The brilliant American Sophie Allison singer-songwriter Soccer Mommy is back recently with the new album “Sometimes, Forever”, in which she availed herself of the collaboration of an ace like Daniel Lopatin (aka Oneohtrix Point Never)
The image of Sophie Allison
Aka Soccer Mommy, Sophie Allison could still refer to the very young indie-folk singer, capable of enchanting the public with the frank charm of a short afternoon performance at the Primavera Sound in Barcelona in 2019.
Arpeggiated electric guitar with essential elegance, sneakers and a long light fabric skirt, a vocal timbre between Natalie Imbruglia, Emmylou Harris and Verity Susman of Electrelane. On Sophie Allison still adolescent face, framed by amaranth brown pigtails, you could already see today’s determination and intellectual curiosity.
It was the tour of Clean, the third album that had garnered attention and some bets and opened the doors to the contract with the Loma Vista label. Two years later in the stable with Sophie Allison there are projects such as St. Vincent, Andrew Bird and Marilyn Manson. Color Theory, with the beautiful seven minutes of Yellow Is the Color of Her Eyes and the disturbing metaphors of Lucy, was already a record that made a difference.
The forced stops of the pandemic
The need to surpass oneself starting from the quality of the standards achieved are the creative substance of Sometimes, Forever. The album is a new milestone for the American singer-songwriter and the presence of Daniel Lopatin (Oneohtrix Point Never) is just one of the elements of surprise.
In the last two albums your way of approaching songs has evolved a lot. Before talking about the changes, let’s try to trace the elements of continuity. Songwriting for example?
I think my writing is probably maturing and growing with me. But the thing that has remained the same is that for me writing a song means focusing on aspects of myself. I don’t mean that writing songs is a form of psychoanalysis, but it certainly is a way to get to know me from time to time.
How is Soccer Mommy piece born?
Guitar and voice. Today as in the beginning. The story of each of my songs begins like this. The rest comes later. Indeed, at least in my case, if that initial spark, born in the simplest way, is not strong enough, it is not able to stand up to the comparison with the elaboration process required by the arrangement, I end up not even having fun and walking away from what Soccer Mommy really wanted to tell.
From album to album, more and more elements have been inserted in your pieces that refer to a dark or painful imaginary, while elsewhere color and lightness flit. What is the origin of this contrast so characteristic of your way of composing?
Although Soccer Mommy am only 24 years old, in my life I have had the opportunity promotion to experience pain and a precipitate of this contact lives in my pieces, as a kind of awareness of what life can be. Just as I have had very beautiful gifts, and this too is a life to write and play.
From a professional point of view, do you feel fulfilled as a woman?
I have had and am having opportunities. Of course, it is not so obvious, even today, that women are recognized a leadership role in their musical project and that they are recognized also technical skills, or a competitive musical preparation towards males.
What effect did the story about abortion have on Soccer Mommy in America?
It seemed to me something irresponsible and violent. A way to relegate women to the role of mother as the only possible social function. Whether she wants it or not. I am a young woman and Soccer Mommy have a stable romantic relationship, but I think that in this, as in any other situation, happy or not, it must always be the woman who chooses.
A constant in your songs is the level of energy, which never fails and is never too much. What do Soccer Mommy bring this balance to?
Sophie Allison delighted to hear you say this, because perhaps this is the most effective, most motivating substance of my career as an author. Sophie Allison believe that there is an innate instinct in me towards a vital mood, even when it is not joyful. And I also suppose that this then translates into a language that can be defined as pop. The fact is, however, that I am not looking for a musical genre, but for a way to be myself.
What role did Oneohtrix Point Never, or Daniel Lopatin if you prefer, play in managing the various moods of inspiration on a sound level?
Basic. The collaboration with him is an idea born from my label, but it was a moment to discover that we are fans of each other and to focus on common listening, like The Roches, with that crazy way of managing vocal harmonies, or the Cure. Much of the keyboard work on the album would be unthinkable without Dan’s input.