he would let me sleep until like 9am. And then I'd wake up, and make myself a cute little breakfast, and then go get a coffee. I love a cute coffee shop. There's this park in LA, where you can see the city, so I'd probably just go there and read a book, drink my coffee, just enjoy the city and the people. Then I would probably go home later and hang out with my friends. A chill day of introspection and connection.
AL: I know you've written a couple songs about friendships. How do you think relationships, specifically female friendships, have shaped your life or your music?
SH: Female friendships – those have been pretty much the most formative connections that I've had in my life. For high school, I actually went to an all-girls school. It was really incredible to have that sisterhood and that bond, and that's something that I've searched for after high school. In college, I met one of my best friends, Megan, and we were roommates. I had never felt so safe and secure in a friendship, because I think I can be a very guarded person. I don't tend to show people all of myself, or at least I used to not really be able to. So living with her, having that friendship where I could say whatever I wanted, and she would understand, really helped me open up as a person and learn more about myself. And now, a lot of the friendships that I have are because of [my friendship with Megan]. I have been more open in the beginning of the friendship because of that.
Friendship is such a beautiful connection because there's no ulterior motive. It's just supporting the other person and wanting them to succeed and wanting to find a deeper understanding. I think that there's not enough songs about that, so I really like to write about it.
AL: I know some people say that there's too many songs about romantic love out there. Do you make an effort to draw inspiration from other types of experiences that don't get as much representation in songwriting?
SH: There is definitely a place for songs about love, and that is the reason why there's so many songs about it – it is an emotion that almost everyone can connect to. But I do try to draw from other experiences like friendship. I have an EP that I'm working on right now, and I am trying to find a balance between songs about love [and songs about other topics]. One of the songs on my EP is about self-sabotage, and another one is about the weird space between childhood and adulthood. It's good to find inspiration anywhere, and I try actively to look outside of relationships for songs.
AL: For this upcoming project, how do you decide what makes it onto the EP? You mentioned earlier that you had written two albums worth of songs about just one experience, so I can imagine that paring it down is difficult.
SH: Yeah, it is really hard. I think for this project, I was kind of like floating in space and had no idea where it was going. I didn't know what songs were going to be on there or how it was going to work. And then, I was taking a road trip up to the Bay Area, which is five hours away. I was just like listening to my demos and things like that, and I just realized that a couple of the songs kind of made a story. I thought, This is kind of fun. So I just picked it based off of what I felt like was cohesive as a project.
There’s so many songs that I've loved that won't make it on this one, but they'll probably be on a future album. [They key to curating the EP is] finding the songs that feel almost like they're cousins. They fit the same world but aren’t the same song. I'm excited about it.
AL: Are you involved in the production as much as the songwriting? Or do you kind of get a song down? And then there's someone else who produces it?
SH: Yeah, so I think, especially for this EP, like, I've been in the room, for the most part, while people have been producing it. One of the songs I even mostly produced by myself. I'm trying to do more of that, because I think that's the best way to really communicate how a song should feel. I’m trying to learn the skills, but I definitely am not as strong of a producer yet. I think the connection between the producer and the songwriter is a really important thing in order to have a song that feels like fully like you.
AL: Do you have, a certain idea in mind of how you want people to experience your music and the world that it creates?
SH: That's a good question. When the EP comes out, I think it's super important. Whenever I listen to a new album, I always do in chronological order, even if the songs have been released before. I think it's so important to listen to the whole thing through and experience the journey.
I don't know I think the best way. A lot of music that's out right now is really sad, so I'm kind of worried when people say, I love this! I have listened to so many times. I'm like, Are you okay?
[I hope that people listen to my music] sitting in your room with a cute little cup of tea or a coffee, and a candle. It’s introspective music. I think that's the best way to do it.
AL: I know you did a show at The Troubadour a couple of weeks ago, and you mentioned that it was your favorite show that you've done. What was that experience like?
SH: It was amazing. The band Truesdale asked me to open up for them. It was kind of out of the blue. They just like messaged me on Instagram and were like, Hey, do you want to open? I said, Oh my gosh, yes. First of all, I love you. Second of all, at The Troubadour? That's crazy. It was so wild.
A few months ago, I saw Del Water Gap at The Troubadour. He’s one of the artists that I really, really love. I was with someone from my label, and they were like, Oh, you're going to be playing here within a year. And I was like, I think it's going to be sooner than that.
That was in November, and then it happened that in April, it worked out. It was really nerve wracking, because most of the performance was pretty much just like me and a guitar. If I mess up, it’s all on me. But it was so wonderful, because when you perform sometimes, there's this moment where you can tell the crowd is with you and supporting you, and that happened pretty early on in the set. So it just felt really supportive, and I was just so excited to share stuff with people and have them be engaged.
AL: Do you have any other upcoming shows on the books that you're looking forward to?
SH: Nothing scheduled yet, but live performance is my favorite thing, so any opportunity that I get, I will be doing in the future.
AL: Do you have any dream venues, or places that you really want to perform in?
SH: Sometime in the future I really, really want to perform at Red Rocks. It's just like the most beautiful place ever. My mom is a huge Brandy Carlisle stan – she is obsessed. She flew out to see her at that venue, and she was like, It's the most beautiful place. You have to play there one day. So I think that is definitely a dream venue.
AL: Where do you hope to see yourself and your music career in one year? Or in five years?
SH: In one year, I think it'd be super awesome to go on an opening tour, and be able to take my music across the country. And hopefully work on my album.
In five years, I don't even know! That's so crazy to think about. I hope I can find as many people as possible to connect with my stuff and build a community and play big, fun, crazy shows. And execute all things in my brain. Also, one of my goals, in the future, is that I really want to create a concept album that is a full story and turn it into a movie. That's like one of my big goals.
AL: That's so cool. I feel like soundtracks influence so much of a movie to the point where I wish that there were more kind of like collaborative product, or, like productions that were very as equally focused on the music as it was the filming because I think that that is just like such a cool concept to pursue. So and being in LA, there's just as many movie people as there are musicians, so that's a good place to be for that.
SH: Definitely.
Alexandra’s Sophie Holohan picks:
Golden Years
Cognitive Dissonance
Good Mourning
The Rising Tide
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The Rising Tide 〰️