by mariah estran
photo by nicolas blanchadell
Indie/pop artist Philine Sonny is giving listeners a taste of what’s to come.
Recently releasing her newest single, “Drugs,” her enthralling movie-like soundscape and lyricism paints the scene. The German-based singer is introducing the story that will play out as the EP Invader — set for release next year.
“I do remember that while writing, I always had a very clear vision of how the two characters in the song look like,” she says about creating “Drugs.” Her thought process dives into each visual aspect the song can convey. When developing the track, she thought of who she was describing, what they see, and even where they live. The result became a moment of illustrative lyricism coated in a spirited guitar.
Preparing for the EP release, she mentions: “I think it’s bolder than what people might be used to from the first EP.” A project guiding her along as she learns to let go while embarking on the new chapter of her creative tale.
In the meantime, the singer talks with us about the new single “Drugs,” working on the upcoming EP, being a DIY artist, and what inspires her along the way.
You’ve recently released your single “Drugs.” It has such a moving, cinematic feel of being fearless. Tell us more about developing the track and understanding how to express these emotions.
Philine: “I actually wrote ‘Drugs’ a few years ago now — at the same time I wrote ‘Lose Yourself.’ They’re sister tracks, in a way. They both come from the same place of me feeling limited by my anxiety and overall cautiousness. While ‘Lose Yourself’ focuses more on the invisible aspects of struggling with that, ‘Drugs’ is about what happens after you’ve decided to live a more careless and reckless life, all in the context of growing up in a small town, falling in love and aiming for a brighter future.
I don’t remember if the song and lyrics came to me easily. But I do remember that while writing, I always had a very clear vision of how the two characters in the song look like, how it feels to be around them, what the place they live in looks like, what she would say if he asked her one of those questions in the song — so it was just about finding the right words to describe what I was seeing; just like a movie that was there first and I just had to retell the story.”
How would you say “Drugs” introduces us to the overall story of the upcoming EP Invader?
Philine: “I always feel like I’m too much and squeezing myself into others' lives, which is the central idea of all of the songs on the EP. The main character in ‘Drugs’ is doing just that. He'd sacrifice anything for her, which he thinks is a way of showing love and showing that you care. In reality, you can’t just do that. You can’t just attach yourself to someone, love bomb them, and offer yourself to them over and over again even after they’ve made clear they don’t need or want your help because you think that’s a nice thing to do. You need to take responsibility for your own emotions.
That's what I feel like I’ve learned in therapy, and what I think in hindsight is what ‘Drugs’ is about.”
I understand you have a DIY approach to your sound and visual imagery. How is the EP heightening those skills?
Philine: “When I made my first EP, I was still in the process of learning how to produce, record, and write. It was also my first time releasing music, so the whole procedure was very new, and I didn’t think about many things until they needed to be done, you know?
Now I know what is about to happen, so I can think about the visuals in a bigger context, which is so much fun. So, for the video, I chose a technique called ‘mixed media animation,’ which means you print out each frame, scrap each one with a small knife, draw on it, burn the edges, whatever you like, basically, and then scan it. The scans I knew would be great for merchandise and vinyl design, cover artwork, and so on, plus the analog style works great for press pictures too.
The first time around, I wouldn’t have considered all these things from the get-go, so I feel like now the whole project makes much more sense, and I can be so much more creative in every aspect of making the EP, which finally makes it feel like a cohesive piece of art.”
So far, how would you describe the sound we are going to hear on Invader?
Philine: “Oh, I think it’s bolder than what people might be used to from the first EP. I’ve had so much fun trying different sounds, sometimes weird ones — I loved cranking up the gain and screaming into the mic from across the room. I wouldn’t say it’s experimental or something like that, it’s still warm and emotional, but I’ve definitely arrived on my new path of learning how not to give a fuck.
The EP feels like the first step in the right direction, and I’m very excited to get back to producing to explore more in that direction.”
Who have been some of your musical inspirations as you piece together this project?
Philine: “A huge inspiration has definitely been Dijon — that’s where the idea for all the roomy stuff came from. Wunderhorse made me keep it rough in the parts that needed it, and Paolo Nutini’s ‘Last Night In The Bittersweet’ was an inspiration for my bass and drum sound.”
What can listeners expect in the meantime? Possibly more singles and visuals?
Philine: “Yes, there are five tracks on the EP! There’s gonna be more handmade visuals by me and more exciting things that I still have to keep secret.”