Meet Sophia DeLeo | Singer / Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sophia DeLeo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sophia, why did you pursue a creative career?
I was born in New York City to 2 parents who came from a theatre background. I was always around creative people, so I think it was kind of inevitable that I would want to do something creative too. I grew up singing in church choir and listening to old Broadway cast albums with my mom, but I think it was getting cast as the lead in my first grade musical that really tipped the scales for me. It sort of started to dawn on me around that age that you could act and sing for a living, like, that was a job option. So every time someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I’d say, “I want to be on Broadway.”
How I came about songwriting though is kind of funny, since it really was a bit of an accident. I was always writing stories, and sometimes making up little songs to sing to myself around the house as a kid, but I never really took any of that all that seriously. My mom bought me a guitar at age 14 and I taught myself to play it, but then when I was 16, I had my heart broken for the first time and that’s when I really started writing songs. It was like a flood, I couldn’t stop, but it was just for me at the time. I ended up going to college for musical theatre, and I kept writing the whole time, but again, it was sort of secret. It wasn’t until I played a song that I wrote for this cabaret my friend was putting together, very casual, that people found out I could write music. Afterwards, people were coming up to me, telling me how good the song I’d written was, telling me I should record it and release it. That was the moment I was like, “Whoa…I think this is something special, and I think I could really do this.”

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started writing songs initially out of a place of trying to process my emotions. I was 16 years old, writing songs about my first ever heartbreak in my childhood bedroom, all in an effort to just get my feelings out of my body. And I think to a degree, that’s still what I’m doing, but being 28 years old now, I just know myself better, and I’m able to reflect on things that have happened or are happening to me in a much smarter way.
It’s taken me a long time to find my sound and my voice as a songwriter, but I think the thing that sets my art apart from others’ right now is how willing I am to explore the gray areas in life. I’m at a point where I’m writing a lot now about things like eating disorders, abortion, sexual assault…all of these topics could be considered political, right? And it’s really easy to write a song that says “Oh, eating disorders are bad!” or whatever. But I’m not interested in that. I think it can get really boring when art that is political gets too preachy about its message, which is why if I’m going to write about something serious like that, I always try to come at it through a personal lens first. And usually, when I come at it that way, when I’m just trying to tell my story rather than simply make a point to my audience, I don’t come out with songs that have a neat, concise ending or message. Where I’m going with my songwriting now is still personal, but it’s nuanced and messy at its core, while being crafted with intention and clarity, and I think that’s something that’s unique to me. Or at least something I do really well.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
So I live in Manhattan, and I love it, I always say “I want to die on this island” because it’s true! There are obviously a ton of things to do when you’re in NYC, so it’s tough to figure out what I could do to show someone the “best time ever”…but I live up in West Harlem, and before that I was in Washington Heights, and there’s a bunch of great spots up here that I love taking people to.
Let’s say I had to plan the perfect day uptown in my neighborhood. I’d start off with a yoga class at my neighborhood studio, UpDog Studios, and then coffee at The Chipped Cup on 148th & Broadway. Then maybe after freshening up, I’d head even further uptown to Fort Tryon Park if it was nice outside, and maybe hit up the Met Cloisters while up there (it’s pay what you can for NY residents, so a great cheap option if you’re looking to see some medieval art and pretty gardens!) After hanging out in the park for a while, I’d head back downtown and try to get in at ROKC, the *best* Ramen spot uptown with the most insanely crafted cocktails ever. And then depending on the vibe after dinner, I’d maybe hit up At the Wallace, a fun, dive little bar where you can get $5 beers and play giant Jenga or pinball in the back. Or maybe swing by Sugar Hill Creamery for ice cream on the way home.
TikTok will tell you all the “cool” New York spots are downtown or in Brooklyn, but I am an uptown girl through and through!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
It has to be my parents. They were both artists living in New York in their 20s, so they understand firsthand how difficult the life I’ve chosen can be. When I was younger, I think they tried to steer me away from pursuing a career in the arts for a while because of that, but once they realized I wasn’t going to give it up, they truly threw every single resource they had at me to try and ensure I succeeded. And it’s so funny, I spent my whole life thinking I was going to be an actor, I never really thought that I’d become as successful as I have as a songwriter, let alone perform my own music in public or release it at all. My mom and dad spent all this money sending me to dance lessons and acting classes and my mom took me all over the country to audition fo college musical theatre programs, but the $500 my mom spent on buying me my first guitar was probably the best investment they could have made out of all that. Neither of my parents are resentful about any of it, though. They have always pushed me to keep pursuing what I love above all else, and they’re always there for me in moments of hardship or doubt. I truly do not want to know who I’d be if they hadn’t raised me.

Website: https://www.sophiadeleo.com

Instagram: @sophia_deleo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophiadeleomusic/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sophiadeleo

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5bmV24yGjMbqBzIWxMtvuA?si=3E8qaJiiRpmMqep54JLSpw
Bandcamp (where you can buy all my merch and music!): https://sophiadeleo.bandcamp.com

Image Credits
Style Shutter Photography | Hanna Rose Hunt (pink dress photo)
Kevin Prunty (guitar photo)
Matthew Fresolone (red fabric on beach photo – still from the “Maggie Rogers” music video)
Eddie Brandt (main feature photo)