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Outlandish as it may seem, we feel so much better after indulging in a bout of punchy, gritty loud songs, and the fresh ferocity of Sophia Warren's new EP Adesso, gives us thats desired temporary punch necessary to bounce back up. Maybe it's the soulful vocals, or the playful prism of her lyrics, or maybe it's just therapeutic to hear others pain, but this special Austin-based artist delivers. Ever so curious about this genre-bending singer, we reached out to get the tea direct from the source:

OnesToWatch: Why are you an artist? 

Sophia Warren: When I was about 12 or 13, I started dealing with a lot of anxiety and depression, and I just fell in love with emo music – as a teenager does, of course. I was listening to My Chemical Romance, Panic! At the Disco, Pierce the Veil… you feel so lost at that age. You don’t feel like anybody else could feel what you’re feeling, and then listening to these lyrics and being involved in this community, suddenly someone else gets it. Artists have given me so much, and I really wanted to give that back and create a space in a community where people feel heard. 

Do you still keep up with the emo kids? 

Oh, yeah. 

Have you outgrown it?

I definitely still listen to emo music, although it’s different now, like Sunken Moon. But I still go back to my old favorites. 

You’re still very young, but do you feel strange that that genre of music is now having a second crescendo, even in your lifetime. 

Definitely, it’s crazy. I was around when the scene era was still thriving, and now I feel like MGK is the new age of emo. It’s like gentrified emo. 

Love it. A lot of artists, as I’m sure you know, use music, writing, and performance for the catharsis of expression. Was anything else of interest to you as a creative outlet, or was it always music?

Writing is definitely a huge part of my creative outlet – overall, not just lyrics – creating poetry and things like that. It’s such a release. You know, it’s very hard when you’re a teenager to figure out what you’re going through, how you’re feeling and how to put that into words without just being like, “Screw you, Mom!” You put that into actual, helpful things. I feel like it’s helped me figure out who I am as a person, to be able to look back at something I wrote three months ago, and say, “Oh, that’s what I was going through.” It’s an interesting autobiography that I’ve been creating with this three-EP series. 

You can definitely see your commitment to writing in your lyrics. There’s a narrative intention to them. Do you have a songwriting process that you rely on, or is it more free-flowing, relying on inspiration or the right mood? 

When I first got started, I would just write every single day, no matter what it was. With how I write, though, with how personal it is, I feel like I have to have something to say to be able to write. Typically, when I write, I need to be going through a really big transformation in my life, it has to have some emotional backing to it. Because why else would I create? If I want to put my blood, sweat, and tears into something, that’s what I want to create. 

Do you ever have dry spells, or writer’s block? 

Absolutely. A lot of the time there’s the urge to write, to create, but you don’t know where to start. When that happens, I try to find somebody who’s going to challenge me, maybe they’re in a different genre than you. Right now, I’m in a bit of a slump, but I have this guitarist I’m working with, and his ideas really get me out of that lull. I feel like you need to get out of your own head, get out of your own studio, and find some new inspiration so you can just disconnect from everything for a moment. Sometimes the need to create is all you’re thinking about, and it gets frustrating, but working with something new helps reinvigorate you. 

Are you also working with other writers?

Yes! The song “Please Don’t Hate Me” was a co-write on the first EP, Bloodstone. And there’s been some co-writing on the second EP as well, but more like little bits of help here and there. 
Like I said, my lyric writing is so personal that it’s hard to write with somebody else. I’m just in that very vulnerable state where I feel like my skeleton is just free for everybody’s eyes to see. So typically, I like writing alone, but if I’m stumped, having somebody to flesh it out and offer ideas is so valuable. 

I love that, the skeletal exposure is what you’re afraid of. Down to the bone. That’s telling. I’m always curious as artists are releasing projects, if they’re thinking of the next thing, or tying their works together in any way. Obviously these three EPs are a series: was that by design from the beginning, or just the way they came together? Are they meant to emulate some sequence of emotions? 

I think that from the beginning, I was trying to figure out my sound and what my releases would look like. I originally thought I would do an album, but then we had the idea to create this three-piece series, where we can try out different genres and styles in these individual worlds, but still have it be cohesive. And then we’ll wrap it all up into an album. But they definitely reflect a journey, given that I wrote “Blue Scars” from Bloodstone at 14, and now I’m 21 releasing my latest EP. So, it’s been seven years of growth and change and discomfort and doubt. It’s my biography. Like Adele did the “age” albums, and I similarly have these little moments in my life that I’m sharing. 

Let’s dive into the origins of this – how did the events of your life affect your music and the way you were shaped as an artist? 

So, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis at 5 years old. It’s typically an immune disease that affects women post menopausal, so it was really random that I got it at that age. It affects your eyes, skin, growth, weight, a lot of developmental things. So I was always very sluggish and in some sense, disabled, like not really wanting to do things or having the energy to. I think that constant striving to feel better, and finally at 12, having my thyroid removed fully, it changed a lot. I got turned away from so many doctors and knocked down so many times, while being in pain and lethargic. It really made me value life to the fullest extent. At that age, dealing with those things, I don’t take it for granted when I’m feeling good. And the perseverance to keep going, that definitely relates to the music industry. There’s so many times where I feel like it’s not going to work, but I just get up, I pivot, I keep trucking ahead. I learned a lot of resilience and positivity, because it’s bad, but it’s not that bad, you know? 

Well, it’s beautiful to see the outcome of something so tough. Phoenix out of the fire! Is it difficult to talk about and revisit those experiences? Both lyrically, and in your personal life? 

To be fully honest, I think your brain protects you when you’re going through something so traumatic at that young of an age. There’s some part of me that has blocked things out, but also, feeling the way I did and having those roadblocks, it was all I ever knew. It didn’t feel like “missing out on kid things” because I didn’t know any other life. It was normal to me, although as an adult it makes me sad. But I’m striving forward and I’m on the other side of it. If I hadn’t gone through it, I wouldn’t be here. 

Amazing. Let’s talk about your EP, Everything Is Still the Same. So you mentioned these projects are time capsules in a sense – with your song “Italian, Now,” what does that represent? 

My grandfather, who was Italian, was a very supportive figure in my music career. When I was younger, he’d always compare me to Taylor Swift, which was hilarious. He was so supportive, and lived in the moment and was such a badass. I wanted to pay some homage to him, but also acknowledge who I am now. Bloodstone, since it was such a long time, from ages 14 to 18 to write, showcases such evolution, in the sound, too. The sound has matured in a different way, and has an older quality to it than the other pop-electronic tracks from EP 1. 

Your grandpa sounds like a G, and I do want to talk about your sound now. Sound evolution is so personal and reflective of all the things affecting your taste. I wouldn’t say this newest EP is a huge departure from your prior sound, but it’s definitely different. Is there anything you can really attribute those changes to?

When I created this EP, I wanted it to be a lot more raw and grounded. I felt like the first EP was the stars and the moon, existing in atmosphere, but “Grin” drags you down to a dirty bar on 6th Street. There’s real instruments, the vocals are more forward, the lyrics are a bit more gut wrenching. It’s definitely here in the moment. 

Well, it made me really excited to interview you, because it felt like you really struck upon something with this project. I did want to ask about your signing to UMG Mexico, how was that experience?

So I was the first American artist to be signed to Universal Music Mexico, which is wild. I ended up working with a producer who worked out of UMG Mexico, we did some demos together at Sonic Ranch in El Paso. He sent them over to his team and they were down to work together. At that point I had been working at this for five or six years, with different producers from all over the place, but you never think you’d get signed. It’s 1% of artists that make it. And the uniqueness of being signed to a Mexican label wanting to expand into the U.S. market is so, so cool. My team is absolutely amazing, truly like a family, always supporting my artist vision. You hear a lot of horror stories of labels not respecting your vision, but they truly want to support me in whatever my vision is. 

It’s super cool that they give that room to explore and take initiative. Let’s get into some fun stuff. What do you do to relax?

I hike a lot, and love being outdoors, getting grounded and reconnecting with nature. I also watch a lot of Formula One. I saw a Tiktok of Max Verstappen and the gap between him and everyone else, and that just was such incredible sportsmanship that I had to be into it. I’m not a sports girl but I come from an athletic family. My dad went to college for football, my mom for soccer, my brother played football, basketball, everything. But I was the musical theater kid. 

Is Max your favorite F1 driver? 

I’m a Ferrari fan, Italian, obviously. I loved Carlos Sainz, Alvin is killing it. I like that Yuki is getting his moment, though. 

Love it. If you had friends, bandmates, people coming over and it was your job to provide the food, what would you whip up? 

Definitely a big ol’ thing of mac and cheese. And then specifically the Bare Naked chicken nuggets, because they supply Chik Fil A with chicken nuggets, it’s frozen and they’re at Costco, and then also some Long Island iced teas.  

Oh, you must have a lot of friends with that attitude. If you could perform anywhere, with anyone, where and with whom would you perform? 

I would perform with Steven Universe in the Mariana Trench. I’d like to know what’s at the bottom of our ocean, and I love Steven Universe. He'd probably be a great time, he’s very positive. Kill two birds with one stone. 

If everything goes well for you, health, happiness, success, and everything, where does that take you? Where do you end up? What do you end up doing? 


I’d love to end up on the back end of the music industry, helping younger artists navigate the industry. The business and technical sides are so confusing, from registering your songs and who to talk to and where to start. It would be amazing to provide some guidance for that generation. 

Last question, at OnesToWatch, we love when artist’s put us on to other artists. So who are your OnesToWatch? 

12 Rods. It’s this alt gay band from the 90s, they’re from Michigan. And Paradise, which is a French electronic band.

This is amazing, I’ll take a listen. Thank you so much for your time, and congrats on the release! 

Thank you.