Upcoming singer-songwriter Sophia Emily is an emerging indie pop singer/songwriter based in Manchester. After her debut EP, ‘Ego Trip’, she has gone on to release ‘Absence of You’ and is gearing up for the release of her new single “Moonlight” on July 31st!
This single is an intimate indie pop song about the bittersweet aftermath of a brief romance with a friend, capturing the longing for something more while knowing it can never happen. Rooted in honest songwriting and lived experience, it blends heartfelt storytelling with warm, understated production.
Sophia has kindly taken the time to talk with Fierce & Fabulous Revolution regarding the journey behind the upcoming single “Moonlight” and you can find the full interview below.
Hey Sophia, thank you so much for this interview. Can you start by introducing yourself to readers who might be unfamiliar with your music?
Sophia: I’m Sophia Emily, an Irish indie-pop artist currently based in Manchester! I focus on writing songs from personal experience, with my biggest project to date being my debut EP ‘Ego Trip ‘, released in 2024.
When did you first discover your passion for music?
Sophia: I have always been musical; there are videos of me making up songs at about 8 years old on my mum’s phone. I grew up around music as my dad was in a band when he was younger and both of my parents worked in the industry before their current jobs!
I started to properly teach myself piano at about 13, began writing proper songs at 15 and then eventually got my first acoustic guitar for my 18th birthday, so it’s always been heavily ingrained in me!
Have you always wanted to pursue a career within the music industry?
Sophia: To me, music has always been the only end goal. I left school at 14 due to my anxiety disorder, and when I finally returned in college, I did a music course in Belfast before starting university at BIMM Manchester. I can’t imagine doing anything but music as it’s been my entire life for 6 years now! With my parents having been in the industry before I was born, they’ve always been incredibly supportive of me, and I’m grateful to be in a position where I can pursue it!
How would you currently describe your musical style?
Sophia: Currently, I’m trying to move away from the ballad style that I had when I released ‘Ego Trip’. I love that EP, but I’m now surrounded by amazing musicians and friends that I met in Manchester who are lovely enough to be the band behind me! My influences at the moment are definitely Maisie Peters, Hozier, and Phoebe Bridgers. I love incorporating sadder lyrics into something that doesn’t sound quite as sad!
On July 31st, you’ll release the brand new single “Moonlight”. How did the idea for the song come together?
Sophia: Moonlight was written as a piano ballad at the beginning, but I brought it to my band for a University assignment! From there, we put everything together quite quickly, and it was really amazing to see a song which was so personal to me come together to something so much bigger.
This song follows the bittersweet aftermath of a brief romance with a friend. What drew you to create a song about this?
Sophia: I wrote Moonlight in the aftermath of a good friendship that took an unexpected turn briefly. At the time, it was a difficult dynamic to navigate for me, as someone who hadn’t been that vulnerable with anyone in a few years. I really didn’t know how to process that change and didn’t exactly know how either of us felt. I was feeling a lot of conflicting emotions, and writing Moonlight helped me to process that (in quite a dramatic way).
What does the song personally mean to you?
Sophia: Personally, the song captures the frustration you can feel after something complicated like that happens. Even if it wasn’t a mistake and everyone is on good terms, it can feel overwhelming for something like that to happen. I get a lot of that frustration out in the bridge, where I just put in plain terms how I feel.
It captures a lot of my frustrations with dating in your 20s; it’s a minefield where you’re not completely sure what is casual, and it gets more complicated when friendships get involved.
What is something you would like listeners to take from this song?
Sophia: I want people to listen to Moonlight and be able to feel okay about making a silly decision every once in a while. In this situation, everything worked out, and the friendship stayed solid after I processed everything, but it’s also okay if it doesn’t! Being in your 20s means taking these risks, and it’s okay to feel annoyed and frustrated even if it was mutually casual.
Do you have any further releases or performances planned that you can currently share?
Sophia: At the moment I’m planning on getting back into gigging! My anxiety prevented a lot for a while, but I feel like I’m finally ready to get back into it. I have 100 ideas for songs at the minute, so I hope I can get back into the studio soon and record them.
Finally, is there a message that you would like to share with the readers of Fierce & Fabulous Revolution?
Sophia: First of all, thank you for reading! It means the world as a small artist to be given an opportunity like this. I hope you enjoy Moonlight if you decide to give it a listen, but if you don’t, thank you anyway!
You can pre-order “Moonlight” by clicking the link here and can find Sophia’s earlier releases on Spotify below.
Sophia Emily: Instagram.
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