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BELMONTS AND BASEMENT CLUBS:
A CONVERSATION WITH SOPHIA STEL
STORY_BY: EMMA DVORKIN
If you can’t win at life, you might as well win at Solitaire. At least that’s the philosophy behind Sophia Stel’s sophomore EP, How to Win at Solitaire, which is set to be released on September 5th. Stel recently released her single, “Taste,” a dreamy, introspective track that unpacks the emotional aftermath of her breakup with a long-term partner. This all sits on the heels of her last EP, Object Permanence, a vulnerable, 7-track journey through the last few years of Stel’s life. The song “I’ll Take It,” in particular, garnered sizable attention on TikTok and quickly became the most-streamed song in her discography. This time around, Stel is softening the chaos of Object Permanence, allowing her lyricism to take the lead while maintaining the edge that makes her sound unmistakable.
Stel joined the Zoom call from her apartment in Vancouver. Before her camera turned on, her screen name read “iPhone (Guest),” the kind of understated entrance that felt perfectly in line with her brand. When the camera turned on, Stel adjusted herself to face the window before lighting up a cigarette and blowing a cloud of smoke towards the early afternoon sunlight. It was both effortless and magnetic, an energy perfectly in tune with the emotions her music evokes.
You’ve had a really exciting week so far with the release of your single “Taste” and the announcement of your upcoming EP, How to Win at Solitaire. How do you feel? What era of your music are we entering here?
I feel good. Things are a little bit chaotic right now, in a good way. I’m grateful, but my day-to-day is very unpredictable. I’m doing a lot of different things. I’m still a house painter, that’s what I do for work. So doing that all day and then coming home and doing music is a big mindset switch.
When it comes to this next EP, I don’t really know how to say what era we’re going into. I really just write about my life and the people in it and the things I experience and find interesting. The last EP covered the couple of years before it, and then this new EP is about this past year and my experiences and the things that I’ve felt. I always try hard to make the best music that I can.
I read that you’re returning to electric guitar in this EP. Sonically speaking, how can listeners differentiate this EP from your last album, Object Permanence?
I kind of wanted to focus on the writing and make the production a little simpler. I’ll get quite into one instrument or one sound for a time. And so at the time, I had just remembered that I can play guitar. It’s on Object Permanence too, but not as much. I just tried to focus on making sure I had five or six strong sounds or elements versus throwing in all sorts of things. It’s still chaotic, for sure, but I think it’s a little bit simpler in that way. I also wanted to just leave more space for the writing.
What does the title of your upcoming EP mean to you?
I’m really into playing Solitaire. It’s a common part of my life and something that I’ve kind of slowly become superstitious about. If I can’t win at Solitaire, I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m going to have a bad day.’ I think that it stems from when I was first starting to play Solitaire because I had a flip phone and it was the only game on there. I didn’t know how to play it, so I just Googled how to win at Solitaire. The answer was like, ‘Move your cards with intention’ or something really ambiguous. Solitaire is you versus you. It’s not necessarily about solitude or being alone, but how you win in life. You have to live with yourself. That’s the relationship that ultimately matters the most. Every other good and meaningful relationship stems from your relationship with yourself. I’m always trying to figure out how to win the me versus me game. But I do really want people to just interpret it however they want.
I didn’t really grow up in the music scene for the most part. I played in some cover bands and was trying to learn music, but not in a serious way. I moved here five years ago from Victoria. Most of my experience in the music scene was that I worked at a nightclub that played techno-house music. It was underground and they would bring a lot of cool artists in. It just closed a couple of months ago, but I worked there for a few years. Typically, I haven’t been super involved in the scene or anything. On the weekends, I would work at the club, and then during the week, I would use the club as my studio and just work on music there. I’m just a fan. I like going to events. I just tend to be a bit more reclusive when it comes to making music, I guess.
How did you produce music in a club?
The club where I worked was only open on Fridays and Saturdays. I started using it as a rehearsal space during the week because there was nobody there. It’s basically just a basement; there are no windows. It’s kind of depressing, honestly. But it’s great because you can smoke inside and you can be as loud as you want. No one can hear you. Honestly, that’s the number one thing I care about. I feel like what influenced the project the most was just the fact that I could really turn up the music and feel it, just immerse myself more. I would stay down there for a really long time. There was one big, open room, the club, and then there was another room to the side with just curtains for walls. I would just set up my music equipment there. I didn’t use the club sound system unless I was trying stuff because it was massive and way too unnecessary.
Do you think your time in that club environment translates into the music you’ve been making?
Someone asked me that the other day. I don’t really know. I think it’s very interesting because I was always bartending and had it as background music. I was focused on trying to hear people over the music, too. I think I was almost subconsciously exposed to that style of music. I don’t typically listen to a lot of instrumental music on my own time, so listening to hours of instrumental techno definitely gave me more of an interest in that. And also how songs build. I think that’s a very interesting thing about that genre. Sometimes it’s dynamically flat, but then they just bring in another element and it changes everything.
