Originally from New York, USA, and now residing in Hamburg, Germany, Sone is a singer-songwriter known for creating heartfelt melodies. Following the release of her debut single “Here to Stay“, she returns to express a whirlwind of emotions with her new single “Happy”. We caught up with her to learn more about her artistry, influences and aspirations.
- Your debut single ‘Here to Stay’ introduced listeners to your captivating sound. How does your new single ‘Happy’ build upon that foundation?
Here to Stay was my first step into showing the world my music, and introducing myself. That song was a long project and I felt that when it was time to release it, I was already a new person from when I had first written it. And then with Happy, it was the same thing again. I started in one place, and ended in another. Now I feel that I am getting a better handle on my artistic vision and myself as a musician (ha, that rhymed).
I am not afraid to be vulnerable, and with each song I feel like I am getting better at expressing myself both lyrically and musically.
- You’ve mentioned that ‘Happy’ was inspired by a significant turning point in your life. Could you elaborate on that and how it influenced the songwriting process?
When I first wrote this song, it was incomplete, I had all of the verses and the pre chorus but I didn’t write the chorus yet actually, there was an idea. I wrote this song while I was going through a break up, I had a boyfriend for a couple years and we lived together, so to break up was a big deal for me. Not to mention that on top of this my parents were divorcing and there was a lot I was missing in terms of family. I was living in Germany and my parents were in the States. Flash forward to when I worked on this song again, I was making some big life decisions in terms of who I want to be in my life, what my goals were, who I wanted to be, it felt like everything was kind of crashing in on me. I feel like I am finally in a good place where I love who I am surrounded by and I have a goal that I am happy taking every step towards. So I really feel like I can take a deep breath and let myself have a good time without worrying about what everyone else is thinking, or what mistakes I could be making. I didn’t think I would ever get to this place.
- Your musical journey has taken you from New York to Hamburg, where you pursued opera singing. How has this blend of cultures and experiences shaped your approach to songwriting and performing?
I have been exposed to so much music, and amazing musicians. And my professors were phenomenal. I really enjoyed learning Opera and vocal technique, I definitely learned vocal stability and stamina. While I don’t think my German speaking skills are going to make it into any of my music sadly, I feel that opera has made my voice stronger. I grew up singing pop and then going from that into Musical Theater into Opera felt really fluid. I wanted to push myself and my vocal skills. To be perfectly honest, I did lose myself a bit. Opera is fun but it is taxing and you have to commit to it. I always felt like a piece of myself was missing because I didn’t have time to write or work on my own music. Now I have the best of both worlds in my opinion, because I can write music and perform my music and add some classical texture here and there when the opportunity presents itself in the song.
- You’ve experimented with various musical genres, from pop and jazz to funk and alternative. How do these diverse influences manifest in your music?
I certainly would like to make popera a thing. A little splash of classical vibes may sound kind of cool, and I am sure excited to experiment with that. I also worked with some people in the Jazz department there, and I want to incorporate that as well. By working with so many different types of musicians, I have fallen in love with music in a way that I don’t think I would have if I hadn’t gone to Germany. My school really gave me the opportunity to play around with some jazz, I also met people there and we had a rock/funk band for a while. Everything kind of just mashed together, I couldn’t describe anything as a genre anymore, it was just music, it was just a feeling.
- What message or feeling do you hope listeners take away from “Happy”, and how do you aim to connect with them through your music?
Sometimes we can really stand in our own way, we can put pressure on ourselves. We want to do what others think we should, we need approval. Whatever it may be, we can lose faith in ourselves, our decisions and our perceptions. We have self-doubt. That’s totally okay, and it’s normal. I’m not going to tell you “dont doubt yourself, its ok!” because every situation is different. But what I will say, is just because you have moments like that, don’t let those times outshine or overpower the good moments. My friend the other day said, “just meet yourself where you are”. I liked that. Appreciate where you’re at, at least for a second.
- Looking ahead, what can fans expect from your upcoming EP ?
It’ll be groovy. That’s a word I’ve been using a lot for whatever reason, but I’m running with it. I think it has a little something for everyone. If you’re someone who listens to lyrics then I hope you connect with them, and if you don’t listen to the lyrics you could be bopping to a sad song without knowing it, but that’s fun too.
- Finally, how do you envision your music evolving in the future, and what aspirations do you have for your artistic journey moving forward?
I envision my poetry progressing as well as hopefully my knowledge of music theory. I love making music fun and easy to listen to while also interesting and unique. I am excited to venture into experimenting with cool sounds and noises, and one day I really wanna do something with a big band. I just want to have fun, and I hope people join me on whatever journey that is and have fun together.
Follow Sone:
Instagram – TikTok
