Skofee
Photo Credit: Austin Dalgleish
It’s rare to see an artist or musician that can establish themselves so early in their career, but Skofee does just that. The 23-year-old artist’s alt-pop - a melodious mix of honest lyrics and layered harmonies - is already one of a kind. She grew up with a ton of musical influence, from her early start learning piano and violin, to being involved in musical theater. With only one song out, her debut single (the endlessly catchy “Fantomlimb”), the singer/songwriter already has close to 30k streams and over 12k monthly listeners. This is just the start for the rising star, who has a lot more planned including an EP set to debut next month. We recently spoke with Skofee about some of her biggest inspirations, her favorite things when it comes to creating music, and more!
How did you start making music?
Music was definitely prioritized in my house growing up. My brother and I took violin and piano lessons, I did a lot of musical theater. Lots of listening to my parents sing together, my brother was in a band and wrote some of his own music as well. Doing music in different ways ultimately led to me wanting to write music for myself. Once I started writing my own songs I didn’t really turn back, it felt like the natural way to express myself.
Who are some of your biggest inspirations?
This one is so hard for me, because I think there’s a difference between artists whose music I love and artists who inspire me to write music myself. I grew up listening to a lot of Alison Krauss and James Taylor and Cat Stevens, more on the folky side of things. Some of those elements end up in my music, but they mostly have a nostalgic value for me. Songwriting-wise, Elton John, Rufus Wainwright, Alicia Keys, Sia, Amy Winehouse, ABBA, Frank Ocean, Lady Gaga, SZA,...it’s kind of all over the place in terms of where I find inspiration haha. Current artists who have inspired my sound would be Lorde, BENEE, Donna Missal. Amber Mark, Lennon Stella, FKA Twigs and Phoebe Bridgers. I also hadn’t really gotten into Fiona Apple until recently so I’ve been really enjoying ‘Fetch The Bolt Cutters’ and digging into her earlier stuff.
When you’re not making music, what’s something you love doing?
I honestly just love writing in general! That’s part of what drew me to songwriting, but it transcends to other forms of writing as well. In quarantine I’ve written a few short stories for fun.
What’s your favorite part about creating music?
In terms of process, figuring out harmonies during writing and recording is probably my favorite part. Most of my music is pretty harmony-dense and I think it’s partly because I can’t resist adding it once I think of one. I also really take it to heart when someone resonates with a song I’ve written. I love hearing other peoples’ takes on the music I write, because it’s ultimately their interpretation of my life experiences. So if someone tells me a certain lyric touched them or addressed a feeling they’ve had before, it makes me feel like we have a shared experience in some way. It’s corny but I love that stuff.
What inspired you to write your latest track, “Fantomlimb”?
A friend! Sometimes when someone close to me is going through a tough time, it’s easier for me to get perspective than when I’m in the middle of it myself. So ultimately their situation made me think about times in my life when I’ve felt the pangs of a romantic relationship after it’s ended. It describes a stagnancy in which you accept what someone can give you, knowing that it’s a shell of what existed before. In writing “Fantomlimb” I think I found some new clarity in my own tendencies to hold onto relationships which no longer exist as they once did—seeking peace of mind from someone who isn’t capable of giving it.
If you could pick anyone to collaborate with, who would it be?
Probably MUNA, I’m such a fan of their writing and overall sound.
What can fans expect in the future?
My Polished EP comes out in September, so that’s something in the near future. I’m so ready for people to hear this collection of songs, and I’m excited to get started on what’s coming next.
