Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there?

I’m currently based in the Netherlands near a town called Eindhoven. The music scene in Eindhoven is mainly Dutch pop/urban music but we have a lot of Electronic music festivals in The Netherlands, especially in summer.Some great colleagues in the music scene are from Eindhoven as well.

How did you first start playing music/DJing/Producing?

I had to do a school project when I was 15 with the purpose to develop skills and interact with people. I played piano since I was a little girl and I loved it, so I definitely wanted to do something with music. And I found that with djing and producing you can create such an intimate connection with people, which I thought was amazing. I got the chance to play at a local pub in my village. It was so fun and there were some people who asked me to play at a little festival and those little festivals became bigger and bigger, and then I met my manager and everything went so fast after that. Just a rollercoaster, but I love it…

What’s been happening recently?

I just released my track ‘Roll Up’ on Heldeep Records and have a few other tracks ready to go! I recently got back from India playing at an awesome festival for 20.000 people and for the rest of the year, I’m playing at Mysteryland, Summerburst and a many more awesome festivals!

Your new track ‘Roll Up’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this track?

When I play in clubs, I sometimes love to switch my sets up with some groovy house tracks especially when I feel like the crowd wants that kind of music, but I didn’t really have any track with that sound yet. So with Roll Up I found a mixture of energy and of a groovy house track that will fit perfectly into my set.

How did you go about writing Roll Up?

A friend of mine had an awesome analog sample, which is the lead sound you hear in the drop. I started playing around and tweaking the analog sound and after a while I was very satisfied with it and decided that it would work perfectly as a lead sound, which you now hear in the drop. I started building the rest of the track around this lead sound, because I found it so cool that I wanted it to be the main focus of the track.

Where and when did you record/produce and who with?

I started producing this track in the summer of last year, I was playing in a lot of awesome clubs, so my music style was a little more clubby and groovy. What I really missed in these sets was a track like Roll Up, so I started working on it and I actually premiered the first version in Docks, which is a club in Hamburg. People loved the track so much that we worked on it a little more together with, James Erickson, and that is the track you hear right now.

What programs/equipment did you use?

I tried about every program production-wise and ended up with Ableton Live. It has such an easy workflow and I love the plugins from Ableton itself. Djing-wise I have always used Pioneer, very easy to use and it is super universal wherever you go in the world.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

At the moment I love to listen to Billie Eilish and Rosalia, they are both so talented and original.

What do you like to do away from music?

I love to do sports, which really clears my mind and makes me feel super healthy. I even started my own little fitness blog, which is updated weekly on my socials, called Beyond Fitness.

Please tell us about your experience with working with and being a part of the Heldeep family:

I’ve met Oliver Heldens a few times now and I love him as a person and artist, so I am really happy to release on, and to be part of the Heldeep Family. I think it’s great to work with them and also be inspired by their sound and vice versa.

You have a summer tour coming up, where are you headed?

So far this summer I will go to Germany – Airbeat One, Sweden – Summerburst, France – Electroland, and The Netherlands – Mysteryland to name a few. Half of my time I am in Asia and this year I am also going to South America. The schedule so far is already insane! I really can’t wait!

How do you prepare for live shows and what do you most enjoy about playing live?

What I always do is check the hit lists of that country, and then I will make some specific mashups and edits from tracks that are famous in that country. What I also do is I adjust my intro to the energy of the crowd. I think that the people like to hear that and then I just go with the flow. I look at the crowd, sense them and feel how they are reacting. What I enjoy most about the sets is the contact with the crowd, I love to see when they are enjoying, smiling and dancing that is seriously the best feeling in the world.

What do you find most challenging and rewarding whilst being on tour?

The most challenging experience is flying and the airports because there is so much waiting and standing in lines, pffff…. What is crazy challenging is when you have done a super cool gig for a few thousand people, which gives you crazy adrenaline and that moment when you are back in your hotel room a few hours later, alone with no sound. It’s always such an anticlimax. The most rewarding on tour is meeting different people from so many different cultures. It is such a privilege to meet everybody, perform for the crowd, making music, shows and to have so much fun with all the people

What’s planned for 2020?

So far INSANE festivals and clubs around the world and so many tracks! I can’t wait to show you guys everything.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

My favorite food is definitely gluten and lactose free pizza with crazy amounts of toppings. But I am definitely a NO pineapple on my pizza person haha.

 My favorite place to hang out is at home with friends, chatting, playing games or watching a movie together.

https://www.instagram.com/sophiefrancismusic

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there?
Iʼve been in Philly, PA for the past 5 years or so. Thereʼs tons of music happening in Philly. House shows are still a pretty big thing here and a lot of art collectives and shared loft situations are forming, which host some cool shows and events. Also have new venues like The Met poppin up. Itʼs hard to keep up with all of the Philly bands. XPN, which is U Penns radio station, does a good job of showcasing local talent.

How did you first start playing music?
Hittinʼ pots and pans… like most kids. After a few long years of making rubberband / tissue box guitars and cutting cassette records with my big sister, I discovered my motherʼs old acoustic guitar in our basement. I began writing songs before I actually figured out any chords. I guess you could say I was a monophonic guitarist…for like 2 years haha. My sister dated some cool musician dudes who got me started on drums and guitar. The first band I joined was a big band / swing band that played a lot of Count, Duke Ellington and songs from other famous jazz composers.

