songwriter

Six Questions with Sofia Kourtesis

Photo Credit: Dan Medhurst

Peruvian producer and DJ Sofia Kourtesis draws constant inspiration from her family. Her 2021 breakthrough single, La Perla, honored her late father, blending a flowing melody with voice recordings that capture her sense of longing for home from Berlin.

After remixing tracks for Caroline Polachek and Jungle, Kourtesis released her debut album. Madres in October 2023, dedicated to her mother and the neurosurgeon who performed life-saving cancer surgery on her.

The album features 10 tracks showcasing her emotive approach to electronic production and blends Sofia’s Peruvian roots and Berlin club influences, exploring both personal resilience and community.

Kourtesis answered six quick questions before her performance at Desert Air Festival.

If you had to describe your music using three words, what would they be

Playful, happy, and nostalgic. I aim to evoke those emotions and take listeners on a journey through sound.

What’s your best networking tip?

I believe in making genuine connections. Look people in the eye, engage in natural conversations, and be yourself. Focus on building authentic relationships with those who share your passions—it's all about creating bonds that matter.

What's your favorite/least favorite thing about making music?

My favorite part of making music is the freedom to express myself and connect with others through sound. However, there are moments that can be tough, like dealing with creative blocks or the pressures of the industry. Despite these challenges, I choose to focus on the joy and fulfillment that music brings me, as it's a dream I've always wanted to pursue.

3 things you can't live without in your bag

My passport, phone, and my Venlafaxine antidepressant pills. These essentials keep me connected and grounded, especially when traveling or managing daily life.

What’s your favorite way to unwind when you’re not making music?

There’s something liberating about stepping outside my routine and experiencing life in the moment.

What are you listening to at the moment?

Right now, I’m really into Floating Points, Caribou—who has been a great mentor to me—and Arca. Their unique sounds inspire me and keep my creativity flowing.


PALM SPRINGS AIR MUSEUM • NOVEMBER 15-16, 2024

Desert Air is a 2-day music festival taking place on Friday, November 15th and Saturday, November 16th, 2024 at the Palm Springs Air Museum.

A weekend dance floor destination in the desert, hosting two stages of international selectors.  

2-Day & Single Day Passes On Sale Now!


Red Bull Records' Morgan on Her Newest Project 'Emotional Gangster'

Morgan is one of the UK’s most exciting rising stars in Pop and R&B, with over 80 million combined streams, a dedicated online following, and a new label home at Red Bull Records. Her forthcoming project, titled Emotional Gangster, features a collaboration with dancehall heavyweight Byron Messia.

Morgan's journey started young—she began performing at just three years old, and by 18, she was touring the world as a vocalist for Rudimental. Her solo career took off with the release of ‘My Year,’ a sparkling pop debut, followed by the hit collaboration ‘Mulholland Drive’ with Ebenezer, which earned over 10 million streams. Her subsequent EP Alien was packed with golden-era pop influences and featured collaborations with Anne-Marie, Cadenza, Dyo, Preditah, and Rudimental.

At 17, she wrote ‘ADCT,’ which later climbed to the top of both TikTok Trending Sounds and the UK Top 50, racking up over 25 million streams. Morgan has also co-written and featured on major tracks like Rudimental & Digga D’s ‘Be the One’ and Sigma’s ‘Adrenaline Rush,’ which sampled Bittersweet Symphony. Recently, she’s expanded her reach by writing for top K-pop artists like NCT’s Jaehyun and will feature on Purple Disco Machine’s upcoming album PARADISE later this year.

Now, with two sold-out London headline shows under her belt and her first UK headline tour set to kick off at the end of the year, Morgan is one of the most emerging talents in the scene. Her latest single, ‘Wheel Up,’ a collaboration with Jamaican superstar Byron Messia, dropped on 25th September via her upcoming sophomore EP Emotional Gangster, out on 25th October.

In this Q&A, Morgan opens up about her new single “Wheel Up”, working with Byron Messia, and what fans can expect from her highly anticipated EP.

Your new EP Emotional Gangster is dropping soon. What is the story/inspiration behind it?

I'm so excited for this EP to drop - it's been a minute since I dropped my own music. The story behind it is pretty simple. Firstly, a lot of people, especially my friends, think that I am this super tough person - I have an extremely tough exterior (it might be the Aries in me - I have a lot of fire). However, I am hugely emotional and sensitive at heart. Secondly, I wanted to create a project that incorporates both sides of my personality whilst also highlighting the versatility in my sound and songwriting. I absolutely hate being put in a box.

