Sophie Powers
Sophie Powers just wants to make you feel. Call her music whatever you want – hyper-punk, alt-pop, glitch-rock – but don’t forget the crucial fact: She’s on a mission to re-inject genuine emotion into an alienated pop landscape. Sophie is an avenging angel, a vocalist, and songwriter determined to ensure that no one’s emotions are ever dismissed like hers were as a teenager. As both a pop star and a fashion designer, Sophie leads a new generation of creative outcasts, expressing her boundless creativity in both fields. “My emotions were always invalidated as a young girl – you’re always being told, like, ‘You’re a teenager, you’ll get over it’,” she says. “I don’t care if it’s extremely sad or extremely angry – I just want to make music that makes people feel validated and powerful.”
Sophie’s rebellious spirit stems from an upbringing immersed in iconoclastic stars like Lady Gaga, Kesha, Bruce Springsteen, and Avril Lavigne, who valued individuality and pure honesty. “I want to put stuff out that combines alternative pop you hear on the radio with something you heard on the radio 30 years ago,” she says. “I love music that feels nostalgic – but it has to feel fresh, too.” Her subversive attitude extends to her visual aesthetic. Sophie designs her own outfits, reflecting her wide-ranging tastes and love for anime, resulting in a hyper-real, bright, and visceral visual world.
Born in Toronto and raised in a musical family, Sophie knew she wanted to perform from an early age. Despite thinking it was “pure delusion,” she pursued music doggedly, improving her skills in private until, at 15, she performed at a campfire, gaining the encouragement to pursue her dream. She transitioned to online school to focus on music, moved to Los Angeles, and by 11th grade, was touring the US with NOAHFINNICE, dropping out of school to follow her dream.
Now on the cusp of stridently alternative, powerfully emotive fame, Sophie is a successful musician and fashion designer. Her heroes, like Kellin Quinn of Sleeping with Sirens, are becoming her peers; friends come to her shows, and billboards with her face adorn Toronto. Her doggedness, talent, and hard work are paying off, connecting people with her music and providing the affirmation she sought in her youth. “Growing up, when I didn’t have friends to support me, I would lean into music,” she says. “That’s the reason I make music now – to help other people get through what I went through.” Now she’s toured with acts such as Waterparks, Yungblud, and PVRIS and is heading out on her first-ever headline tour this August.