Sophie Jamieson - In search of an uncomplicated love

To dig deeper into some aspects of her second album for Bella Union, I caught up with Sophie Jamieson via Zoom. "I still want to share" had just been released, and the London-based musician was reflecting on the fact that she no longer had any control over how her songs might be interpreted. Given the personal background to her reflections, that's clearly no simple thing. The record delves deep into the self, and Jamieson's lyrics are particularly intense, but the singer-songwriter points out that, in truth, the core of the work can be traced back to a "need for an uncomplicated kind of love, one that's actually very hard to find in life".

I'd like to start with the album title. Why did you choose "I still want to share"? This phrase seems to me, on one hand, a kind of declaration of vulnerability, and on the other, a way of forging an intimate connection with the listener.

I chose it very early on, during the writing process. The title track is the oldest song in the collection, and one I wrote very quickly. I remember settling on the title while cycling home after a shift at a bar, even before half the songs had been written. The title then helped shape the record and guided which songs made the cut. I can't tell you exactly why I chose this particular title, other than that some underlying instinct told me it was the right direction to take.

The crucial themes of the new songs are love, attachment and belonging. How do you think these subjects intertwine in your music, and why did you decide to explore the darker, less romantic sides of love and the desire to be loved?

I decided to explore these themes because I found the tension between love and its destructive nature, or force, an interesting angle. In general, I think a lot of my music explores the destructive forces within the self, and that probing these points of tension throws up a series of questions that can serve as artistic inspiration. What's more, simpler love songs bore me very quickly, whereas contradictions, and the courage to reveal one's own ugly side, appeal to me far more.

I really like the fact that the album opens with "Camera". Images like a curtain rising or the attempt to bring a camera lens into focus feel like the perfect way to begin a musical journey: it's as if you're announcing a mystery about to be revealed.

Initially I'd planned to use "Highway" as the opening track. Then, together with my producer Guy Massey, we sat down and listened back through all the songs to see if there was anything to add or change. As it happened, the first song we listened back to was "Camera", and at that moment it struck me as a great way to open the record too. I also find it has just the right level of energy to kick off the listening experience.

"Time pulls you over backwards" is a very intense song that opens with a bold statement: "Do I wish I never loved you". Why did you decide to close the album with this track?

It's a song that plays out a circular movement and doesn't end with a precise answer. That's a pretty common thing, but I like the idea of closing an album with a more subdued song. Closing tracks are generally my favourites on a record.

When it came to arranging the songs, what pushed you to experiment with new sonic solutions and add string arrangements?

It was a very natural process. The harmonium played a key role in giving the songs breath, space and depth. It was also a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with my dear friend Josephine Stephenson, who wrote the string scores. The strings only appear on three songs, but somehow they turned out to be a key aspect of the record.

You've already played a couple of shows since the album came out. How are you experiencing the new songs when you perform them live?

I've already been playing some of these songs live for a while, others not so much. For now I haven't grown tired of these songs! Usually in my shows, since I'm often alone on stage, I can play whatever I want or feel like playing in that particular moment. In the past it's happened that I stopped playing songs I felt I'd sung one too many times, in favour of completely new ones. But for now that's not the case, and I'm happy to bring to the stage these songs that took me so much time to write, record and finally learn to play at their best live.

New directions for the future? Is there something new you'd like to try as a musician?

I haven't planned anything yet, but I'd like to record my next album in a different way and try to let go a bit more, without necessarily trying to keep control over every single aspect. So trying a more carefree, lighter approach will be my next challenge!

(23 February 2025)

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