Interview by Carol Wright | Photo Courtesy of Red Pebbles PR

We got to chat with musician Sophie Pecora about her upcoming EP, her time on America’s Got Talent and her advice for aspiring songwriters.

Did a certain album or singer initially spark your interest in music? 

Justin Bieber originally sparked my interest in music. I think I was 5 years old and was a big fan. I sang his songs all the time and pretended I was on stage. I even had a purple Justin Bieber backpack at one point that I wore every day in school!

You have been writing music since the age of 9. In those early years, what were you writing songs about? 

I just wrote songs about anything that came to mind, really. One of my first songs was a rap song called “Sophie’s Just Rapping” and it was about how I love to rap and how fun it is. I wrote other songs about deeper subjects too, like “Battlefield” which is about constantly arguing with someone. Another one was about wanting someone to believe in me. I’m not sure where I came up with the ideas because they weren’t situations I experienced, I just picked up on the world around me and wrote about things I observed. I still do that now, while also writing about my own experiences.

In 2021 you released numerous original songs. During the pandemic have you been using music to get you through?

I have been playing and making music a lot during the pandemic and it has helped me a lot. Writing is how I process different things I’m feeling or thinking about, and during the pandemic, I was experiencing things like loneliness, overthinking, and more. Writing songs about these subjects helps me a lot! I wrote a song called “Together at Home” about my experiences in quarantine and that was therapeutic to express my feelings like that and make it into a song. It was also nice to feel like I’m not alone because once I shared the song online, people were saying how relatable it was and that they were feeling that way too.

Tell us a bit about your EP “Wildflower.” Where did you look for inspiration as you were working on it?

I didn’t really look for inspiration, I was just writing songs expressing how I felt about different subjects, but I do get inspired. I always listen to music so I take inspiration from other artists’ songs and that’s how I keep expanding my style. For “Overthinking” I was inspired by an artist I really like called Lauv. “Overthinking” has very poppy and upbeat melodies which Lauv has a lot. As I was writing the songs on this EP, I didn’t know they were all going to be on the same project together. I just write songs as inspiration strikes and group songs together later based on how I think they fit.

As a young artist, have you found social media to be a great place for you to connect with listeners?

Social media has helped me connect with listeners so much. Being on social media platforms is how people discover my music, so it’s the main reason I even have listeners. I love to respond to dm’s and comments to connect with people as much as possible. Live streams are a great way to connect with the audience too.

What advice do you have for aspiring singer/songwriters?

My advice for aspiring singers is to stay true to yourself and always try to have as much fun as possible. The authentic love and passion for what you do will connect with anyone watching. Stick to your craft and always keep practicing. Don’t get discouraged because you think you’re not good enough because you will get better with time and effort. I’ve kept all my past videos on YouTube partially because I think it may be motivating for other aspiring singers. I’m not sure how good my skills were when I was little but I was having fun! I just kept going because I love music so much and I do think I improved as each year passed. It’s about persistence and enjoying each step of the way.