“I said you feel like home, and I’ve been gone for so long, felt the sickness run through my bones, I still know that there’s a spare key under the mat, but will you be at the door to welcome me back?” sings Emily Sophia as she opens Alive with vulnerability and a dream-pop soundscape.
We appreciate juxtaposition of the bass notes with Emily’s delicate vocals, and the charisma that she exudes as she shares her lived experience. There is no doubt that Emily’s lyrics comes from a place of raw authenticity.
Alive holds a cinematic allure, perfect for a TV show or film sync placement that aligns with the lyrics of the song, perhaps something like My Life with the Walter Boys, or an upcoming episode of Euphoria on HBO.
There is a timelessness and relatability to what Emily Sophia is creating. Fans of Olivia Rodrigo, Olivia Dean, and Taylor Swift might be able to connect with Alive, but there is no doubt that Emily Sophia is sharing something unto her own design. She cites The Sundays, The Cranberries, and The Cardigans as sonic influences too.
The instrumental segues are meditative, allowing us to reflect on the robust choruses. We love the layered harmonies and the poetic prowess that manifests with Alive. We learn that the song was written by Emily Sophia during a songwriting class, whilst Lukas Romero handled production and played guitar and bass on the track. Kendra Barovick recorded and produced the vocals. For some background, Emily first met Kendra at an open mic in 2021, and through her was introduced to Lukas, who was originally in Kendra’s band. Together, they turned the song from an earlier GarageBand version into a fuller live-band recording.
Needless to say, we are in awe, and have added Alive to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Emily Sophia, including her EP, Golden State!