With “The Girl Next Door” out now, we took some time to hear from Chloe Sofia. Read below to learn more about Chloe Sofia, the story behind “The Girl Next Door,” and what’s to come.
Hi Chloe Sofia! Let’s start with how did you get your artist name?
Well, my real name is Chloe Fifle, but my middle name is Sofia, and I definitely thought that Chloe Sofia had a nice ring to it and it was quite memorable because I think it definitely fits my style of music and my overall vibe. So, it’s been easy for people to associate me with ‘Chloe Sofia.’
What city are you from, and where are you based now?
I come from the Milton, Ontario, which is a town in Canada, and I’ve been living here my whole life, but I frequently travel to Toronto and Mississauga for lessons, school, and to record my music.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?
I believe that I was sort of destined to pursue this career, but I just hadn’t known it for a long time. I grew up surrounded by music, and I have always been singing, but I started taking lessons when I was about 7 or 8 years old and learned to play the guitar when I was 12. I think when I learned to play an instrument at 12 and started writing my own originals, I realized that music was a real passion and dream that I want to chase.
How has your upbringing played a role in shaping who you are and defining your sound?
I grew up with my mom’s pop music station constantly playing in the car, and my dad playing his old rock music for me on the guitar and the piano, I even had my grandpa’s old rock vinyls and his record player in my living room. I think this is really what sparked my interest for pop rock – I think my single, ‘The Girl Next Door,’ really reflects the girly, 2000s pop music side of me as well as a more retro, nostalgic band sound, both of which I was brought up with.
How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?
I would say that I have a very unique sound – my songs definitely carry a lot of pop, but you can hear the lean towards rock as well. A band instructor once told me that my songs aren’t sad or happy in terms of the lyrics and melody, but they sit somewhere in between. I think that I like to write with very catchy pop melodies, but lean the instrumentation and lyrics with a more mellow or punchy rock undertone.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?
My mother always told me it’s important to have hobbies that feed the mind, body, and soul, which really stuck with me. In terms of the mind, I love reading novels, which I think has also helped me with songwriting in many ways. For the body, I’ve been playing competitive volleyball for a long time, which I’ve recently quit to pursue music, but I still do it on a recreational basis. And for the soul, I like baking, and of course, music. I think this way of feeding the mind, body, and soul has kept me very creative in different ways. For example, through reading novels, I’ve definitely taken inspiration from some of the stories that I’ve read into my songwriting.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
I think the big names that have inspired me have to be Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and Gracie Abrams. I think that I’m influenced by all of them in different ways. For example, I’ve always loved Taylor Swift’s storytelling ability, Olivia Rodrigo’s emotional and relatable songs, and Gracie Abrams’ vocal tone and vibe.
What sets you apart from your influences?
Though I take after my influences in some respects, I have definitely built my own unique sound and personality. With that, I think my personality is also very well reflected in my music. I’m very emotionally driven and self-reflective, but I also have a sarcastic edge, and I’m very playful. I think this shows through my songs with my pop style that I like to sprinkle with edgier rock and my sarcastic undertones in my storytelling.
What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?
My music career has only just begun, but if I had to pinpoint a moment, I would say it’s hitting 14,000 streams on my debut single, ‘Pulse.’ It meant a lot to me how much support I got from the people around me and how many new fans I gained who genuinely just loved my song.
What would you say are the greatest lessons that you’ve learned so far?
I think the number one lesson that I’ve had to accept is knowing that I may not see results until 5 or 10 years in the future. It’s no easy task, trying to break into the music industry, and ‘overnight success’ does not exist. What a lot of people don’t realize and what I didn’t fully understand, is that it takes years to make someone ‘blow up’ overnight. I had thought that it would just be a matter of releasing my first single and people who liked my music would find it and spread the word, but it takes a lot to cut through the noise in the industry, and growing your fan base isn’t that easy.
Now onto your release, ‘The Girl Next Door.’ What inspired this song? What ‘The Girl Next Door’ about?
I actually caught the idea for the song when someone who worked in music marketing told me ‘the girl next door doesn’t sell.’ Which I thought was the weirdest thing because, in my experience, it’s ‘the girl next door’ types that get the guy. So, I wrote ‘The Girl Next Door,’ that’s about a girl who doesn’t really fit the mold and feels like she might be ‘too much’ for somebody to love. I wrote this song for all the girls who bring a little chaos everywhere they go, it turns out being ‘too much’ isn’t such a bad thing.
What was the creative process like when making ‘The Girl Next Door?’
I had definitely thought of the concept of the song first along with the main line and the hook ‘who you’re looking for’s not the girl next door,’ and from there I ran with a story that I had in my head. This story followed that of a girl who sees that the guy she wants is with a ‘girl next door’ type, the complete opposite of her. This kind of makes her feel like she’s too much trouble for anyone to deal with, but deep down she knows that ‘the girl next door’ isn’t the one that he really needs.
How long did it take to complete ‘The Girl Next Door?’
To write the song and come up with the chords, it took about a week. Then, the arranging, recording, and mastering portion took a few months to complete.
What is your favorite lyric in ‘The Girl Next Door’ and why?
My favourite lyric would have to be in the bridge when I say ‘everything you got’s not the thing you want.’ I think this really pacts a punch to the song and ties everything together. This lyric is explaining how the guy tries to fill a hole in his heart with everything except for the thing that he really wants, not the girl next door.
What message or messages do you hope fans take away from ‘The Girl Next Door’ and your music in general?
For this song in particular, I hope that it reaches the girls and the boys who cause trouble, but have a big heart because that’s really the roots of the song. I think it can be easy to mistake it for ‘hating on other girls’ because I say often throughout the song that I think ‘the girl next door’ isn’t the one for him because she’s too bland; but that’s not the takeaway from this song. It’s about feeling like you’re ‘too much’ for someone but also knowing that you’d love them more and make them happier than someone who’s ‘just enough,’ which isn’t a bad thing either. And generally, I want people to be able to connect with my music on an emotional basis. There’s always a story behind my songs, and I want to find the people that can connect or relate to that story.
What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects, or do you have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?
I am working on a new single that’s set to release sometime in the fall, I’d suggest you keep your eyes peeled, your ears sharp, and your tongue out…
Where can we follow you on social media?
Here are some places you can catch me 😉
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/chloesofiamusic
TikTok
www.tiktok.com/@chloesofiamusic
My official website
https://www.chloesofia.ca
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/share/1CodyDRynn/?mibextid=wwXIfr
YouTube
https://youtube.com/@chloesofiamusic
Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!
