By McKinsleigh Smith
With so much music in the Provo music scene, it’s easy to get sucked in and start listening to music in a bubble. It’s always great to see what awaits you in the broader world of sonic textures, and to find new recommendations that can inspire you to make music differently than you did before.
Today, we wanted to introduce you to 18-year-old Indiana songwriter Sophia Stephens. Her song “Fervor” immediately introduces you to her rich, dark voice and a nasty synth bass line. The intro is brooding and atmospheric, building subtly until it drops into a modern pop/rock groove that made us stank face the first time we heard it. The guitars are tasty and crunchy and really bite when they lock in with the drums in the chorus.
This track is better than 99% of submissions we get. It’s polished, genre-bending, and showcases Sophia’s immensely promising talents. At only 18, her arrangements are already polished enough to deserve attention. Fans of Charlotte Sands’ brash pop rock hooks and Billie Eilish’s spooky indie atmosphere both have a lot to love here. It’s a vibe.
Make sure to check Sophia Stephens out on Instagram. You can hear “Fervor” below.