Review Fix chats with 18-year-old singer-songwriter Sofia Donavan, who discusses her second EP “Left To The Clouds,†releasing on May 19. A blend of country/folk/ pop, “Left To The Clouds†is a follow up to her debut EP “Square One.†Breaking down her creative process, as well as her goals for the future, , Donovan gives us a glimpse at what makes her tick musically.
Review Fix: What was the creative process for this EP?
Sofia Donavan: This EP is a collection of songs I wrote during the last 1-2 years. When I began working on the EP Jason Elgin, my producer, and I sat down and listened to over 60 rough demos of songs I had written over the years eventually cutting down to the final 5 you hear on the EP. Once we decided on the songs we were going to record we played around with different ideas for the sound we wanted to give this EP and listened to a lot of other artists like The Civil Wars and Alison Krauss that inspired the alternative country sound we ended up pursuing.
Review Fix: How was “Note To Tennessee” written? Is there a story behind it?
Donavan: The initial idea for ‘Note To Tennessee’ came about 2 years ago. I wrote it during a time when it really dawned on me how difficult it would be to achieve my dream of being a musician. From this feeling I got the idea to try and write a story about unconditional love as a metaphor for the fact that no matter how much you love or give to your passion you can still end having never ‘made it’ in the music industry.
Review Fix: For those who have never heard you sing, how would you describe your sound?
Donavan: I feel like my sound can vary depending on the song, however, when people ask I usually say this EP is alternative country with some Americana influence.
Review Fix: Who inspires you the most musically?
Donavan: Bob Dylan and James Taylor were artists that I grew up on. My parents would play their music in every long car journey. As I grew up I began to appreciate even more the stories they created through their songs. I think they are part of the reason why I fell I love with poetry and song lyrics. The Civil Wars and Kacey Musgraves are more recent examples of artists that I feel really inspired this EP in particular.
Review Fix: Give me an artist on your phone or tablet that you listen to regularly that people may not expect, based on your sound. Why does this person influence you?
Donavan: I am obsessed with the band Haim. I heard them play last year in London and they just blew my mind. In their case, I think what inspires me the most about them is their sound and the fact you can’t really put your finger on it. It’s some sort of fantastic mix of pop, rock with elements of R&B. That and the fact that they all play instruments and perform amazing live shows.
Review Fix: What have you had to give up to focus on music?
Donavan: For me it would be time with family and friends. Moving to the US was definitely a hard decision because it meant being away from most of my family that still live in England, but in hindsight it was the right thing to do both for my education and my music career.
Review Fix: What’s next for you?
Donavan: I’m really excited to gig now. I’ve spent most of the year working behind the scenes on the release of the EP so I’m really happy that people will finally be able to hear it! I’ll be focusing my summer on playing shows, promoting my new EP as well as traveling to Nashville which I am really looking forward to.
Review Fix: How do you want this EP to be remembered?
Donavan: I want this EP to be remembered as the work that began my music career. I am so deeply proud of all the hard work that so many talented people put into this project that I want as many people as possible to hear these songs. All of the songs on the EP represent feelings and situations that I went through from the age of 16 to 18, so I’d like to be able to look back on it later on as an honest depiction of my life during those years, one that I hope people can relate to.
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