Q&A: Sophia Tice on Songwriting and Her Latest Single, “Way Out”
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY LUCY BULLINGTON ☆
Photo by Lucy Bullington for The Luna Collective
“WRITING IS HOW I PROCESS BEING ALIVE”—says Canadian-born singer-songwriter Sophia Tice when asked why she writes. After talking with her, it quickly becomes clear that making music is not only second nature to her, but also an intrinsic part of her daily existence.
With a journal always at hand, Tice constantly captures thoughts and snippets of conversations—so much so that she describes the frequency at which she writes as, “almost neurotic,” This process translates clearly in her music. She tells me, “I write to express what I can’t say out loud.”
Her recent single, “Way Out,” exemplifies Tice’s empathetic songwriting. Inspired by a friend navigating a difficult breakup, the song highlights resilience and empowerment. “I wanted to write a song from her perspective,” Tice shares. Produced with Jackson Lowe, the track features interesting production choices such as a snare created from the sound of a match strike.
We had the chance to sit down with Sophia to chat about writing, her literary and musical influences and what’s next. Read the full interview below.
Photo by Lucy Bullington for The Luna Collective
LUNA: You released an album in 2025, Until Now. What inspired that album?
TICE: The album is called Until Now because it collects everything I had released up to that summer. Some songs were written months before the release, and others I wrote when I was 12. It felt like a reflection of the first stage of my career. Not everyone hears that transition over the years, but I can. It’s really cool to have all my experiences from those years compiled into one album.
LUNA: How did you decide what to put in and what to leave out?
TICE: I’ve been releasing music for a long time, and I never waited for the “right moment.” I picked songs that still resonated with me. Some older ones felt too young, like what I would have written at 13, so I left those out.
LUNA: Is there a song on there that you wrote when you were younger?
TICE: I wrote “September” and “Adhesive” when I was younger.
LUNA: Oh, cool. What’s your writing process like?
TICE: It kind of changes, and it’s definitely changed since I’ve gone to New York for college.
LUNA: Why do you think it changed when you went to New York?
TICE: When I got to college, I was in a really happy and peaceful place in my life. Because of that, I started looking for deeper storylines and started borrowing narratives from other people. That’s the music people resonate with most. They want to hear about experiences and hurdles. I went through a lot before college, so now I borrow from my past or from other people’s present.
LUNA: Do you like to tell stories in your songs?
TICE: It changes. Sometimes I focus on narrative, and other times I write a poem first.
LUNA: You’re into poetry? Who are your favorite poets?
TICE: Yeah. I love Dylan Thomas and Sylvia Plath. Leonard Cohen’s The Book of Longing is also a big influence; it shapes how I structure songs and phrase lyrics like poetry.
LUNA: How do you decide if something becomes a song or stays a poem?
TICE: If I hear a melody in my head while writing a poem, it’s a song. If not, it stays a poem. Sometimes I write with the intent of turning it into a song, but other times, it’s just thoughts on paper.
LUNA: When you were writing “Way Out,” what were you consuming creatively?
TICE: I was listening to a lot of Lorde and The Japanese House, which definitely comes through. But in general, I listen to a lot of Sade, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. I love the music my parents showed me.
LUNA: Was there a specific artist that made you want to get into music?
TICE: 100 percent. Nina Simone. When I first heard “Feeling Good,” I was nine. I learned it on piano, and I became obsessed with her discography. She’s my biggest idol. Her and Fiona Apple.
LUNA: Do you remember the first time you thought, “I’m actually good at this”?
TICE: I showed my parents a song when I was younger. My dad is really musically inclined, and when he said it was good, that meant a lot.
LUNA: How long have you been playing shows?
TICE: Since I was 11. I played bars in Canada and Florida. Basically anywhere that would let me.
LUNA: Any memorable live moments?