What’s your favorite song to hear in a club?
That’s a really hard question. It really depends on how drunk I am. Probably “Sex With Me” by Rihanna. I remember once my friend, who’s well, actually my manager, but she’s also a DJ, she played it once at the end of her set, and I was like, ‘Oh, this is the best song ever.’
The music video for “Taste” was filmed in the club you used to work at, Paradise, by you and your friends. What was that experience like?
It was really cool. It was just about to close and it was our last night we could party there. It had been closed to the public for a couple of months before, but I still had it as my studio. That’s one thing about Vancouver: the nightlife is not the best. It’s pretty slow. Paradise was one of the only places. But yeah, filming the music video was pretty cool. It was awesome because it was pretty much what we normally do, except I invited more people. We were able to buy all the booze because we had a music video budget. I initially planned to perform the song, but it was way too chaotic, so we ended up not doing that and just having a party. It was all the people that would normally be there but all at once. Everybody got really drunk and it was so fun.
My friends are really cool. It’s so sweet because if you were to watch all of my videos, you would see a lot of the same people in them. That’s the cool thing about this video. It’s a lot of the same characters. As far as the filming goes, I basically asked people to film whatever they thought looked cool. And then I got everyone to send me their footage.
Where is your favorite place to go out outside of Vancouver?
Honestly, I haven’t traveled much, but I think it’s New York. The best night I had there was just going to a bunch of different places. I’m kind of a space cadet, so I’m just like, ‘Take me wherever.’ I’m very easygoing. I know we went to this place called Basement. My phone and my wallet got stolen there–or I lost it. It’s equally as likely that I lost it. I also lost all of my friends and I remember I came out of there at like 6am or whenever the sun was coming up and had no idea where I was. It was my first time in New York, but it
was an amazing night.
What has been your favorite show you’ve done so far?
My favorite show that I played was in New York (Zone One at Elsewhere). It was my first real headline show I’ve ever done and it just felt really good. It was so fun. And it was just crazy to me to play somewhere and have people there, to be honest, because it’s all new to me.
You’re going on a European tour soon. Aside from playing concerts, what are you most looking forward to doing while you’re there?
I’ve never been to Europe, so just seeing the sites, seeing the Eiffel Tower, you know? I’ve heard it’s very smoking-friendly. You can smoke in all the cafes and stuff, so I like to hear that. Like I said, I haven’t really traveled that much, so it’s really exciting to me to have the opportunity to do that through music. I’m excited to meet people. I’m not very much of a planner, so I haven’t even really thought about any other things I’ll do other than play the shows. I’ll probably walk around a lot and look at things. That’s kind of who I am. Some clubs, too, hopefully.
Do you feel that smoking has become a part of your artistic image?
Smoking kind of goes in and out of style, like everything. I honestly just really smoke a lot. So it is a part of my image. Like, if you were to follow me around all day, it would more often than not be an accessory. I’m bound to be less awkward if I have a cigarette, probably. It’s a huge part of my life. It can be a negative thing, obviously, for health reasons and stuff, but for me at this point in my life, it’s one of the most positive parts of my life. Like, I just love it. I live with my brothers and they smoke as well. I mean, weed. But just kind of sharing that with them at the end of the day. Like we go and we just sit on my fire escape and chat and smoke. With my best friends, it’s the same thing. So no, it’s not really an artistic choice, but I think when it comes to image, it is quite personal to me.
What kind of cigarettes do you usually smoke?
Belmonts. If we ever meet, I’ll probably have Belmonts and you can try one. They’re very smooth.
I know you also skateboard. Can you do any tricks?
Ok, so I’m not that good. I’m scared because I don’t want the skaters to roast me. But no, they wouldn’t for this. I can do a front nose or frontboard shove. They’re definitely difficult for me, but I think they’re both really cool tricks.
Honestly, I haven’t traveled much, but I think it’s New York. The best night I had there was just going to a bunch of different places. I’m kind of a space cadet, so I’m just like, ‘Take me wherever.’ I’m very easygoing. I know we went to this place called Basement. My phone and my wallet got stolen there–or I lost it. It’s equally as likely that I lost it. I also lost all of my friends and I remember I came out of there at like 6am or whenever the sun was coming up and had no idea where I was. It was my first time in New York, but it
was an amazing night.
What has been your favorite show you’ve done so far?
My favorite show that I played was in New York (Zone One at Elsewhere). It was my first real headline show I’ve ever done and it just felt really good. It was so fun. And it was just crazy to me to play somewhere and have people there, to be honest, because it’s all new to me.
You’re going on a European tour soon. Aside from playing concerts, what are you most looking forward to doing while you’re there?
