KBPS Interview: S.O.S.

Sophie Debattista is a 22 year old electro-pop artist who goes by the name of S.O.S. With her debut single ‘Bittersweet’ now out to download we got chance to speak to her about her new song, her ambitions for 2017 and her plans for Christmas.

Your new single out now is called ‘Bittersweet’. How would you describe it?

Bittersweet is quite a turn musically for me; it was really exciting to make it. Basically it’s an electropop record that I wrote myself, and it’s about a guy – a businessman – and the only time he has for love is by paying for it, so it explores that theme and that topic a bit further. It’s a kind of out-there topic but I think it gets away with it!

When you write songs do you like coming at it from a story?

Definitely. I do really like to write about quite intricate topics and subjects that people don’t reference much in pop music. I like to be quite different in that sense, and I always have to be interested in the topic myself, to have enough to say about it in a song, and enough to write about, and to have an opinion on the subject.

When you’ve previously performed it has been on acoustic guitar. What inspired you to go more electro-pop?

I was recently studying music in the ICMP in London and I think it was that exposure to a lot of different genres and a lot of different musicians around me that inspired me to pick up a laptop and look at the more electronic side of music. It actually really opened up my writing and my general outlook because I started looking at basslines and drum loops, and I got an understanding of music that I didn’t have previously. Once I cracked that and figured out how I wanted my music to sound, and actually create music that I like to listen to myself, it got me on the right track for this record and for the complete change in direction musically. Like you said I originally wrote and performed on guitar. I still enjoy performing acoustically, just for the record and for the production I really enjoy the electronic influence that’s going on.

The track is taken from an EP called ‘Edges of the Mind’. What was that like to record?

It was a lot of work! It took a really long time to draw the bits together and get a finished product. But it was a big achievement for me as it was my first EP and a lot of the instruments and the music you hear throughout the EP comes from my demos. It was the very first type of music I produced myself. I took my demos to a professional studios in London – the Animal Farm – and they made them into the tracks that they are and into an actual EP and got them to a radio standard for me. I kind of knew what I was doing demo wise but I needed someone to step in and take it to the next level for me. It was a lot of hard work and co-writing with other artists, but we brought together an interesting project and product.

Are there any plans for a video for Bittersweet or any other tracks on the EP?

There is actually! When we were thinking of which song to release first from the EP there was actually a different song in mind as a lead single, but then things changed last minute – as they do – and we went with Bittersweet. We actually had a music video lined-up for the original first single.

We have some ideas for a Bittersweet video. It’s going to probably be a lyric video as we did spend a lot of time putting our efforts into a video for another single, so I think that’ll be the next one, and save that for the second release. It was so much fun to make and it’s just sitting there waiting to go, and hopefully you will get to see that early 2017 as it’s really exciting!

You were born in Malta. What was it like to grow up there musically?

It’s lovely! I can’t say enough good things about Malta. Just to be born there and growing up there gave me lots of influences musically. I did get to the point when I was eighteen when I was thinking “this is great, but what else is there out there”?

Because I was really into music from an early age I just wanted to see where my music would take me. It was actually my sister who moved to London first, round about four years before I did, and she was constantly telling me to get to London, that it’s the place to be! She was doing musical theatre, and I was quite determined as an island girl liking Malta, I couldn’t see myself moving away. I went to see her a few times [in the UK] and I literally just fell in love with London and the UK. I’m half-English so I was back and forth anyway. I knew it was where I needed to be for music and I burst out of the little bubble that is Malta, but it’s still always home to me. I like to go there and write a bit and see friends and family, but I’m quite secure in the UK! But Malta is still just a flight away if I need to escape!

The support I get from back home is fantastic but I’m really happy in the UK, and musically it’s helped me progress so much it was the right thing to do.

You regularly perform live in London. How would you describe your live sound compared to your studio work?

I like to perform acoustically a lot as when you do perform acoustically you have the attention of the room – hopefully anyway – and you can get people to join in, and you have control over everything you’re doing on stage. I do really like to perform acoustically. I’ve been touring around with some new electronic ways of recreating my music on stage and I think in 2017 we’re going to launch a different way of performing my music on stage. It’s all a bit hush-hush and I’m really practicing away. I’m going to use this Christmas break to really get to grips with my new instruments and technology, but at the moment I do like to perform on guitar as I feel really comfortable doing an acoustic performance, and having the liberty of getting people to join in. I also don’t have to follow the exact way the track should be. I can play around with songs on stage and it’s always fun to do that.

You recently played live at the O2 Priority Lounge. Was that a good experience?

It was amazing! I’ve done that a few times now and they’re always good enough to invite me back. The last time I did was before Jess Glynne, her ‘Take Me Home’ tour. I actually got to see her after I performed and she was just breath-taking. I think I tweeted about it a hundred times after that! The whole night was amazing and the fact I got to entertain the priority guests was really lovely. They’re always the type of crowd that like going to a live gig anyway and always up for having a laugh. They were a lovely crowd to perform to.

As well as your original material you also perform covers which are up on your YouTube channel. Do you have any particular favourites?

They kind of change constantly. I do a lot of busking in London as well. Busking is another completely different adventure! At the minute I’m really enjoying performing ‘Cheap Thrills’ by Sia because it’s one of the only songs I can pull off by Sia as she has such a massive range, but I think I do it justice, and do it my own acoustic way. I love it when people shout back the ‘I got cheap thrills’ section of the chorus! People really know that song at the moment so we always get a few shout backs which is lovely!

You mentioned about your demos early, but I believe you’re also doing more with production. Does this help you shape the music the way you want it to sound?

Definitely. Just having the control over my music from the basslines to the cymbals to the percussion is just great. Learning how to produce music was the proper turning point for me. That came around two years ago when I was studying at the ICMP. It was mandatory that you produce a few demos on the course. At the time I didn’t have any experience with production and it was a bit daunting at first. At first I had no idea what I was doing but then they started showing us the ropes and breaking down the programs you use. From then on I fell in love with it and every chance that I got, whether writing songs or in some free time at home, I’d be on my laptop on Logic, programming away and placing with bits and pieces. I crafted that skill slowly and I got to the point where the demo was sounding interesting and then I took it into the studio and it progressed onto the EP. It was a whole little journey I took with the production. It’s an exciting way to further understand the music you are creating.

A couple of quick questions to finish on. With Christmas approaching would you record a festive song, or what is your seasonal pop song of choice?

I would definitely record a Christmas song; I love Christmas! It’s my favourite time of the year [so] I’d be totally up for writing a Christmas song. Not probably this year, but maybe next! I do love ‘Driving Home for Christmas’ – it’s a very good one.

And a couple of days ago you posted on Twitter about some trainers – was that a present hint?

It definitely is! I went shopping recently as there’s a new shop opening in Westfield, even though I didn’t really have enough money to do so! It was Black Friday so I went to see what was out there, and I fell in love with both of those trainers. I tweeted that hoping that a relative, or friend, or even a fan might think of maybe sending one my way. It’s optimistic but you never know!

Bittersweet by S.O.S. is available to download now.