Sofia and the Antoinettes - WOMEN WHO LOVE TOO MUCH

The alarm goes off at 06:10 every morning. Those first flickers of consciousness are perhaps the closest we come to observing our true selves. Our fears, our desires, all laid bare. An unfiltered moment of clarity, a brief beat freed of framing, obfuscation and censorship. From there, many of us slip into a routine that masks the swell of the soul, the crashing waves of inner tumult.

These parts of ourselves remain seldom seen. Occasionally we let someone in, offering a rare glimpse of the essence that exists within us. The person behind the polish. I suppose this is what intimacy is. While many of us go through life protecting this essential self, some are able to strip away the guardrails and reveal themselves with stark honesty. Sofia and the Antoinettes is one such artist.

This week, she released her debut EP WOMEN WHO LOVE TOO MUCH, a bold body of work that paints intimate portraits of love, loss and identity, all inspired by Robin Norwood’s 1985 classic of the same name. The opening track, ‘SPIRALLING,’ sets out her stall as driving guitars and heavy percussion underscore romantic ruminations…

What if it is?
What if it's not?
What if I ruin it?
What if you stop?
What if you don't?
What if I just shut up?
Maybe I deserve it
What if it's love

Here, she surfs the emotional upheaval of new love with glorious grace, asking the unsettling questions that bounce through the mind with destabilising velocity. The songwriting is slick, the production glossy, possessing all the propulsive vocal prowess of Evanescence and the fevered melodrama of Lana Del Rey. Yet, this is only the surface of an EP that, across six tracks, offers an intimate introduction to an artist. An initial embrace that echoes with a lifetime of knowing.

My first encounter with Sofia was the single ‘OVERWHELMING FEAR,’ a haunting distillation of my own personal anxieties…

I have this overwhelming fear
Of being someone you forget
Is that happening yet
I have this overwhelming fear
Of falling into your regret
Is that happening yet?

Much has been said recently about digital incursion into the arts, but it’s hard to imagine a future where we don’t crave the quiet satisfaction of being seen. In our increasingly isolated worlds, hearing someone articulate the commonalities of the human condition, the universal language of the heart, is a devastatingly beautiful gift. As is this record.

Ahead of its release, we caught up with Sofia to talk about doubt, love and existentialism in high heels.

Hi Sophia, how are you? What have you done so far today?
I'm good today, I think. Euphoric and existential in equal measure. WOMEN WHO LOVE TOO MUCH, my debut EP, is out at midnight so it feels like I'm standing naked in the street but there's a nice breeze and London's seen stranger things happen.

For anyone who hasn’t heard your music yet, how would you describe it in your own words?
My music is a melodic version of my diary. Existentialism in high heels. It's womanhood, anger and the difficult thoughts I can't say in spoken English, only sung.

WOMEN WHO LOVE TOO MUCH is out now, how does it feel to finally share such a personal collection of tracks with the world?
A little like talking to God, not quite sure if anyone's listening but confessing anyway. There's relief because the weight of keeping it all inside is gone but also a lack of control whilst people form their own relationships with my words.

Your music seems to ask more questions than it answers, dealing in doubt rather than certainty. Why do you think it’s important to interrogate these lesser angels of our being?
I think doubt is more honest than certainty. I don’t know what the fuck I'm doing. I'm not interested in conclusions nor tying things up with a bow, I can only write from my experience, which is full of unanswered questions. That's what being alive feels like to me anyway, a long list of unanswered questions, and a handful of 'you had to be there' moments.

Love seems to highlight insecurities in ways few other things do. How has it inspired your songwriting?Love has a way of holding up a mirror you didn't ask for. Songwriting is the only way I can process it without drowning in it. Every word is like a negotiation between who I think I am and who Love reveals me to be. It's like when Leonard said, 'everything has a crack in it, that's how the light gets in.' Love exposes the cracks, and the songwriting is the light getting in or out.

Outside of matters of the heart, who or what else inspires your music?
I'm a big fan of stealing. From overheard conversations, old films, the art world, anything that feels alive. I've been trying to write less about love. 'SANTA MONICA PIER' and 'REVOLVER' are not about romantic love at all. Sometimes that feels more universal. Yes, some shitty things have happened to me but they had to for me to be exactly where I am right now. Or, my whole existence has revolved around a friend who doesn't listen when I speak, and how that feeling felt. As I always say, we are all so much more the same than we are different.

You’ve described your output as “existentialism in high heels.” How do you see femininity intersecting with your artistry?
I don't actually remember where it started, but heels make the existential crisis a lot louder when walking on or off a stage.

‘OVERWHELMING FEAR’ is one of my favourite tracks on the EP and taps into a very personal fear, the fear of fading into obscurity for those we give ourselves to wholly. What are some of the fears you grapple with most?
Thank you, ‘OVERWHELMING FEAR’ was the first song written on this body of work. It signified a drastic difference in my sound and lyricism. As far as fears go, at the moment I'm scared of giving so much away in my music that I have nothing left that feels like mine. Also, dying. Obviously.

Which track on the EP resonates with you the most, and why?
It changes all the time actually. ‘REVOLVER’ when I'm sad, ‘WOMEN WHO LOVE TOO MUCH’ when I'm angry. Sometimes a song teaches you about yourself, and sometimes it's things you didn't want to know. At least I'm 100 percent sure they're all honest.

Looking ahead, what do you hope listeners take away from WOMEN WHO LOVE TOO MUCH, and how do you see your music evolving from here?
All I hope is that someone somewhere feels a little understood and a little less alone. The human condition can be very lonely. Sometimes music alleviates the discomfort. Looking ahead, God I don't know, today all I have for you is this, and it's a physical piece of my soul.

WOMEN WHO LOVE TOO MUCH is out now via Warner Records.