TICE: In my senior year, I played with John McDermott at his Christmas show. It was the day I got into NYU, and I surprised my mom by performing a song I wrote about her called “Suburban Monday.” The crowd went crazy. It was amazing.
Photo by Lucy Bullington for The Luna Collective
LUNA: Can you tell the story behind your latest single, “Way Out”?
TICE: It’s about a friend who went through a tough breakup. I wanted to write from her perspective, showing her strength and ability to leave a bad situation. Eventually, she did, and it was amazing to witness.
LUNA: The production is really interesting. Are there details people might miss?
TICE: In the chorus when I sing, “you started a fire,” we wanted something literal and symbolic. People often think it’s a snare on the track, but it’s actually a match strike.
LUNA: Do you have a favorite lyric from that song?
TICE: I love, “I’m finding a way to collect middle names of the girls you take home.” The song started as a poem, so every line was intentional.
LUNA: What’s your favorite lyric you’ve ever written?
TICE: I have this song about a friend of mine that I lost a few years ago. In it I wrote, “So long, Rosalie, the revolution starts today. Your leaving was a weapon and your misery, my pain.” I love it because it’s a double-edged sword. Your leaving being a weapon stirred so much uproar in my neighborhood, and the second part reflects shared pain.
LUNA: What’s your favorite lyric that you didn’t write?
TICE: There’s a Sade song called “Pearls”. The chorus ends: “She lives a life she didn’t choose, and it hurts like brand new shoes.” That line is genius. She’s comparing unimaginable suffering to something as simple as breaking in new shoes. Some people say it takes them out of the song, but I think it’s brilliant. It’s such an understated metaphor.
LUNA: Have you ever written a lyric that only one other person would understand? Like an inside joke between you two?
TICE: For sure. There’s a lyric in one of my older songs, “Adhesive,” that says, “Names carved into walls, love in the open.” That’s because the person it’s about and I carved our names into a wall.
LUNA: Do you ever write about Canada?
TICE: Yes. Joni Mitchell is a huge inspiration—she’s a poet. I wrote a song about Toronto recently, reflecting on my memories there. When I go back, it feels like childhood nostalgia.
Photo by Lucy Bullington for The Luna Collective
LUNA: Are there recurring themes in your writing?
TICE: I often mention my parents, like lines inspired by things they’ve said. Also, sarcasm shows up in my lyrics a lot which is fun.
LUNA: What are you most excited to perform live?
TICE: I love performing my song “It’s Never That Deep.” It’s probably my favorite song I’ve recorded. It makes me feel so confident. I love when women perform songs where they’re like, “I’m the shit,” because I think men get to do that all the time.
LUNA: Fuck, marry, kill: writing, recording, playing live.
TICE: Marry writing. I wouldn’t function without it. I can’t not write. Fuck playing live. Kill recording. Sorry.
LUNA: Do you write every day?
TICE: Yes, multiple times a day. Constantly. I write down everything I hear or see that sparks me. It’s almost neurotic. When I am writing a song or poem I’m constantly pulling from notes. I don’t always start from scratch.
LUNA: Desert island: one book, one movie, one song.
TICE: Book: The Kurt Cobain Journals. It’s massive, and I could analyze it forever. Movie: The Count of Monte Cristo, or Dead Poets Society. Song: “The First Taste” by Fiona Apple.
LUNA: What artist’s career path would you take?
TICE: Fiona Apple or Lana Del Rey. They’re choosy about when they step into the spotlight. I don’t want people knowing my business. I want to sell out venues but still be normal offstage.
LUNA: What are you obsessed with right now?
TICE: Bob Dylan’s older stuff. Always The 1975. I also love Del Water Gap.
LUNA: Do you ever experience writing droughts?
TICE: I’m never not writing. But I do go through phases where I hate everything I’m writing.
LUNA: Why do you keep doing it?
TICE: Because writing is how I process being alive. Nothing else brings out emotions in me like music, and all I want is to bring out emotions in people with my own music.
