SOPHIA BAVISHI TALKS YA WE BROKE UP - ACOUSTIC VERSION

Behind the Coastline

You are reading an independently published interview-series published and carefully curated by Swedish pop-culture journalist Daniel John. Ever since its start in 2015, the core curiosity remains the same, surfing the creative currents of music, film, fashion and everything else on the pop-radar, catching the waves of

Culture Coast TalksDaniel John

Even though the lyrics haven’t changed, your acoustic version of 'Ya We Broke Up' has a very different tone. The upbeat, poppy sound that was there before has been stripped back and toned down. The vulnerability of it all the more exposed. What was it that inspired you to write the song in the first place?

I wrote this song during the summer before starting college. I had just gotten out of a relationship and I realized that my life was changing, but for the better. That’s where the phrase and idea of “ya we broke up, but it’s okay” came from. From there the lyrics developed into the song it is now. It’s all about things happening in life as you grow up and the reality of these changes. And that while those changes may seem devastating in the moment, they can actually lead to really good things.

What made you want to revisit the song again?

I have always wanted to do an acoustic version of this song from the beginning. I finally decided to re-record it almost three years later because I am now graduated from college and it felt like a bit of a full circle moment. The original version of 'ya we broke up' was my first ever release and was released during my Sophomore year of college. I’ve changed a lot since then. I feel like I’ve grown a lot more as a vocalist. I’ve also had more time in the studio, which has led me to be ready to create the acoustic version of 'ya we broke up'.

It’s been three years since you first released the song, again your debut single. Looking back, how do you remember what it was like to release your very first song?

Releasing my first single was definitely nerve-wracking, but so exciting at the same time. It has always been a dream of mine to release music, I just never thought it could become a reality. So many thoughts were rushing through my mind when releasing the song because it was at the peak of Covid and I didn’t know many people due to school being online. I felt very isolated and alone when releasing this song and I was so afraid that no one would like it. I got caught up in the fear of what everyone would think about the song, and whether people would like it or not. It’s funny to look back at that moment because I still get nervous when releasing music, but it is more of an exciting and prideful feeling. If I would have told younger me that I would have seven original singles, an acoustic original, and a cover song released on to streaming platforms, I would be in shock!

Do you think you in some ways are only able to show this vulnerability now because of how much you've grown since, becoming better at not using pop as a shield?

I think it has taken me some time to grow and develop into the artist that I am today. With doing so, I have been able to express my emotions through my art more so than I had in the past. I used to be afraid of opening up, but the more I write songs, the more I realize that being vulnerable is what separates a good song from a great song. I think growing up and learning as much as I have about this industry has shown me that not only is it accepted but it is important to be vulnerable when creating music. I used to think that if I wanted to write music, it needed to stick to one genre. Throughout the past few years that has changed. I have found new tools that I use to write as well as new techniques. I realized that I do not always have to stay in the pop genre, I can go to whatever genre I want. As an artist it is important to express yourself through your music, and sometimes that may mean switching genres a bit to grow and learn. This past year I have become invested with live looping and live digital performing. I use Ableton Live and Ableton Push 2 as my way of performing and have found so many ways to write different types of music with the Push.

You first fell in love with music doing musical theatre. The original dream, as I understand it, was rather to be on Broadway?

Yes, from the age of six I wanted to be on Broadway. I started taking acting and improv classes and I instantly fell in love with the arts. I then got into voice lessons at the age of nine and started doing shows at that age as well. I did theatre until my sophomore year of high school, when I realized that I was more invested in the musical aspect of theatre. I had always dabbled with writing songs as a kid. It wasn’t until my voice teacher in high school pushed me to write songs that I discovered how much of a passion I had for writing music. My passion for the music industry is constantly growing!

What roles did you get to play on stage?

I wasn’t usually casted as the ingénue, but rather the villain or a part that was more mezzo-soprano and belting. Some of my favorite roles were Young Bonnie from 'Bonnie and Clyde', Ursula from 'Little Mermaid', Patty Simcox from 'Grease', Evil Stepsister from 'Cinderella', and Violet Beauregard from 'Willy Wonka'.

Was it easy to shed the theatrics, going from the world of theatre into pop music, or did it take some getting used to?

It was a lot harder of a transition than I had expected. There were many things that were hard when I switched and one of those was the transition from musical theatre singing to pop singing. I was classically trained when taking voice lessons, and that has helped me a lot when it comes to my technique and health of my voice. However, it took some getting used to singing pop and not sounding like I was in a musical. Musical theatre involves a lot more belty notes that are usually sustained, and the shape of your vowels would sometimes be different than the shape of a vowel in pop music. I struggled for awhile with having a musical theater background and being surrounded by so many people who were able to have a pop tone that I was eager to learn at the time. I constantly felt insecure with how different my tone was, but over time I learned to love it. I’ve learned different techniques that have helped me to develop my sound. Apart from the singing aspect, I would sometimes ask myself if I made the right decision because I would miss it, but everytime I step on stage to perform my originals I am reminded that this is what I want and am meant to be doing.

Are you working on any new songs?

I just released my own version of Lana Del Rey’s 'Money Power Glory', which I produced and used Ableton Push 2 to live loop my vocals and instruments. I have some other projects I am working on, one of those being an EP. I am hoping to continue growing with my live electronic performances and incorporating more of my originals!