A Quick Chat with Sophia Petro
Can you tell me a bit about your inspiration for your single ‘Leave’ and what you want people to take away from it?
I was inspired to write ‘Leave’ following a conversation with a friend who was detailing the difficulties in her relationship. I typically try to gently deliver my opinion, but in this circumstance I was internally screaming “Don’t put up with this! You deserve better!” Later, when I was ruminating on the conversation I thought, “If I was in the same situation, you would be urging me to leave.” So then I wrote a song about exactly that. ‘Leave’ is super special to me because I think it is important to be reminded that the people who have your best interests at heart would never let you tolerate abysmal behaviour. Extend the same compassion to yourself and never settle for someone who makes you feel small, stupid, invalidated or as if you are hard to love.
What’s the creative process like for you, from writing to recording?
I write my song one of two ways. Either, I’m struck by inspiration and it just all spills out or I sit myself down with my guitar, choose a topic and force myself to write (because consistency is very important to me!). ‘Leave’ was the former and flowed from a moment of feeling impassioned and angry that someone I loved was being mistreated. I showed it to my producer EMEREE and it also struck a chord with her. It seemed to come about effortlessly and by the end of one session, ‘Leave’ was almost complete!
What do you think makes a great song?
The first thing I connect to when listening to a song are the lyrics, especially if something that’s been said before is told from a new perspective or in a unique way. To me a great song conveys the nuances of the human experience and even if you haven’t had that particular experience, the story still resonates deeply. I also appreciate a fun, catchy song with a great hook that you can scream along to.
What and who inspired you to first get into music?
I was first inspired to get into music because my dad (who’s a musician himself) taught me a few chords on piano and guitar. I always wanted to be an author as a kid and was obsessed with writing. When I was 11, I decided to combine the two. I will shamelessly admit that my 11 year old self was hellbent on meeting One Direction, so I concocted a master plan that involved writing them a hit song which would obviously result in me getting to meet them. I did write that song (and no I never sent it to them) but after that I realised how much I loved it and never stopped writing.
If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?
In an ideal world, I would get to collaborate (or even just meet) Taylor Swift, who is my ultimate inspiration. I would also absolutely love to collaborate with Gretta Ray who is such a brilliant songwriter and artist. I really appreciate the way Gretta expresses emotions and experiences so eloquently and intricately. You could never mistake a Gretta Ray song for anyone else.
What else do you have planned for 2023?
More music!! I’m currently working on a very exciting project and without giving away too much, the next single is best listened to with your friends and a glass (or bottle) of rosé. More on that soon!