SOPHIALUCIABLURRINGBOUNDARIES Wholly original, idiosyncraticmusicians are a rare breed, but Chicago-born, Paris-based Sophia Lucia certainly fits into that category. Sophia began writing and playing aged just eight, and in later years took an admirably courageous leap into the unknown, moving to France to pursue her creative endeavours. Now, her Freak Show Cabaret performances are the talk of the Paris underground. On her self-titled debut album, released Dec 16th, 2021, Sophie moves with mesmerizing ease from earcatching folk-rock to off-kilter hooks, offering up a kind of scatter-shot lyrical invention which few could equal. “It is conversational, theatrical, confessional and surrealistic ,” says Sophia herself,“I like to tell stories, as well as jump around from anecdote to anecdote, dovetailing images that are my truths, the truths of others, and fiction.” Spoken Word Paris called Sophia Lucia: “sometimes a melting pot, sometimes a pressure cooker but always hot and very, very original.” Can you tell me a bit about where you were born and grew up? Sophia Lucia: I was born in Chicago, IL, and I grew up partially in West Rogers Park, and partially in Edgebrook, which is a quirky little corner of Chicago that feels more like a small town in Wisconsin than a neighbourhood in a big city. What sort ofmusic and art were you exposed to? Is your familymusical? SL: My family is not musical, but they are artists.They ran a theatre company for most of my life, and I grew up in it. My dad is mainly a di inly an actor. My parents do love music though, and I grew up listening to a lot of 60s/ 70s/80s rock & roll, folk, blues, funk, soul, some jazz…We have a jukebox in our basement and my parents love to throw parties. We’ve spent many an evening downstairs dancing to the jukebox late into the night. When, and why, did you start performing, playing and singing? SL: My first performance was at eight years old, reciting poetry that I had written. It was for a benefit at my parents’ theatre. Then I acted in my first play when I was fifteen, I played Anya in Chekov’s The Cherry Orchard, also at my parents’ theatre. My dad directed it and my mom played mymom in the play.Being directed bymy dad and www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 18 - on stage with my mom happened a few times and was always a special experience. I continued on to do live theatre for most of my adolescence and early adult years. I wrote a few songs on the guitar when I was around twelve years old, and then stopped for many years.Out of the blue, about four years ago, I went to an open mic with some friends, and playing and singing on stage was such a pleasure that I had to continue. I was tired of playing covers and wanted to express my own feelings with the music, so I began writing my own songs and trying to book shows shortly after that experience. Moving to Paris was a brave step – how was that experience for you? SL: I think it’s one of the best things I’ve done in my life. Starting from zero in a new country is so liberating. It’s like beaming down from another planet. I could be anyone I wanted to be and no one had any pre-emptive ideas or expectations.And though I could be anyone that I wanted to be, I think it just brought me closer to finding and being my true self. How did the Freak ShowCabaret! come about? SL: It came about as a place for me to put everything. I didn’t want to just play concerts or be a stage actress, I wanted to be able to actualize whatever bits and bobs that came into my head. So I came up with the name ‘Freak Show Cabaret!’ t o entitle my one-woman-variety show. It’s a show where anything goes, and where I can perform dopt character alter-egos when you perform– does this allowyou greater freedom of expression? SL: I think so. I like to make things up, so some of the stuff with my characters are total works of fiction. And sometimes it’s easier for me to express my own feelings and ideas through an alter ego. They are all their own people, and also part of me at the same time. Your music sounds unique–who would you describe as major influences? SL: The quotidian is my number one inspiration. The inbetween moments and 'banal' details of daily life often wax poetic for me. Otherwise, some big inspirations artistically would be Talking Heads, Regina Spektor, Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, Ella Fitzgerald, Ani DiFranco, Bob Dylan, Jack Kerouac, Haruki Murakami, Gene Wilder… the list could go on and on.
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