Holohan shared with Beyond The Stage (BTS) where her musical path first began, how she found her way to TikTok and the release of not only one, but two singles, and, of course, what’s coming in the future.
BTS: What got you into music? Has it been something you’ve done forever?
My family was always incredibly musical. Both of my parents actually hoped to pursue music in some way, with my mom wanting to perform on Broadway and my dad hoping to make it big as a rockstar. They both ended up pursuing non-musical careers, but their love for music remained; I was encouraged to participate in a lot of musical-related activities as a kid. I did a lot of musical theater growing up, then I started playing guitar at age 9, and the songwriting came with learning that.
BTS: Did you start out singing or writing? How did that evolve?
I started out singing for sure, but I have been writing for almost as long. My mom swears that I wrote my first song at the age of three; it was something about turtles, haha. I’ve been doing both for as long as I can remember, though.
BTS: Do you enjoy singing or songwriting more?
Though I adore both, I definitely enjoy songwriting more. It’s a way for me to reflect while singing is more of a vehicle for expressing the words. Oftentimes, writing a song will help me process emotions or thoughts that I didn’t previously know that I had.
BTS: Do you channel your own emotions and moments for your music or do you pull from seen experiences?
I do a little bit of both. When I was younger, most of my inspiration came from stories, movies, TV shows, and ideas that I heard in other artists’ music. Now, however, I tend to build upon and sometimes hyperbolize my own experiences. I feel much more connected to my music from the last few years because of this switch.
BTS: What does your creative process look like?
My creative process tends to start with me flipping through my notes app on my phone, searching for an inspiring “song seed” as we call it at my college, Berklee College of Music. A song seed is a little idea that can come from a conversation, a TV show, a burst of inspiration – anything really – that could help begin a song. When I find one that strikes inspiration, I usually find some cool chords and the lyrics and melody usually flow with that. When I write by myself, writing a full song on guitar usually takes between a half hour and an hour. Recently, I have also been collaborating a lot more, which is very new for me. Oftentimes with my collaborations, I will focus on the lyrics and the collaborator will help more with the production aspects, but it varies in each session. Collaborating has been incredible in terms of broadening my ideas sonically and meeting incredible people!
BTS: Where do you go to work on music?
When I write alone, I tend to write in my bedroom at my childhood home in San Jose. When I collaborate, I tend to work at a studio owned by my label Avex USA/SELENE.
BTS: Tell us about your musical inspirations that have guided you up to this point.
My musical inspirations range from pop influences like Adele, Taylor Swift, and FINNEAS, to R&B/Soul masters like Daniel Caesar and Sam Cooke, to folk/Americana aficionados like Brandi Carlile and Phoebe Bridgers. I would say that the immersive storytelling and lyricism of all of these artists inspires me heavily in my own music.
BTS: How would you describe your sound to someone who hasn’t heard it?
I would say my sound is soft folk singer-songwriter with sprinkles of R&B and pop influence.
BTS: Your single “Good Mourning” came out today. What is going through your head?
I am so excited about its release and for people to hear the full version! I hope people like that I kept it pretty stripped like the original version that I posted. I am also just a very naturally anxious person, so I am anxious, too.
BTS: The song was so well received based on a snippet you shared on TikTok where you have over 174K followers and 2.9M likes. What does that feel like?
It feels incredible and validating that people enjoyed the song already before its release, or at least the small snippet that I shared. It makes my heart happy that other people are connecting to a song that has such a special place in my heart.
See Holohan’s popular TikTok video below.
BTS: What led you to TikTok in the first place? Viewing or creating?
I was definitely a viewer on TikTok at first. I still enjoy viewing, maybe to a fault. I think it’s an incredibly engaging and curated platform.
BTS: Do you see TikTok as simple marketing or as more?
I definitely see it as more. I feel like it’s a way to cultivate community, as well. I have met wonderful new people through the platform, in terms of viewers of my content and also other creators and musicians.
BTS: What is your favorite song you’ve created?
That’s such a difficult question. I don’t think I have an overall favorite, but one of my recent favorites that I’ve created is called “Someone You’d Want to Know”, and it’s a platonic love song about my best friend.
BTS: What are your goals as an artist?
I think my overarching goal is to create art that makes people feel heard or look at the world or themselves in a new way. I just want my art to heal and help in any way possible. In terms of more specific goals, I would love to have my music placed in a cool movie or TV show. I’d also love to collaborate with other artists to make unique tunes in the future.
BTS: What are your plans for the rest of this year? Do you have more songs set to release?
I hope to make a TON more music. There are no specific dates yet for the next releases, but I am hoping to diversify my sound with these next tunes. I am excited to show my versatility!
BTS: Do you see music videos or even live shows in the future?
I actually just played my first real gig at the Hotel Cafe! It was incredible, and I hope to perform a ton of live shows in the near future. As for music videos – stay tuned!!
See pictures from Holohan’s first show below.
Leaving us with a little teaser, Holohan makes sure we know she is nowhere near being done with music and that we should all be ready for the amazing things to come. We’ll be watching her along her journey and you can, too, by following her at the links below!
Stream “Good Mourning” here.
Follow Sophie Holohan on TikTok and Instagram.
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