INTRODUCING…SOPHIE FLYNN
Sophie Flynn, that’s a good strong name. Who is your favourite Flynn and why? We like Johnny Flynn.
I love Johnny Flynn! I’m hoping he’s my secret long lost brother. Are there any other Flynns? Oh there’s Error Flynn, he was pretty good. I’m going to go with Johnny, or my Mum, she’s a good Flynn.
You’re in good company with musicians in the South West – Ben Howard etc. Who do you rate most?
Definitely Ben Howard he’s amazing, I went to Dartington which was next to the town he is from (Totnes) so we all had a bit of an obsession with him in our first year of Uni, one of my friends even has his lyrics tattooed on his ribs.
When did you start writing and performing and why?
I started writing awful lyrics when I was about 16, I was just obsessed with lyrics but mine always turned out like soppy love poems. I think they only got better when I started listening to better music and realising that lyrics can be so much more interesting when they aren’t just about love, or really obvious. I started performing quite late really, not until I was about 19 – and I came to uni, where everyone was performing all the time – it took me ages to get the confidence to get up and give it a go, but I loved it once I got the nerve up, so I just kept doing it.
Your new video’s pretty cool – how do you approach making music videos? And why do you think it’s important?
Thank you! I love music videos, especially now there’s so many ways to make an awesome video without having any money, which is exactly what we did. I was lucky enough to know a wonderful artist and animator, Tom Dales, who shot the video. I think videos are so important now because people are so into Youtube as way of listening to music, and it’s an amazing way to have a visual representation of what you’re trying to say with your music. We already have some cool ideas for the next video, which I will actually be in this time. I think it’s good for people to be able to put a face to the music as well!
What’s your favourite lyric?
That’s a really hard question. There are so many amazing lyrics, I might have to give a few. I love all the lyrics in ‘Celebrity Skin’ by Hole, but especially ‘Honeysuckle, she’s full of poison, she obliterated everything she kissed, now she’s fading, somewhere in Hollywood, I’m glad I came here with your pound of flesh’. Amanda Palmer writes amazing lyrics, and Regina Spektor, oh and CocoRosie, their song ‘Werewolf’ has some of the best lyrics ever – ‘Weeping willow won’t you wallow louder’ – I love that.
Why do you think so many musicians are drawn to Cornwall?
I think the pace of life down here that probably appeals to musicians, no-one’s really in a rush to be anywhere. There’s a lot of freedom to do whatever you want to, especially in Falmouth – it’s so full of art students now that you could run through the high street playing a banjo naked and people probably wouldn’t be that surprised, which is pretty cool, or weird, depending on your view point.
What’s been your favourite gig to date and why?
I was in New York for a while last year and got the chance to see Laura Marling perform at Webster Hall, which was just incredible. I was right up at the front, actually sat on top of a speaker, level with the stage and I could just see everything, I’m so short I usually just get to watch people’s backs at gigs. She was amazing – I’d wanted to see her for years so that was really special for me. I saw Ben Howard last summer in Birmingham just before he got really big, it was a really nice gig, we were literally sat right in front of him and it was just really chilled and nice. And his band is incredible; at one point his drummer was playing bass with one hand, drums with another and singing backing vocals all at the same time. They are insane.
If you could sum up your sound in one sentence, what would it be?
Slightly bizarre, unusual pop music; not what you will be expecting.
More information on Sophie Flynn at www.sophieflynn.com/
