Sophie Hanlon won this year’s International Songwriting Competition, but for the Sydney-based singer-songwriter, it is only the beginning.
Poetry, cinematic imagery and film composers such as John Barry and Joe Goldsmith are all influences that Sophie Hanlon names when she creates music, but it was for the song ‘My Dark Crusade’ that the inspiration came from somewhere more personal. It was this song that Sophie entered into the International Songwriter Competition, where she took out the major prize.
“[It was] the day before my dad died that I wrote this song and I didn't actually know what the song was about at that time, and then it ended up making a lot of sense obviously when that happened. It was strange how it all worked out... The lyrics were implying something that I didn't actually know about. And then after that happened it all made sense.”
Sophie started writing and performing from a young age, being born in the UK she says that her formative years were when her family moved to Sydney when she was 15. “I started off playing gigs at a very young age. Sydney is great and it is where I am based, it has been a really good playing ground really. I meet a lot and know a lot of people here that are musicians in the industry or whatever. There is a lot of support… I don’t know if these opportunities would have arisen if it weren’t for being based in Sydney, based in Australia. From that perspective, it’s really positive.”
In addition to performing here, Sophie has had the opportunity to perform in London, Berlin and as part of the CMJ Aussie BBQ, where she performed alongside the likes of Kate Miller-Heidke and My Fiction in New York. “The music and the artists that perform are of a really high quality and it’s really great to be a part of that and be inspired by Australian artists.”
Even though she was born in the UK and has spent considerable time overseas – including her future plans of working on material in Berlin for 6 months – Sophie says she definitely “calls Australia her home”.
Despite the exposure she has received for her work, Sophie says the nature of creating music can often be a solitary activity. “Music is such a big part of my life and all I really do is music; I create music and perform… You can do it all alone and sit at home in your studio and record everything yourself… But it can actually be quite lonely and its nice working with other people and having a bit of a laugh while you’re doing it, you know?”
For singers and songwriters that want to follow her path as an artist, Sophie recommends a good dosage of travel, reading and most importantly, writing. “There are so many factors that come into being a successful artist but I think the number one priority is writing as much as you can. Having a big, fat log, a catalogue of songs and material.”
Sophie Hanlon's single 'My Dark Crusade' will be released 1 February.
