A Chat with Sophia Tice (26.01.26)
Sophia Tice thrives in the emotional margins, and her new single ‘WAY OUT’ finds her exploring them with striking clarity. Blending art-pop and indie-pop, the track balances darker, textured production with the intimate songwriting she’s known for. Framed through the lens of a friend witnessing a toxic relationship, ‘WAY OUT’ captures emotional turbulence with piercing subtlety and emotional depth.
OSR: Your music has always moved fluidly between genres, between pop, R&B, indie-rock, and folk. How do you decide which sonic world a song belongs in, or does it reveal itself naturally during the writing process?
Tice: I never really plan what style I’m going to write in. I’m a firm believer in the muse, so when I write a song, it feels like something that happens to me rather than something I’m controlling. This one was no different. The lyrics and melody came to me at the same time on a flight from New York to Toronto, and by the time we landed, I’d written something with a really different sound for me.
OSR: ‘WAY OUT’ feels darker and more experimental than some of your previous releases. What pushed you toward this particular sound at this moment in your career?
Tice: I’ve made a lot of music that feels so in the past when I listen back now, and I know I still have a lifetime of songs and genres ahead of me. My sound is always changing, and it probably will forever. I’m 19 and figuring it out every time I write. But ‘WAY OUT’ feels exactly like where I’m at right now. So this is my “sound” for now; tomorrow it will probably be much different.
OSR: You’ve spoken about the importance of emotional honesty in your songwriting. How do you balance vulnerability with self-protection when sharing deeply personal or heavy stories?
Tice: Although, like every songwriter, I have my fair share of personal stories in my discography, some of my favourite songs I’ve written are based on other people’s experiences. I love writing about my life, but I also love songs that come from long conversations with friends, or good book and movie storylines.
OSR: This song is written from the perspective of a friend rather than your own experience. What did writing from that viewpoint allow you to explore emotionally or creatively?
Tice: Writing from someone else’s perspective lets me step outside myself a bit and tell the story more honestly. It was really fun to play a character in the studio and even on the music video shoot, without having to get quite as vulnerable.
OSR: Your vocal delivery often feels incredibly intimate. How intentional is that, and how do you approach capturing that closeness in the studio?
Tice: It’s very intentional. I tend to stay away from heavy vocal processing, so the listener is really hearing what’s going straight into the microphone. That rawness, mixed with some very skilled production, is what gives the vocals that close-up, personal feeling.
OSR: Collaboration plays a big role in your work. What did working with Jackson Lowe bring out in this track that might not have surfaced otherwise?
Tice: Jackson is a really good friend of mine, so working on this song just felt like an open conversation. I showed him a rough demo a few months back, and his production style took it to a new level almost immediately in our first session. He brought out textures and energy I probably wouldn’t have found on my own. It’s safe to say this won’t be our last release together.
OSR: Many artists feel pressure to stick to a “sound”. How do you navigate expectations while still allowing yourself to evolve creatively?
Tice: I’m not sure I see myself ever sticking to one “sound”. I have too much fun jumping in and out of genres to confine myself like that. And I’m also 19 and have no idea what music I’ll be listening to or making in five, ten, or twenty years. If I wake up one day with the urge to make heavy metal, so be it.
OSR: Visual storytelling seems important to you. When do visuals enter your creative process, at the beginning, during, or after the song is finished?
Tice: I could see the visuals for this song the minute I started writing it. I texted my friend Graham, who directed the music video, the second I finished. It was the first time I had such a clear sense of what a song would look like. It felt like I was writing the music and the visuals at the same time
OSR: Who were you listening to most while creating ‘WAY OUT’, and how did those influences shape the final track?
Tice: I was listening to a lot of Lorde and The 1975 when I wrote ‘WAY OUT.’ Lorde really influenced the song’s progression into that atmospheric, chaotic outro. Her music makes me feel like I’m running away from something, which definitely shaped the emotional and visual world of the track too. And The 1975 have always been my favourite band – I think you can hear them a bit in the synth sounds, especially at the beginning. I love how they pair dancey production with really reflective lyrics in songs like ‘Somebody Else’, and that balance definitely shows up in ‘WAY OUT’.
OSR: Looking back at your catalogue so far, where do you feel you’ve grown the most as an artist?
Tice: I’ve grown a lot since my first SoundCloud release five years ago. I don’t rush things the way I used to. I give myself time to edit lyrics, refine mixes, and start over when I need to. I used to be so focused on getting the finished product out that I’d walk into the studio with a song half-done and try to force it together as I went. Now I let myself slow down and actually enjoy the process more.
Many thanks to Sophia Tice for speaking with us. Find out more about Sophia Tice on her Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Spotify.
