Sophia Warren Doesn’t Want You To Feel Alone
“It feels so surreal and just absolutely wild,” Warren tells me from her home in Austin, a framed print of Milton Glaser’s 1966 psychedelic profile portrait of Bob Dylan hanging on the wall behind her, referring to the imposter syndrome she constantly feels about getting signed by a major label and having her lifelong dream […]
“It feels so surreal and just absolutely wild,” Warren tells me from her home in Austin, a framed print of Milton Glaser’s 1966 psychedelic profile portrait of Bob Dylan hanging on the wall behind her, referring to the imposter syndrome she constantly feels about getting signed by a major label and having her lifelong dream of a music career come to fruition. It’s exactly what “Grin,” her new music video, is about. “That kind of inner battle between you, yourself, and I. It’s like, I’ve worked so hard for this and I’ve gotten this far, but this person deserves it more. I’m not good enough.”
Warren is originally from Chimney Rock, North Carolina, about 20 miles outside of Asheville, The town with a population of 131 people, was completely wiped out by Hurricane Helene in September of 2024. “…no roads, no houses, people are still without power,” she says. “It was just an absolute disaster. It’s very somber…all these places that I used to go and visit as a kid aren’t there anymore.”
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Diagnosed with a thyroid condition called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis at age 4, she spent much of her childhood in and out of doctors’ offices, navigating physical and emotional challenges. “It affects everything—your skin, your eyes, your growth, your weight, especially. It’s not very common in younger children. It’s very common in a lot of older women who are [post] menopause. It was a very unique case.” Not only was it rare, but it was, according to Sophia, the worst her doctors had ever seen, keeping her bedridden from illness for much of her childhood.
After Warren had her thyroid removed at 12, she felt revitalized—determined to make something of her life. Inspired by the music her parents listened to while growing up—Radiohead, Dave Matthews Band, and Matthew Good, among others—Music became her escape, a way to heal and reclaim her voice. “I would just sit in the back of the car and listen to the music and play a little movie in my head of what was going on with the sounds and playing around with that,” she says. “I am so stuck in the past with music—’90s, ‘80s, early 2000s. I’m always trying to find those super-hidden gems. My parents’ music taste is just so superior. I can’t listen to anything else now.”
With a style that blends modern punk, ‘80s and ‘90s alternative, and electronic influences, the 21-year-old musician’s journey has been shaped by resilience and self-reflection. Her 2024 debut EP, Bloodstone, along with her soon-to-be-released Adesso, are the first two parts of a trilogy that spans her journey of growing up into adulthood. While Bloodstone features songs that she wrote when she was between 13 and 16 years old, Adesso includes songs from when she was 17 to about 20; a diary of sorts, about becoming the person she is today.
“I really see both of these as my evolution; the things that I struggled with and experienced that so many other people have as well and those unexplainable feelings and emotions, dealing with anxiety and depression at a very young age,” she says. “It’s the evolution of me and who I changed into as a person.”
Warren spent a lot of her childhood alone due to her sickness, and the music she’s making now represents the pain and isolation she felt back then. Thanks to the connection to her parent’s music, she didn’t quite feel so alone, which is what she hopes her audience takes away from her music. “I started writing at 12 and 13, and I had a lot of anxiety and depression and started listening to a lot of emo music,” she says. “Being able to listen to these people talking about depression and anxiety and self-harm, and know that I’m not alone in what I’m experiencing, and to be able to just give that back in this EP, for people to listen to it and be like, I’m not alone. I’m not a weirdo. I don’t suck. I’m not the only one experiencing it. You’ll be able to listen to it and be like, okay, somebody else feels how I feel.”
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