Sophia Brous, 12 😉 Musician
The three biggest influences on me as an artist are…
1) The wind 2) The breeze 3) Triple R
The first record I bought was…
Miles Davis – Walkin.
As an artist I stand for many things…
I remember when I was 18 saying in a press interview something along the lines of “..always play with motherfuckers much better than you and try and be as fearless as you can..”, I think I still try and apply that and put myself in situations that push me and play with my own resistances.
My new album is…
A labour of love. I almost burned up in the process as everything was a real learning curve to try to get close the vision I was hearing…it has orchestral string sections and woodwind, a lot of synths and organs, electronics and programming, Brazilian and South Asian percussion, choirs. I wrote, arranged and produced it and had some wonderful people involved including Shags Chamberlain, Mick Harvey, Julia Holter, Jherek Bischoff…it’s my perfectly imperfect vision, I can’t wait for it to come out.
My brief musical history 101…
I got heavily into jazz when I was about 11 and then more into experimenting with songwriting and improvisational spaces as I got older and once I was out of jazz school in America. I was really into the pop singers of my teens, those great intelligent Madonna and Kylie Minogue records etc, and a lot of indie rock, post-punk, industrial music. I started doing radio, writing, directing arts festivals, but all the while was writing and performing and collaborating with a lot of great musicians and people I admire. I’ve been very lucky to be a part of great projects in some amazing situations, I just try and let curiosity lead me.
What are you looking forward to in 2015?
Releasing my album, touring it here and playing in Europe and the US and visiting places I haven’t been to before. Making new music and developing projects, creating a new Festival in Australia (shhh), going on some dates, eating some yo-chi samples.
What was your highlight of last year?
Challenging myself with new projects, singing acapella at the Barbican, singing Schubert with my grandma at her nursing home and living in tangibles.
Who do you think is the most exciting local act at the moment?
I love a lot of bands and musicians in Australia. Total Control, HTRK, Sui Zhen, Angel Eyes, Soft Power, Standish/Carlyon, Manhunter, Joe Dolce ‘Shutup Ya Face’.
Favourite song right now?
One of the lullabies I learned for a recent project I did at the Sydney Festival has been stuck in my head for weeks, a South Vietnamese melody called ‘The Bamboo Bridge of Life’…melancholy and beautiful.
What do you enjoy most: writing, recording or playing live?
Nothing beats playing live, but all three when they are phun and in-phlow.
Tell i-D something about you that most people don’t know….
I fast regularly, don’t believe in the afterlife, prefer instant coffee.
If I could only listen to one artist it would be…
The wind, Joao Gilberto.
I make music because…
It helps me breathe.
Anything else you want the world to know….
“Little lady let your mind go and your body will follow…”
Sophia performs in ‘In Dreams: David Lynch Revisited’ at the Sydney Opera House on March 14 and the Melbourne Recital Centre on March 16 and17th.
Credits
Text Courtney DeWitt
Photography Melissa Cowan