Interview: Sophie Delila
7 min read
In 2010 Sophie Delila erupted onto the pop scene with the release of her impeccable debut, Hooked. The record boasted a string of truly unique and flavoursome pennings, carried by the memorable and Motown inspired lead single, Nature of the Crime. The release came out of nowhere and swept us off our feet when it was released and still has us tapping our toes along to the brimming collection of songs she pieced together for that introductory release.
Fast forward 4 years and Delila has recently released a follow up record in the shape of My Life Could Use A Remix, a collection that takes a slightly different approach to her usual Motown influenced style and incorporates a much more commercial, pop-oriented sound.
Having recently wrapped up several performances alongside music veteran and recording icon Jeff Beck, we were given the opportunity and pleasure to talk to Sophie to discuss new albums, touring schedules and the meaning behind some of the more personal sounding inclusions on her latest offering. Here is what Sophie had to tell us…
Brendon Veevers: Hi Sophie! How are you and where in the world does our interview find you?
Sophie Delila: I’m very well thanks, and in London right now.
BV: It is an exciting time for you right now as you are gearing up for the release of your new album My Life Could Use A Remix. Firstly, what would you say has been the biggest source of inspiration for you during the creation of this new album?
SD: The main inspiration for this album is my personal experiences. It’s about love, friendship, life in general, broken hearts…
BV: Are there any favourite tracks for you on the record? Any that stand out more so than others?
SD: What’s funny is that they’re all quite different, and it’s really hard to pick favourites. They all have their own mood and message. I love singing a stripped down version of Me You Right Now at gigs… Love that song. If I Should Die Tonight could also be one of my favourites as it’s more up tempo and evokes funk and electronic music.
BV: What celebrations are planned for the release of the new album? Will you be painting the town red?
SD: Absolutely! I’ll be playing at the Roundhouse Studios on June 12th with the band, playing most of the album actually. And of course we’ll be partying til the morning after that… ;)
BV: We adored your last album, Hooked! Is the new album similar in style to Hooked or have you decided on a different direction for My Life Could Use A Remix?
SD: Thanks! This album was written and produced differently compared to Hooked. I’ve written most of this record on the piano. It was always the song first, with minimal production, and then it went on to be recorded and produced. So in a way, the songs on this album are way more spontaneous and personal. The fact that I had a lot of collaborators somehow, gave me a bigger responsibility. Had to make sure I stuck to my own thing.
BV: What’s the meaning behind the name of the record? Why My Life Could Use A Remix?
SD: It’s taken from one of the songs on the album, which I’ve written with legendary lyricist Don Black. We wrote this song one afternoon. We chatted for 2 hours at the cafe around the corner before starting the session. The title came from that conversation – I was not having a great day that day. It made sense for me to use it as the album title because it’s got the words life and remix. ‘Life’ for the stories, and ‘remix’ for the rhythm that I sing my stories to, and the theme of ‘change’ that most of the songs refer to.
BV: Bound To Fall is the lead single from the new album and it is quite a personal track. Can you tell us a little about it?
SD: Yes, it was inspired by friend who passed away too soon… It’s about watching a friend living the high life and living dangerously. And it’s also a reminder that you should live in the moment as it can stop at any time. I wrote it with NY singer songwriter Julian Velard who came up with this great piano riff.
BV: You have written for many fellow artists recently. Are you working on any outside projects at the moment or are there any plans in place to write for anyone in the near future?
SD: I’ve been writing with Duffy, Jeff Beck, Rumer, Jack Savoretti… As to plans, hush hush… ;)
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BV: When it comes to writing, how do you decide that something should be offered to someone else as opposed to being left in the Sophie Delila camp?
SD: That’s a good question. It really depends on the song I guess. When writing with another artist, chances are, we’re writing for them. When I write with other songwriters or on my own, I think I write with the idea that I’m writing for my own project, unless I’ve been specifically asked to write for someone else. Sometimes the songs I write for my own project don’t actually fit what I’m working on (it happens all the time), so they’re free to find another home. I’ve also had some songs I initially cut on my records, that were later, recorded by other artists too.
BV: You are originally from Paris but you moved to London several years ago. What do you like most about being a songwriter and recording artist in London?
SD: I like the diversity of the scene, the amount of music there is to check out, the vast array of possibilities and people to work with. It’s very exciting. I also think there’s a lot of competition, it’s a big challenge, and I’m up for it. Keeps me going.
BV: You had the honour of joining Jeff Beck on stage last month while he was on tour in the UK. How did the opportunity to perform with Jeff come about?
SD: It came from the opportunity of writing with him first. We performed a song we’ve written together along with production team Sanctuary Music Vault (Plan B, Natasha Bedingfield, etc.).
The guys called me up one Friday night, telling me they were in the studio with Jeff Beck, they’d just written a piece with him and wanted to know if I’d be interested in writing / singing something on top of it. After confirming it was actually THE Jeff Beck they were working with, I cancelled all plans, stayed in the studio a few more hours and sent back the song. The next day, they called me saying Jeff loved it and wanted to meet me and write some more together. Then came the opportunity of performing that song live…
BV: Did Jeff offer you any career advice that you can tell us about?
SD: He gave me some great musical advice actually. In one of the sessions, we were writing a country/soul ballad which key was so low I could barely sing it… He saw I was struggling and told me ‘just whisper it’. I did, and it sounded great. He’s worked with so many amazing vocalists that he knows a thing or two about it!
BV: In terms of your own live schedule, will you be taking My Life Could Use A Remix on the road in 2014 and if so, what can you tell us about the tour?
SD: I just came back from playing a few dates in France and I’m certainly planning on touring the UK and the rest of Europe at the beginning of the fall, so stay tuned! Until then I’m really looking forward to playing in London in just a few days!
BV: Aside from the release of My Life Could Use A Remix, are there any other projects in the 2014 pipeline that you can tell us about?
SD: Nothing that I can tell you about, not unless is 100% done and sealed and all… ;) But hopefully they will be the subject of a future interview with you guys.
BV: Thanks Sophie and best of luck with the new record.
SD: Thank you!!
Sophie Delila’s brand new album My Life Could Use A Remix is out now.
::: RenownedForSound.com’s Editor and Founder –
Interviewing and reviewing the best in new music and globally recognized artists is his passion.
Over the years he has been lucky enough to review thousands of music releases and concerts and interview artists ranging from top selling superstars like 27-time Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss, Boyz II Men, Roxette, Cyndi Lauper, Lisa Loeb and iconic Eagles front man/songwriter, Glenn Frey through to more recent successes including Newton Faulkner, Janelle Monae and Caro Emerald.
Brendon manages and coordinates the amazing team of writers on RenownedForSound.com who are based in the UK, the U.S and Australia.
