Sujfan Stevens, Rihanna, Lil Wayne: alt pop enigma Sophia Stel shares the music that influenced her ethereal sophomore EP, “How To Win At Solitaire”.
Glistening in tone and searching in mood, there’s a deep-seated but light-to-the-touch cinema in Sophia Stel’s quite brilliant sophomore EP. “How To Win At Solitaire” is swimming with the type of music that makes you feel something deep within; a soulfulness – not in style, but in impact, and timbre.
Across the last few years, Vancouver-raised Stel has established herself as a provocative and progressive presence in the alternative pop sphere, and this new body of music is the surest sign yet of her unique, idiosyncratic vision of artistry. Speaking to Wonderland, the singer-songwriter delves into her influences in our latest On Repeat.
Listen to “How To Win At Solitare”…
Sophia Stel is On Repeat…
Young Thug – “Feel It”
I just think it’s a beautiful love song, and a lot of this project is love songs. But I’ve always kind of struggled to write them, so I’m interested in the way different people do. I also just find that mixtape (“Beautiful Thugger Girls”) really inspiring.
Sufjan Stevens – “Exploding Whale” (Doveman Remix)
His writing and experiences are very relatable to me. I find it really comforting to listen to his music. I went through a pretty heavy phase while I was making this project, where I was listening to a lot of Sufjan Stevens and getting baked and playing solitaire.
Lil Keed – “Oh My God”
Every time I listen to this song, I stand up straighter. I listened to it a lot this summer when I was painting houses, and I’d come home and feel tired and frustrated. It just sounds like hard work to me.
CCFX – “The One to Wait”
This is an amazing song. I listened to it a lot the first time I went to New York and I was feeling very insignificant, but not in a bad way necessarily. It’s a really good song to walk around to.
Sophie B. Hawkins – “Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover”
She is my long-haired lesbian blueprint. This song is also a great way to tastefully let someone know that you wish they were your lover. I love how lesbians really overdo things.
David Gray – “Please Forgive Me”
This is a really beautiful love song. It helps me get out of bed, and I listen to it a lot when I’m getting ready in the morning.
Rihanna – “Same Ol’ Mistakes”
The first time I ever happy-cried, I was listening to this song. The energy of it, I’ve never gotten sick of it. It’s just too good. Also, the way that her vocals are processed on this album was inspiring for this project.
Cocteau Twins – “Frou-frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires”
The first time I heard this song, I was literally shaken to my core by how good it is. It has the most beautiful vocal melodies to me, and sort of inspired “Everyone Falls Asleep In Their Own Time.” It’s so insanely hooky and catchy, but also totally abstract and atmospheric.
Manchester Orchestra – “Sleeper 1972”
I heard this for the first time years and years ago. It builds so beautifully, and it’s very sad. I like songs that stay super simple until the end. At the end, he finally says how he feels, and the instrumentation changes. I’ll always come back to this song, you just have to listen to it.
Lil Wayne – “How To Love”
This is an excellent song, and I think everyone knows that.
