Following the release of her latest single ‘Let The Cat In’, LOCK had the pleasure of catching up with UK pop-rock artist Sophia Garvey to talk about the single, upcoming album and her biggest inspirations.
Hi, Sophia Garvey, welcome to LOCK. For our readers, could you please tell us a little about yourself?
Well well well, fancy seeing you here and thank you for having me. My name is Sophia Garvey and I live laugh love singing, Stella and being a menace. I’m originally from near Manchester but I grew up in Dubai and Singapore where I first started making music and I moved to Leeds for uni where I really found my sound. I now live between Manchester and London and sometimes abit of Bournemouth when I visit my best friend Jem who’s at cooking school. I like eating mozzarella balls like apples (18g of protein u know so basically a workout) and the 2000s tv show faking it. I draw my inspirations from things that I go through and I’m honest, perhaps sometimes too honest within my writing as I aim to inspire people to love every part of themselves. It’s not much but it’s honest work 😉
“Let The Cat In” is raw, chaotic, and unapologetically bold. How did the idea for this track come about, and what does it represent for you as an artist?
Believe it or not, when I first started working on let the cat in, I lived in Leeds in a uni house with 8 other girls. I think I used to annoy everyone by sitting in the lounge and strumming away. It started out as a soft guitar track with completely different lyrics. I’d been abit of a menace on the dating scene and described as quite cat like- whatever that means so all I could think about was gosh why isn’t anyone letting me (the cat) in. It took David Walter (who co produced) and I months and months to make it as feral and cheeky as it is, there was a few different demos I kept ripping apart in order for it to get where it is today. Let the cat in is me demanding the attention I deserve and gosh I do love a cat. Meow.
The track exudes lust and feral confidence. How did you translate these emotions into the music, lyrics, and vocal delivery?
I like to be cheeky but not vulgar so I spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to put a saucy diary entry into fewer words. I love playing with imagery so cat like behaviours such as scratching and purring seemed inevitable- I can’t wait for you to see the video for it… think Sophia Garvey sized catflap and a Pure Filth scratching post. I love changing my vocal performance to fit what I’m trying to say so I start the song more controlled and seductive until I can’t take it anymore towards the end and I’m howling. I want listeners to feel how I feel- we’re all in this together.
Your influences span Arctic Monkeys, Madonna, Lana Del Rey, Gorillaz, and Britney Spears. How did these artists inspire the sound and attitude of “Let The Cat In”?
I just think they’re all pretty cool and when I’m listening to them I feel cool. I want to make others feel the same way. I also bloody love dancing and Madonna and Britney are baddies who kill it on the dance floor and I’ve got a few routines in the works- what’s not to love.
“Let The Cat In” opens your upcoming album Pure Filth. What can fans expect from the rest of the record?
10 diary entries each condensed into just over 3 minutes of me complaining, yearning and being unhinged. I talk about things that I’ve been going through for example work, exes, crushes, mental breakdowns, desire – all the good stuff. It’s called pure filth because I’m not afraid to express the good, the bad and the ugly side of myself and I want to invite others to join me. Pure Filth isn’t dirty, it’s acceptance that we’re all chaotic and messy and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. I will tell you tho my favourite songs on the album are Affaires de coeur, coward and Too Hot To Leave which is out 5th march!!
You describe yourself as unapologetic and intentionally uncomfortable. How do you want listeners to feel when they hear Pure Filth live or on record?
I’m completely unapologetic because I refuse to allow people to tell me how I should behave and who I should be because mind your own business. I think there’s a lot of hate around people being abit weird but the weirder you are the more I love you. When it comes to intentionally uncomfortable, my work is, I however am not. Pure Filth invites you to explore the uncomfortable sides to yourself, it offers refuge and support, but I understand it’s difficult to face things that have happened sometimes- that’s where the discomfort comes from. I want listeners to feel electric, as if the songs are theirs and theirs only and relief at the fact they aren’t alone. I often listen to music that documents how I am feeling and I present to you the inner most workings of my mind. Watching live, I want people to lose control, I want Pure Filth.
Nightlife, fashion, and art all play a role in your identity. How do these elements influence the persona you bring to your music?
Having been to art school and mingled with all sorts of characters who accept and own themselves completely, and lecturers who push you to go above and beyond exploring that, it’s almost impossible to hide from who you are. Art allowed me to really go wild in expressing myself visually. I modelled for people, styled people and ended up in some really crazy situations while there which allowed me to find my style and inspirations. I dress the way I dress because it makes me feel powerful, and I love watching how other people express themselves through fashion choices too. I’ve got some really cool mates and a few banging Pinterest boards. Nightlife is imperative for me, it allows me to be a freak on the dance floor and watch others lose control of themselves the same way I do- you’ll most definitely catch me at afters and perhaps for breakfast the next morning too.
Looking back on your journey from your first releases at 16 to now, how has your approach to self-expression evolved?
Gosh baby Sophia would be so impressed with who I am today. I was shy back then but I knew who I wanted to be and what I wanted to be doing. As I got older, I got bolder and better at expressing my feelings. I sometimes go back and listen to songs I wrote then and have a giggle- my first ever song was like “the birds and dying and the grass isn’t green”, so edgy but so bad. I like to think I say things a lot better now. Fun fact for you tho, I wrote a song at 16 that’s been in my vault. It will only see the light of day when I play Glastonbury- played once and returned to the vault. I think I owe it to myself to honour the period of my life where I truly committed to doing what I thankfully do now!