Soccer Mommy looks back to move forward with her elegant fourth album, 'Evergreen'.
Words: Ciaran Picker.
When Sophie Allison first started releasing music as Soccer Mommy, she was just a 17-year-old in Nashville playing with an acoustic guitar and seeing what came out. That was ten years ago. Since then, she's had a stint in New York City, made herself a globally known alt-popster, and released three critically acclaimed LPs. Her fourth album, 'Evergreen', sees her journey back to that teen sensation, returning to her roots to process both where she is now and how far she's come.
If her last two albums, 2020's 'Color Theory' and 2022's 'Sometimes Forever', represented Sophie's time in New York City, then 'Evergreen' is an ode to her Tennessee hometown. Taking out the buzzy electronics and thick distorted shoegaze that mimicked the overpopulated, overstimulated atmosphere of the Big Apple, this is an album that pays tribute to space. Allowing herself to breathe deeply, to feel the grass beneath her feet and see trees swaying in the breeze, Sophie set about creating a sound that really felt like home.
Calling in from her house in Nashville, Sophie notes: "I'm looking out my window now, and it's all green. I can drive for fifteen minutes and hike in the woods but still be in the city. New York has its own beauty, but this record is more about pondering."
Sophie is very open about the fact that 'Evergreen' is a necessary album for her, providing an opportunity for her to properly process the grief that came from the loss of someone central to her life. As a result, she had no problem in taking full control, dictating every detail of the direction she needed to go in.