“Wheel Up” feels like an homage to Jamaican sound system culture, but also taps into the UK rave scene. How do these two worlds connect for you, and where do you fit in?

I'm half Jamaican and  half British so the connection is plain and simple. I'm a proud product of dual heritage and you can hear those influences in my music. 

What is your top networking tip for connecting with the right people in music e.g. a manager or a record label?

Never rush into a working relationship. Take your time sussing people out and ensuring they have the best possible intentions. I built a relationship with my manager for at least a year before entering a business relationship with her. 

Tips for finding your creativity on a tough day

A producer once told me to keep on creating even when I feel creatively blocked as it helps you get all the s*** out - that stuck with me. I try to keep writing even if I'm not feeling inspired. Even if a session isn't how I have wanted it to go, I've still learnt something that day. 

What advice would you give to artists that are just starting out?

Perseverance and shamelessness are key! 

3 things you can't live without in your bag

You will never see me without a lip gloss or lip liner - it's my makeup staple. I always need my phone - especially when I am in sessions, my notes section is literally where you will find all my song ideas and lyrics. Lastly, my car keys - I literally drive everywhere and always seem to be in my car (it's become a running joke with my team... even every zoom meeting involves me in or next to my car).


Morgan will go on a tour this November, headlining five shows across the UK, including a date at London’s iconic Jazz Cafe. The dates are as follows and tickets are available HERE:

November 25: Glasgow @ The Poetry Club

November 26: Manchester @ YES

November 28: London @ Jazz Café

November 30: Birmingham @ The Sunflower Lounge

December 1: Bristol @ The Louisiana

The Aces' Alisa Ramirez on Music, Identity, and Their Latest Album

Indie-pop quartet The Aces released their highly-anticipated third studio album, I’ve Loved You For So Long, back in June. Spanning eleven tracks, the record sees the band reflect on their childhood and unpack how their early experiences with closeted love and religious trauma have influenced their relationships, mental health, and identity in the present.

Finding inspiration in the likes of The Cranberries and LCD Soundsystem, The Aces experimented with new styles while remaining authentic to their roots. The early singles caught the attention of tastemakers like KCRW, BBC Radio 1, and KROQ, to name a few, racking up over 12 million streams ahead of today’s release. The band is currently on a global tour supporting their album.

We are thrilled to have Alisa Ramirez from The Aces share invaluable advice and insights for industry newcomers

Hey, what's up, shesaid.so this is Alisa from the Aces, and I'm going to be answering some of your questions today.

What were some of the musical influences that inspired the sound of your latest record?

I'd say a big musical influence for this record was late 80s early 90s Shoegaze. And, kind of the end of New Wave as well as the beginning of Grunge. I feel that was a big thing for us. This record is largely about our teenage years and our youth and how experiences from our teenhood affect our adulthood. So it was very much about timing and kind of leaning into sounds that were really nostalgic to paint the pictures of the past and leaning into sounds that were really futuristic and really modern to paint the stories of our adulthood and our current moment. So I'd say timing and big eras of music - past and present - were really influential for the sound.

How do you overcome creative blocks?

I think having a creative block is really tough, but the best thing for me is just not trying to “beat it over the head”, you know? Just sitting at my studio desk, hoping something comes out. It's kind of a two-way street. If you're showing up to create something, and the Muses aren't showing up, then okay, it's not gonna happen. I think sometimes it just comes to you and it happens. But if you're going through a period where you just feel like you can't get it out or there's nothing inspiring, then I would just say take a break. Go live your life. Go read books, go to museums, explore, go out and meet new people. Just try to just live your life and find inspiration through everyday things and new experiences. That's what I always do. Seems to work.

What’s your top advice for young individuals wanting to become musicians?

I'd say just go for it. It's a lot of work practice. But if you love it, it won't feel like work. Just practice, practice, practice, build your audience, don't take no for an answer and just keep getting better at songwriting and keep getting better at whatever instrument you play. Keep chasing creativity, keep chasing inspiration.

Do you have any pre-show rituals?

Yeah, we do we always huddle up and do like a little mantra, kind of a prayer to the universe, kind of tap in and, and just, you know, ask to have a good show. None of us are very religious, but it's always a good feeling to kind of huddle up and combine our collective energy to put on the best performance we can.

If you could travel back in time to any musical era, which one would it be?