I’ve never been to Europe, so just seeing the sites, seeing the Eiffel Tower, you know? I’ve heard it’s very smoking-friendly. You can smoke in all the cafes and stuff, so I like to hear that. Like I said, I haven’t really traveled that much, so it’s really exciting to me to have the opportunity to do that through music. I’m excited to meet people. I’m not very much of a planner, so I haven’t even really thought about any other things I’ll do other than play the shows. I’ll probably walk around a lot and look at things. That’s kind of who I am. Some clubs, too, hopefully.
Do you feel that smoking has become a part of your artistic image?
Smoking kind of goes in and out of style, like everything. I honestly just really smoke a lot. So it is a part of my image. Like, if you were to follow me around all day, it would more often than not be an accessory. I’m bound to be less awkward if I have a cigarette, probably. It’s a huge part of my life. It can be a negative thing, obviously, for health reasons and stuff, but for me at this point in my life, it’s one of the most positive parts of my life. Like, I just love it. I live with my brothers and they smoke as well. I mean, weed. But just kind of sharing that with them at the end of the day. Like we go and we just sit on my fire escape and chat and smoke. With my best friends, it’s the same thing. So no, it’s not really an artistic choice, but I think when it comes to image, it is quite personal to me.
What kind of cigarettes do you usually smoke?
Belmonts. If we ever meet, I’ll probably have Belmonts and you can try one. They’re very smooth.
I know you also skateboard. Can you do any tricks?
Ok, so I’m not that good. I’m scared because I don’t want the skaters to roast me. But no, they wouldn’t for this. I can do a front nose or frontboard shove. They’re definitely difficult for me, but I think they’re both really cool tricks.
You produce and write all of your own music. As a female producer in a male-dominated industry, how has that shaped your creative process and the way you approach your music?
I was already making beats and was pretty interested in learning how to record music. I really started using it as a tool to explain to other producers what I wanted, because I found it really hard to explain what I wanted the song to sound like in words. I would basically start producing the song myself to show a structure and the way I wanted it to sound. I kind of realized at a certain point that I was already producing the song. I didn’t really have the confidence at first to think that I could be a producer, like I had the skills for whatever reason. And then with time, I was like, ‘Oh no, I can do this.’ I just worked at it to get better. I really like doing it now. It’s pretty hard for me to give up control.
But yeah, a lot did stem from my experience of being a woman in a male-dominated industry, particularly with production. I kept finding myself in rooms where what I was saying wasn’t being heard, whether that was intentional or whether it was just me struggling to have the confidence to articulate what I wanted to sound like. I would just defer to whoever was the most confident person in the room. Either way, I had to figure out how to do it myself. So I did, and I just love it. We need more female producers; there aren’t a lot, and there are lots of talented ones.
Who would you like to produce for in the future?
I don’t have an artist in mind. I would love to produce for pretty much anybody, as long as we are mutually fans of each other and get along well. I think that matters the most to me. But I definitely want to produce for other women or queer people in general. Again, I think that I understand the experience of not feeling understood. I have had a few sessions where I produced for people and I try really hard to understand what they want and try and bring that into it. And that’s exciting to me, like to try to understand what someone else does and use the bit of technical knowledge that I have to try and further their ideas. That’s kind of the most exciting part.
Have you ever won at Solitaire?
Oh yeah. Most days.
I was already making beats and was pretty interested in learning how to record music. I really started using it as a tool to explain to other producers what I wanted, because I found it really hard to explain what I wanted the song to sound like in words. I would basically start producing the song myself to show a structure and the way I wanted it to sound. I kind of realized at a certain point that I was already producing the song. I didn’t really have the confidence at first to think that I could be a producer, like I had the skills for whatever reason. And then with time, I was like, ‘Oh no, I can do this.’ I just worked at it to get better. I really like doing it now. It’s pretty hard for me to give up control.
But yeah, a lot did stem from my experience of being a woman in a male-dominated industry, particularly with production. I kept finding myself in rooms where what I was saying wasn’t being heard, whether that was intentional or whether it was just me struggling to have the confidence to articulate what I wanted to sound like. I would just defer to whoever was the most confident person in the room. Either way, I had to figure out how to do it myself. So I did, and I just love it. We need more female producers; there aren’t a lot, and there are lots of talented ones.
Who would you like to produce for in the future?
I don’t have an artist in mind. I would love to produce for pretty much anybody, as long as we are mutually fans of each other and get along well. I think that matters the most to me. But I definitely want to produce for other women or queer people in general. Again, I think that I understand the experience of not feeling understood. I have had a few sessions where I produced for people and I try really hard to understand what they want and try and bring that into it. And that’s exciting to me, like to try to understand what someone else does and use the bit of technical knowledge that I have to try and further their ideas. That’s kind of the most exciting part.
Have you ever won at Solitaire?
Oh yeah. Most days.