Sophie Allison has been to the edge and back—artistically, anyway. With Sometimes, Forever, her latest album as Soccer Mommy, she’s crafted a record that feels haunted and alive, rooted in ‘80s ghosts and grunge spirits but never content to just cosplay the past. “I don’t ever try to replicate something,” she says. “But I definitely wanted it to sound like a real band playing in a room.”
That room, as it turns out, was filled with all sorts of spectral noise—live drums, demo vocals, moody synths, and a lingering whiff of PJ Harvey’s Rid of Me. Allison credits much of the atmosphere to producer Daniel Lopatin (aka Oneohtrix Point Never), who helped guide the record’s sound toward something moody, textural, and cinematic. “We talked a lot about 80s bands,” she explains, citing The Smiths as a key touchpoint. “It’s that feeling of hearing a band play live. I just wanted to capture that.”
But don’t mistake this for retro worship. Allison also channels the eerie beauty of romantic horror and ghost stories. “I love horror,” she says. “Not the gory kind—I mean the creepy, eerie stuff. That feeling when something could be beautiful, but it’s just… off.” The song “Following Eyes” is her version of a ghost story. “It had nothing to do with me,” she says, gleefully. “I just wanted to write something spooky.”
In fact, the cinematic inspiration runs deeper than expected. “There’s not a lot of actual ghost stories anymore,” she laments, before lighting up at the news of a new gothic Casper series. “I’ll watch it. Totally.”
The darkness on Sometimes, Forever isn’t just aesthetic, though—it’s thematic. Songs like “Unholy Affliction” and “Darkness Forever” are layered with dread and distorted drums, pulled from real emotion but never too self-serious. “I told my label this record feels less dark than the last one,” she laughs. “And they were like, what are you talking about?”
The light does peek through, if you’re paying attention. Even in “Newdemo,” where she sings, “What is a dream but a lie that you wish would come true,” there’s a flicker of something: sadness, sure, but also reflection. “I was imagining this apocalyptic world, and asking if it’s still worth it to hope in a place like that.”
And hope, ironically, may be her most enduring musical trick. Because even in a record teeming with ghosts and doomed synths, there’s a thrill in the way it comes alive. “It just felt fun,” she says. “Exciting. I love getting to play music like that.”
As for expanding her sonic palette? She’d love to go full metal someday. “I could never scream like Sasami,” she laughs. “But I’m envious. I wish I could make something really heavy.”
Don’t count her out. After all, this is the artist who turned a Natalie Imbruglia-style set reveal into one of the coolest indie videos of the year. The “Shotgun” clip looks like a bedroom video—until the camera pulls back and shatters the illusion. “That was all the director,” Allison says. “But it’s a cool effect. It strips away the mystery.”
Just like her songs do—revealing the darkness, the beauty, and the hope all hiding in plain sight.
Watch the interview above and then check out the videos below.
