Americana/folk singer-songwriter Sonja Midtune sat down recently with @skopemag to talk about her new EP, “Dreams Melt Away” (out now).
@skopemag: Hi, Sonja! This EP (“Dreams Melt Away”) is really special. Tell us the story behind it.
Sonja: I intended to make an EP of a bunch of older songs and looked for a producer for years before I found Justin Glasco. When I started to send him songs, I realized that I had a lot of new ones that fit together. When I got back on “two feet” again after breaking my leg the summer of 2019, I wrote a bunch of songs with no intention of recording them, but I realized that they were linked together with themes: nostalgia, growing up, and feeling lost. The title “Dreams Melt Away” comes from my song “October.”
@skopemag: Let’s look at one of the songs on the EP in more depth – “Los Angeles.” What is it about?
Sonja: This song starts as a love song, inspired by my L.A.-born-and-raised boyfriend, who holds so many people together. I wrote the first verse in a few minutes. When I sat down with Katie Ferrara to finish it, we moved it into another hemisphere. The song uses L.A. as a metaphor for the relationship, but ultimately is a nod towards how I feel living in Los Angeles. My thinking is clouded… maybe it’s the smog, but I feel a little lost here!
@skopemag: I’d call your music “dreamy Americana.” How would you describe your music? Who are your biggest influences?
Sonja: I’ve been describing it as songwriter-Americana since it’s so lyric-heavy, but I love “dreamy Americana.” For this EP, I was heavily influenced by Jade Bird, Michael Kiwanuka, Madison Cunningham, and Ray LaMontagne.
@skopemag: How have your roots in musical theatre fueled the singer-songwriter you’ve become?
Sonja: I think it made me very “musical” at a young age. But once I started writing and performing my own music, I didn’t want to go back to performing someone else’s. I love theatre and always will, but I’ve found my home in creating myself.
