Photo Credit: Lindsey Nico Man
Forever inspired by the creativity in all realms of art, sophie meiers has channeled all of that and then some into a soundscape listeners can easily imagine into their own realities on ‘spark__space,’ out now on Epitaph Records. The new record was on the table when it came to this back-and-forth exchange, as well as trust, anime, and what’s to come.
Kendra: You dropped a couple of records before 2023, and this year you’ve already got one under your belt. What made you want to break up your releases this year and share them with the world a couple of months apart from one another?
sophie meiers: Breaking up the releases for these EPs has allowed me to showcase the visual and sonic landscape for each individual world. I had an expansive body of work, spanning many different genres – so I created “portals” that embody and capture their varied styles and identities. I want each project to be an entryway to the next world, their stories to guide the listener through this immersive art project.
Kendra: When I listened to ‘shine__space’ I felt transported to my teenage bedroom in the early 2000s watching indie movies like ‘Ghost World.’ On the flip side, ‘i was the right one’ feels a little more present. Did you find yourself drawing from different places for ‘shine__space’ and ‘spark__space?’
sophie meiers: Ahh that’s so cute. I definitely agree with you, it was my intention to create a strong contrast between the (three) projects. ‘shine__space’ is very metallic and sequenced — lots of inspiration coming from synth-wave/synthpop/new wave electronic music. whereas ‘spark__space’ is warm and stripped back; leaning primarily towards organic production, live instruments, and lots of alternative/indie influence. Drawing from these different feelings and places is what makes writing so rewarding and interesting to me.
Kendra: Speaking of ‘i was the right one,’ this came after a sour relationship but it’s more about yourself. Did you find yourself working all of this out inside your mind as you penned this track?
sophie meiers: Absolutely. That day in the studio I was able to digest and vocalize what I had been feeling over the past two years — and how it all came to a point. It was really revelatory to be able to understand that the pain I was experiencing was due to self-betrayal, not the actions of anybody else. Untying the convoluted knots and confusion in my own mind allowed me to look at the situation for what it was. It was such a memorable day for me, looking back. finding words to put to something so complicated is powerful and freeing. I can’t describe the feeling.
Kendra: For those who may not have music as an outlet, do you have any advice for those looking to work out their own internal trust issues?
sophie meiers: Shit hahaha, you’re asking the wrong guy. Something that has helped me tremendously is acceptance. You truly and objectively cannot control other people’s feelings or actions, and worrying about hypothetical situations is just subjecting yourself to suffering that hasn’t happened yet, and might not ever happen, surrendering yourself to the unknown is terrifying, but trying to control things beyond your power is impossible. I have to remind myself that I don’t want to sacrifice my tenderness or love; caring is truly one of the most special and pure feelings in the world.
Why should I deny myself of feeling happiness, experiencing warmth, and small little moments of understanding? (even if i end up getting hurt) it hurts to hurt. It hurts to not hurt. Authentically feeling your emotions and showing your care is infinitely more courageous than fighting it off or becoming closed-hearted. it’s okay to be sensitive and vulnerable, and when you trust yourself it becomes your shield and safety net. because even if other people hurt you, you understand your own value and can hold yourself to that standard. baby steps.
Kendra: It’s also hard not to notice the visual artistry that goes into what you do. Who were some artists you loved growing up that not only inspired you musically but also visually?
sophie meiers: Thank you so much! I’m heavily inspired by the world around me – by earth and science and stars. Organic and inorganic forms. Destruction and decay. Outside of my vague and ambiguous answers- I fucking love art; painting, drawing, photography, sewing, graphic design, textiles, digital art, 3d/CGI, VFX, makeup, sculpture, early net graphics – anything I can get my hands on.
I was heavily inspired by my early exposure to the internet: meme pages, Tumblr, forums, early HTML websites, and primitive CGI. Also ancient practices like woodworking, masonry, architecture, classical painting. I have a hard time naming any artist individually because I was always so absolved in the art itself versus who was creating it. I have a lot of respect for people who work across different mediums to breathe life into their ideas.
Kendra: Your style reminds me a lot of anime. With that, is there an anime that you’d love to have your music featured in?
sophie meiers: I love anime. God this is hard. It would be fucking amazing to score and write the soundtrack to a limited series. I love psychological/horror/avant-garde/sci-fi/mecha/supernatural/disturbing shit, so it would be really cool to do something within that realm. I’d have to think about something that is still coming out with new episodes!
Kendra: Time for a side note – So August is a huge month for me, with so many loved ones’ birthdays being celebrated, so I’d love to know what song you’d dedicate to your loved ones, be it friends, family, or both…
sophie meiers: I hope you have a great month celebrating with your loved ones! My song “things will change” is dedicated to one of my little brothers.
Kendra: Lastly, with ‘spark__space’ out on August 24th, what else can the people out there expect from you as 2023 rolls along?
sophie meiers: Tons of new music, visuals, and art projects. I have the last EP in the trilogy coming out after ‘spark__space.’ Different sound, different visuals, different world. Can you guess the name?
