Last year rising Country artist Sophia Scott released her engaging and enjoyable album ‘Barstool Confessions.’ It stood as a testament to Scott’s emotional honesty and lack of inhibition, capturing her personal journey whilst documenting moments of vulnerability and self-discovery as she navigated the challenges of heartbreak recovery.
The album was a follow-up to Scott’s critically acclaimed debut EP, ‘One Of These Days,’ which garnered praise from People, American Songwriter, and E! News. ‘Barstool Confessions’ offered a source of inspiration for those overcoming post-breakup blues, capturing the complexity of regaining independence after heartbreak. Featuring singles like ‘Boots, Jeans, & Jesus,’ ‘Lipstick on You,’ and ‘No You Didn’t,’ the album showcased Scott’s versatility as an artist, blending ’90s Country-Pop, throwback Soul, and Southern Rock influences.
We caught up with Sophia at the recent C2C festival in London to talk all about it and more.
It’s an absolute pleasure to talk to you Sophia, how’s the jet lag?
Oh boy. I flew in on the red eye yesterday and I think I slept about two and a half hours, maybe! I met a friend who then said I had to stay up so we went shopping in London and a combination of lack of sleep and being a little anxious caught up with me so I didn’t sleep last night at all!
How does it feel to be playing your music for people in a different country?
Oh my gosh, it’s soooo good. I used to live in Barcelona so I’ve been to London as a tourist a few times but this time is very different. In another life……….or maybe in this life……..I would love to move here.
I studied abroad and learned Spanish, which saw me in Barcelona for a while. My spanish is not what it used to be, unfortunately, although it does come out when I’m drunk, sometimes! (laughing)
‘Barstool Confessions’ is such a great album. At the set you’ve just played you mentioned that you are single again after 9 years. Is it fair to say that some artists just write better songs when they are sad?
Oh, 100% I told my publisher at Warner Chappell that I’ve never been as grateful to be a songwriter as I have in these last two years. It’s been therapeutic and cathartic to be able to explore my feelings. There’s a reason why everybody loves Adele’s break up songs, right? (laughing) People have been saying to me that I shouldn’t jump back into ‘the game’ too quickly because the music will suffer! (laughing)
The new song you just played, ‘I Believe in Love’ was lovely. Is that the first song of this post-‘Confessions’ era from you?
Yes, and the song, ‘Wildflowers’ that I played last in the set too. I’m trying to explore a new, rootsy, Bluesy sound a little.
I’ve interviewed artists like Carly Pearce and Colbie Caillat this week who are also coming off the back of huge ‘relationship’ albums. They were both intimidated and a little nervous to start writing again, in fact, Colbie hasn’t done it yet. Did you feel like that at all?
I think I’m still fresh in it to be honest and still focused on trying to heal although I think I have still some way to go. When I’m happy again, I might be intimidated to write something new but as of now, I’m still pretty miserable, to be honest! (laughing) The only good thing that is coming from this, right now, is the songs! I’ll just live in this moment for a while and write some more songs.
What was your mission statement and ultimate goal when you began to put ‘Barstool Confessions’ together?
I didn’t realise it at the time, but it turned out to be a collection of songs about my unhealthy coping mechanisms going through the break up. I started out wanting to make an album of powerful, female empowerment anthems and the songs didn’t ultimately always turn out that way! I just need to live and exist in this moment and people will relate to it – it was a space that was so new to me after being in a relationship for so long. I was almost ashamed of it, for a second there, and then I realised it was a relatable situation and I should just be honest about not having my shit together!
Did you have a large pool of songs to choose from or did you just focus in on those particlar 12-13 songs?
I had a lot of songs and I knew, for sure, that 8 of them were going to make up the guts of the album. There were some others up for consideration and then 2 of them came in at the last minute as I just wrote them before the deadline came down. They were ‘Watering Roses’ and ‘You Problem.’
I’m always fascinated by what songs artists choose to close down their albums with. You went with ‘Watering Roses.’
It was the last song I wrote for the album and, for a minute there, I did wonder whether it would be part of the next project but I soon saw it was a great way to close down ‘Barstool Confessions.’ I wrote it at the very tail end of my break up and it felt like the closing of the chapter so I figured it needed to go last on the album.
That song gives me classic Carrie Underwood vibes. Is she an influence on you?
For sure yeah! I love her. That’s really sweet of you to say. She’s such a powerful vocalist.
The album has lots of different moods and textures. It’s got big ballads, funky songs and those Shania-esque empowerment songs. If you had to choose one song to represent you – say at the Nissan Stadium during CMAFest week – which one would you choose to sing?
It’s hard to choose. If I had a full band……………….’Lipstick on You’ is probably my favourite song to sing and an indicator of the direction of where I want to go. It’s a little Bluesier, it’s got bags of soul and it’s still Country.
I also really like singing ‘Mullet Over,’ though! (laughing) That song, with a full band, really does get the party going.
Colorado. San Diego. Los Angeles and Nashville. You moved around fair bit – we need to throw Barcelona in the mix too! When did you first know you wanted to do this for a living? You also must have a gypsy soul?
Oh yeah. I grew up in Boulder which is a kind of hippy town and I’m definitely a hippy at heart. I also love nature and Colorado is the perfect place for that. I always knew that I wanted to be a singer, even from a really early age. I did suffer from crippling stagefright for a long time which made me feel that I might just end up as a songwriter for other people.
The more I performed the more comfortable I got with it, thankfully!
When you arrived in Nashville did you arrive with imposter syndrome because everyone there is so super-talented?
I always have imposter syndrome! (laughing) It’s almost like I have it more now than when I first moved there because I’ve got to learn how everything works and how good everyone is! (laughing) There’s so much talent and competition in Nashville but I try to not compare myself with anyone else because that can just derail you and it’s the thief of joy.
I want to focus on doing me and supporting everyone around me too. I’ve lived in Nashville a little over five years now and I was doing this for six years in L.A. before that so I feel like I’ve paid my dues – I’ve done my ‘ten year town’, just in two different towns! (laughing)
You’ve had slightly different personas in the places you’ve lived in – do you feel like you are finally becoming who you’ve always been destined to be now?
Literally, just in the past year, yes! I think going through this break up was monumental in helping me to discover who I actually am, for the first time. I was a little lost and stuck before and as hard as it’s been to go through, despite my ex and I being on great terms too, I think we are both happier in the long run.
You made your Opry debut last year, congratulations. That’s an iconic stage. Playing the C2C festival in London is also an iconic career moment. Is there a bucket list stage or stadium that you’d love to play?
Oh, for sure. Red Rocks out in Colorado. I’m from there and I grew up there, it would mean so much to me. The whole outdoors thing and the mix of music and nature just does it for me – I’m an outdoors girl, right?
If you could get in a room with any writer in Nashville to write the first single of your next album, who would you choose and why?
There’s a quite a few. I would love to write with Lori McKenna. She’s such a great artist, writer and human. I was supposed to write with Emily Weissband last weekend and we had to cancel so I’m looking forward to getting that one back in the diary but Lori would be my number one choice, she’s so talented. I wouldn’t say no to HADRY or Morgan Wallen either – there’s a lot of people on my list! (laughing)
What’s the plan for the rest of the year?
After I get back from this trip we are going to sit down and talk about what the next project is going to be – whether it’s going to be an album or an EP – we’re not sure yet but there will definitely be new music this year and more tour dates to come as well. I need to tour Europe as well, when I look at my Spotify streaming numbers there are so many people from the UK listening to me right now and the people over here are so sweet and loyal.
