Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophie Reynolds.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I began performing music in elementary school, singing at church and school productions. As I got older, I developed terrible stage fight which prevented me from performing again until my junior year of school, when I was persuaded by my high school soccer teammates to audition for the school talent show. Shortly after performing at the talent show, I began volunteering at a local hospital as a music ambassador. While singing for patients, I met a man named Jae Michals, who I later learned was a music producer. Since late 2017, I have been working with Jae to record and produce music. In the summer of 2018, I released my first single “Southern California”. This was followed by three more singles and my debut EP “Walls Down”, which was released in November of 2019.
During the summer of 2019, I teamed up with long-time family friend Rob Fox to create a music video for my song “You’ve Got This” that addresses the mental health challenges faced by teenagers. We filmed the video over two days in December of 2019. Filming at my home and other South Pasadena locations. The “You’ve Got This” music video was released on May 1st, the first day of mental health awareness month.
After a year of writing and filming music videos, Jae and I were back in the studio recording songs for the next EP. “Had Enough”, the first single off of my upcoming EP, “Somewhere Better Than Here”, was released on October 2nd.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think the biggest obstacle I’ve faced was overcoming my own fear of performing and pushing myself out of my comfort zone. Before performing my junior year of high school, I hadn’t performed for an audience of any size since my fifth-grade talent show. I was in a similar position when I decided to share original music for the first time. It was scary to share that part of myself but ultimately, it has really enhanced my experience with music and made me much more confident in pushing my comfort zone.
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
I am a singer-songwriter from South Pasadena, CA. I have been performing and playing music since I was in elementary school and began writing and releasing original music in 2018. Every song I write begins with just me and an acoustic guitar. This is how I have always performed, with just myself and an acoustic instrument. Over the last couple of years, I have written about experiences that are specific to my life but that are also universal, especially among people my age. I have written songs about moving away from home for the first time, coping with tragedy for the first time, and struggling with mental health issues.
Three years ago, I had just started performing and was still getting over terrible stage fright. I had hardly begun thinking about writing songs. Now I am working on my second EP and have put out two music videos. I am proud of the growth I have had over the last three years and how I have used music to navigate major life changes.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
While I was growing up, my grandmother’s house was on an avocado grove. My favorite childhood memories involve playing with my cousins in that grove: climbing trees, playing hide and seek, and playing pretend. It the best space to be creative and adventurous in.
Contact Info:
- Website: sophiereynoldsmusic.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: instagram.com/sophiegreynolds
- Facebook: facebook.com/sophiegreynoldsmusic
- Twitter: twitter.com/sophiegreynolds
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3qjHUwyRO5no3PepTZ5Cde?si=xLRpgpbfQy-OQTrIIWFd_w
Image Credit:
Kiana Reynolds, Ryan Stephen, Megan Baker
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