What’s been happening recently?
Mostly been hiding out and recording in my studio in Philly. Just finished a film score with my buddy David Carls aka Branx, which was a lot of fun. Synthy Sci – fi kinda vibe. Iʼve also been producing / collaborating with some cool Philly, Nashville and LA artists.

You have an album soon to be released on Gramatik’s Lowtemp, what has influenced the sound and songwriting for this album?
I feel like there are primarily 2 kinda vibes happening on this record. One being a sort of classic soul and Motown vibe and the other having a more modern dancey feel. Two of the more classic artists that I always have on heavy rotation are Al Green and Sly & the Family Stone. Slyʼs vocals on the album ‘Freshʼ have definitely influenced some of the more soulful vocal moments in my recordings. For the  more dancey side of things, I would say that Prince and Justice are two pretty big influences. Also, Jamie Lidell is a recent re-discovery that Iʼve REALLY been diggin. Heʼs an all around fantastic artist who always seems to keep things super soulful and fresh.

Like most songwriters, things that I experience and things that I hear and read about influence my writing. I try to be conscious of what Iʼm going to release in regards to lyrical content and message. I donʼt mean tip toe-ing around and being careful with my words, but rather choosing to release the songs that may be able to effect listeners more. Iʼm not releasing music for myself. I can listen to myself without releasing anything (I know from experience). I think that qualifies listeners as being perhaps the number one influence on my songwriting.

How did you go about writing the music?
I usually start with a melody or some sort of hook. I rarely sit down and decide to just write a song. Most of the ideas come randomly when Iʼm taking a walk or on an airplane. Iʼve noticed that there is something sorta neat about writing and creating while 7 miles up in the clouds. At least for me anyway. Every now and then I will start writing to a beat or a loop if it really sparks something immediately. There are certain drum grooves that almost imply harmony and / or melody in an interesting way. Sometimes all I need is the right groove and a song immediately starts to take form out of thin air. Drummers who can lay down this sort of foundation are absolutely priceless. Iʼve only met a few.

Where and when did you record/produce and who with?
Most of the songs were recorded by my lonely ass self through out 2019. There were a few instances where I had someone come by the studio to track another instrument live with me in order to capture a certain feel, but this record is sort of my first true solo record.

What programs/instruments did you use?
I used Logic Pro X as my main DAW. I think of the computer and DAW as the storage device that has replaced tape . And all of these analog instruments and devices are being crammed through the butthole of the computer and stored as 1ʼs and 0ʼs. I donʼt think I will ever fully understand how this is possible, but itʼs pretty freakin rad.

Please tell us how you connected with Gramatik and how the experience have been so far:
My good homies in Exmag, particularly Eric, introduced me to Denis several years ago when they were all living together and making records in Brooklyn. I remember the first time we met we were watching YouTube videos and getting excited about the musical moments. When other people react to the same specific musical moments in a very similar way that I do, itʼs almost inevitable that we will end up collaborating at some point. So eventually I got my good homie Orlando Napier to link up with Denis and the 3 of us recorded some tracks. Fast forward a few years to Gramatik Red Rocks summer 2017… around this time, Denis and I reconnected and started talking shop. I sent him a track or two, and he sent me 57 tracks, which I was to learn for the 3 hour long set at Red Rocks the following week. That was an intense 3 hours to say the least. I didnʼt even realize how severely bad I had to pee until the family photo was taken after the set. Fortunately, everything has been downhill from there and we continue to make more and more music together each day it seems. We are currently working on a blues record called ‘Future City Bluesʼ, which Iʼll be released later this year.

Who are you listening to at the moment?
Iʼm currently listening to the new Tame Impala record, which I very much like. Jamie Lidell – ‘building a beginningʼ has been on heavy rotation. Revisiting Justice ‘audio, video, discoʼ. Iʼm always trying to keep up with what my friends are releasing as well.

What do you like to do away from music?
I like to take walks. Each year from ages 20-30 I became a little less active in sports and exercise until I eventually arrived at walking. Outdoor walking only, none of that mall stuff. But seriously, if I donʼt walk at least a few miles a day, I have a tough time focusing on anything. Itʼs a great way to break up the day and give your brain a much needed reset. I recommend it to everyone, especially those who are staring at screens all day.

What’s planned for 2020?
2020 is the year for releases. Thatʼs been my plan anyway. Iʼve become pretty overwhelmed by the amount of music thatʼs been collecting on my hard drives that I need to do something with it before I explode. Denis and I have a project in the works that will basically serve to recycle all of the tracks we make that donʼt find their way onto an album or a film that we are writing for. There will be all sorts of styles ranging from funk to spaghetti western soundtrack style recordings.

Favourite food and place to hangout?
I donʼt think I have a single particular favorite food, but I do eat an awful lot of ice cream. When Iʼm not in the studio, I like to hang out on the city streets. I also enjoy floating down a nice creek or river with fishing pole in hand. I usually visit with family if I have a few days off.