I can’t see it, but I can feel it, taste it, remember it – so I know it must be true. It is in this haze between reverie and reality or true and false that Vancouver artist, Sophia Stel walks along the soft edge lethologica and anamnesis with her newest single “I’m Not Alone.” 

The fourth release off of her upcoming debut EP, Object Permanence out September 13 via Pack. Records, “I’m Not Alone” reveals itself almost as a retrospective iambic pentameter at the start with the beguiling and circling six and seven syllable lines. It is both ephemeral and enduring. Warm electronic sentiments and thrumming bass are held together by whispered assurances rendered with airbrushed clarity, anchored sincerity, and a quiet strength. What occurs is a luminous interplay between the essence of connection and solitude in equal measure that is crystalline and weightless. 

Following previous releases, "You Could Hate Me, " "Static, and "Object Permanence," Sophia continues to sublime moments of the mundane with nitid devotion. She shares, “I thought for a long time about making this song before I actually got started.  It’s got a lot of lyrics, and in many ways is more of a poem so I wanted the instrumentation to be simple but dreamy. I wanted it to really wrap itself around the words, while still leaving the emotion room to surface.” And the artist's intentions ring true, as “I’m Not Alone,” allows for each word to float away as the meaning stays deep within us and vitality is restored, no longer mired in the past. 

See here, Sophia Stel speak on what she can’t hold or see, but knows is real with her first EP, Object Permanence.

What is something in your life that’s bringing you joy at the moment?

Smoking on the curb with my friends.

When do you feel the most inspired to write?

When I take a walk around my block because I always see something interesting.

Can you walk us through "I'm Not Alone"? What was happening in the moments leading up to writing this song?

It’s hard to remember the exact moments leading up to writing “I'm Not Alone” but I do remember it was February, which tends to be both an introspective and depressing time of year for me (and for most people, I think). I wrote the majority of the song very quickly in my apartment over some simple chords, then added the rest of the production over the next couple of weeks. 

I had been living a lot in my memories — good memories, to be specific — playing them over and over in my head, trying to reconnect with those moments again. As a result of spending so much time in the past, my day-to-day life had started to feel very dreamlike, and I wrote this song from that space.

How does the track play into the storytelling of the upcoming Object Permanence EP?

The EP, in its entirety, is really just about my experiences over the last few years and the things I’ve learned about myself and the people around me. Most of the earlier tracks on the EP explain my struggle to accept and understand love, while 'I’m Not Alone' is about acknowledging and embracing the love that surrounds me, even when it’s a complex feeling.

What does “object permanence” mean to you, and what are examples of it in your personal life?

I’ve had the Wikipedia definition printed out and stuck to my wall for a while now, actually. According to Wikipedia: “Object permanence is the understanding that whether an object can be sensed has no effect on whether it continues to exist.” I’ve always had an interest in Early Childhood Developmental psychology, so the first time I heard the term “Object Permanence” it was in that context. When I use it in the song, I’m referring to my own struggles with attachment to others. I’ve experienced a lot of coming and going in my life, and now sometimes struggle to fully attach to people. “Object Permanence,” the song, speaks specifically to a relationship where I really wanted to feel attached, probably more than ever before, but felt that in some way I couldn’t.

How do you intend Object Permanence to be listened to? What do you hope listeners take home with them?

In transit mostly, I think. Walking home, on trains and buses, in airports… You get the idea. I always think of my music as headphone music. I really can’t say what I hope people will take away from it, I guess that's up to them.

Many of your lyrics incorporate elements of the mundane, just small observations of your physical surroundings. What is the intention behind drawing attention to these un-fantastical aspects?

I’m honestly not sure why I do that, it's not really intentional at all. Maybe it’s because a lot of my life has been spent working mundane jobs and getting to and from work, trying to make music in between jobs or even while I’m working. I think details are important and I like to write about everything, so nothing is really that mundane to me at this point. I think you just have to pay close enough attention.