Many people make music for the financial windfall that could come from their efforts, but, fortunately, most practitioners pronounce themselves as advocates for communicating and connecting with listeners and audiences. Sophie Coran has always allowed companionship through chords to inspire her presence within the music industry and recently released a video for “Tell Me,” a track on the 25-year-old’s June-issued “Better” extended play.
“I definitely look to affect people through my songs,” the resident of the 600 block of Fernon Street said of her output and identity as a storyteller. “There are so many unique experiences out there, but what ties them all together is that they’re molding who we are. That’s what I try to convey.”
The Dickinson Square West denizen has packed a ton of experiences into her compact lifespan and constantly addresses the depth and influence of the most educational occasions. Exploring the workings of the heart will forever count as a thorough lesson provider for everyone, and Coran accounts for such an investigation through “Tell Me.”
“It’s such an important song for me,” she declared of the piano-driven desire to obtain answers from a romantic interest. “The matter had made me crazy and upset, so I wrote this as a pep talk to myself, and I’m happy with where it fits in my maturation as a singer and a person.”
The London-shot promotional video finds Coran courting comprehension of loyalty when love comes calling. Also a reflection of the frequent sting that parting from people engenders, the tune serves as a wonderful example of the severity of her infatuation with crafting camaraderie with as many people as possible, as she feels music can be a balm for one’s setbacks.
“The song was a good way for me to find closure because sometimes we learn that our perceptions and reality aren’t the same,” Coran said. “I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished through it, and I usually end my sets with it. I think it gives insights into my search for that bond between me as someone who has gone through loss and other people who are looking to move on from their struggles, too. I like analyzing how we all process stuff and find common ties. Music is my way to do that, and something has clicked with my writing where I feel my observations are going to take on new meaning. I’m excited, to say the least.”
Having called Dickinson Square West her turf since July, Coran has used the period to fall even more in love with her birth city. Hailing from the Art Museum area, she has long admired Philadelphia’s artistic possibilities and looks forward to helping the music scene to achieve additional national renown.
“It’s a really cool place to be, and it’s very conducive to feeling inspired,” Coran said of the metropolis. “There is quite a vibe here, and I think so many people are willing to explore how they can maximize what the city has to offer, especially creatively.”
Her own creative impulses began at age 2 when she asked for a piano. Commencing lessons three years later, she soon came to consider the instrument the irrepressible siren willing her to tackle intense emotions and feelings.
“I tried the flute, violin, and guitar, but the piano was the perfect means for me to get at what I wanted to say,” Coran said. “To this day, it’s still my undisputed source of making connections with people and looking at what’s in my heart to put out there.”
Following enrollment at Girard Academic Music Program, 2136 W. Ritner St., and Central High School, she actualized her dream to test her talent in New York City by studying composition at the Manhattan School of Music. A quest for supplemental contentment and curiosity took her to Europe, with time in the United Kingdom proving especially enduring in shaping her artistic sensibility.
“I thought, ‘Wow, this is where I really want to be,’” the singer/songwriter said of her time over the pond. “It really helped me to grow and become a better writer and observer.”
Capturing the 2014 Shure Songwriting Award for “Out of Focus,” Coran continued to evolve through her United Kingdom tenure and returned to Philadelphia last summer with an enhanced appreciation for the rewards of tenacity.
“Music is always going to be a tough business, and it’s easy to become discouraged,” she said. “I keep seeing every stop as a possible source of inspiration, and I love when I can stop, look around, and realize I’m very fortunate.”
Coran confided that “Tell Me,” one of four tunes on “Better,” whose overall sound Music Dash dubbed “very mellow and relaxing, jazzy at some points, cute and romantic in others,” will share much in common with her new material in that it and the eventual compositions will remind listeners that they need not fret over feeling frustrated and that they must persevere, especially if they believe that their sought-after joys will lead to lasting happiness. Set to head back over the Atlantic Ocean for a March 22 gig at London’s Century Club, excited over the prospects of finishing her first full-length album by this time next year, and thrilled at the possibility of doing mini tours in Boston and New York City, she is certainly putting her money where her mic is.
“We all have things to say, and I don’t want to keep quiet,” Coran laughed. “I love this journey because I know it’s all about finding my place and being some kind of companion for other people, too.” ■
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Visit youtube.com/watch?v=hqiTvBbxHTM and sophiecoran.com.
Contact Editor Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
Portrait Photo By Tina Garceau (Center) | Portrait Photo (Left) By Isaac Buchanan | Stage Photo (Right) by John Hayes
