Soccer Mommy Isn't Looking To Build A Movement, She Just Writes What She Likes

When we talk on the phone, Sophie Allison of Soccer Mommy sounds flustered. She’s in the process of moving from her family home in Nashville into her own place. “I’ve been running back and forth from my parents’ house,” she says, “trying to get internet set up and all that fun stuff.” 

Since releasing her excellent studio debut album Clean earlier this year, Allison herself has been all over certain sections of the internet, often in “women in rock” think-pieces. Does she feel like she’s part of a movement or scene? “I feel like I have friends in the music industry,” says Allison, “just people I’ve met or toured with. I’m just writing songs like anyone else is. I don’t feel like my songs are driven to empower any particular group. I think they’re just what I like to write and what I experience in my life. I definitely see similar artists I get grouped with a lot of the time but they’re mostly artists I’ve never listened to or people I don’t know. Some are people that I love. I don’t think anyone feels like we’re all working together to make a movement.” 

In Allison’s 21 years of life, rock has been superseded by hip hop and EDM as the dominant musical force. Does she ever wish she lived in a more rock-friendly time? “I guess sometimes I think maybe I’d be making more money or I’d be more popular if I lived in a time period where rock was big,” Allison says. “But I love a lot of the music that’s coming out now, and I think there’s still a lot of great rock music. I don’t really care if it’s the biggest thing in the world personally. I like the time period I grew up in. There are definitely things I hate about 2018, especially in America. But yeah, I don’t know if I would like living in any other time period any better.” 

Another shift in Allison’s lifetime is that distinctions between genres matter less than ever before. Allison – who’s been known to cover both NSYNC and Dixie Chicks - says she’s glad this purist mentality has mostly died out. “I think that allows people to have broader taste and experience more good art,” she says. “Because good art isn’t in one genre - you can find it anywhere. I think having broad taste makes you a more complex person and makes you connect with different types of people, than if you just liked rock or pop, you maybe wouldn’t connect with.” 

Despite being a musical omnivore, she reckons she’ll stick to her own musical lane – though not due to lack of interest. “I don’t know if I could write in a different style,” says Allison. “I think the way I write comes out the way it comes out. But I don’t know. I would love to be able to make a different style, but I don’t know if creatively it’s something I can do.” 

Another generational change reflected in Allison is her willingness to talk about mental health. She regularly tweets about her experiences with body dysmorphia. “I think it’s a defence mechanism for me personally [laughs], like, joking about it. I don’t know if it really helps, to be honest. I think it’s better than not being able to tell anyone you have an issue. But I don’t know that it fixes any of my problems. I think it can be helpful to other people, to see artists they like talking about it. If they’re struggling with body issues or depression or anxiety. I think it can be super helpful to see someone else be open about it, especially if you’re not being open about it with people around you.”

As someone with young fans, does it feel important to help normalise body image issues? “I never really think about, like, having a fanbase [laughs]. It just doesn’t feel that natural to think, 'I should say something for my fans.' Like, I’m just a normal person. I just tweet when I’m thinking about it a lot and it’s weighing on my mind. Just like I might write a song if I’m bottling something up.” 

Humility and frankness are part of what makes Allison’s work so appealing. She’s not trying to be the voice of her generation. She just wants to figure out how her new modem works.

If you are suffering from any of the issues that have been discussed or need assistance, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.