I would probably travel back to the 60s as it was a really exciting time. It was the first time that people were going electric. It was the first time people were talking about sex and mental health in a more forward way. It wasn't this kind of subliminal thing, it was more in your face. It just felt like the first time that music started to get really exciting and have a rebellious element to it, you know what I mean? And not just be kind of centred around like religion and social norms.

Okay, well, those are my answers. Have a good one!


The Aces Third Studio Album I’ve Loved You For So Long is out on Red Bull Records.

Stream The Album Here.

Artist Spotlight #7 : Bea Anderson

Bea’s earliest experience of music came as a three-year-old when her Mum placed her in front of an audience and asked her to sing. As she shares here, her musical journey since then has really formed itself as an extension of her development as a person. Her interest in timeless sounds and music with soul has guided her releases and collaborations, prioritising ‘authentic over current’. With her first release on 2022, ‘Mirror, Mirror’, landing on the BBC Radio 1Xtra playlist she looks ahead to her next single ‘Pieces’ and how she’d like to see the industry develop.

Bea Anderson

shesaid.so: Tell us more about your artist journey and how your sound has developed to where it is today?

BA: As strange as it sounds, I feel so far into my journey — yet it’s only just starting! It’s taken years of cultivation/experimentation to get to this sound so I am super excited about how I have been received. Guitar has always been key to my songwriting, hence why it’s usually the main instrument in my songs thus far. My EP was quite guitar based, but more so because I wanted to show the world how I make music and where it’s derived from. Moving onto my releases for this year however, everything is much more production based, and really shows my artistic influences.

shesaid.so: There are some iconic artists and creators who have inspired and influenced you (including Lauryn Hill, Solange, H.E.R). In your opinion, what sets artists like these apart?

BA:

“Timelessness! You could listen to these albums YEARS from today and they’d still be relevant, fresh and exciting. That same concept is literally what I strive to be, authentic over current, and timeless.”

shesaid.so: You had an exciting start to 2022 with lots of support for your beautiful record, Mirror Mirror. What did that mean to you?

BA: The support meant everything! I was quite nervous releasing Mirror Mirror as it was such a stand out track and not too current. I really wasn’t sure how it would be received, however, seeing how people interacted with the song was so heartwarming and a reminder to always stay true to myself and my music.

shesaid.so: ‘Pieces’ is next up! What can you tell us about the writing process of that song?

BA: So I started writing pieces in a virtual session. The producer, Jarom S’ua (US based), played the beginning of this beat and I literally fell in love with the tune over zoom! I wrote the first verse and chorus in half an hour and completed the song in a few days. That doesn’t always happen with music, but when it does it’s like absolute magic.

shesaid.so: shesaid.so is a community guided by intersectionality. In your opinion, how could the music industry do better in terms of inclusivity?

BA: I think there are SO many female music producers and beat makers of multiple genres, which is absolutely beautiful. It would be great to see those names as the lead producers of major artists, giving them the same amount of exposure as male producers in their field.

shesaid.so: Has community played a role in your evolution as a creative?

BA: Most definitely. Community plays a huge part in my why. My aim is to be a role model for young women and minorities to look up to and aspire to be like — encouraging them to dream big, regardless of their upbringing or surroundings.

shesaid.so: And finally, could you share three bullet-point top tips for artists just starting out? What would you have loved to hear?

- Find yourself first and then allow your music to be an extension of that.

- Your journey is separate to everyone else’s, stay focused on yours.

- And, take your time, don’t rush baby!

Where you can find Bea Anderson:

Spotify // Apple Music // YouTube // SoundCloud

Instagram // TikTok // Twitter

Shesaidso

Music Industry


Artist Spotlight #5: MILCK

Winding back five years, as tensions were brewing in the U.S., MILCK performed her song “Quiet”, surrounded by an acapella of other women. Such a personal message became the words many women needed at that time, “I can’t keep quiet”, and the song became an unofficial anthem of the movement. Now in the middle of writing two albums, we catch up with the artist on her approach to songwriting, staying free as a creative, and making the process more important than the outcome.

Tell us more about your artist journey and how your sound has developed to where it is today?

Music has always been a form of truth telling for me — As a child, songwriting was a safe place for me to express my desires, dissents, and delights about life. To this day, songwriting continues to be my favorite way of processing the more complex and challenging parts of life. I love how music helps me alchemize the anxieties of living into something sonically cathartic and hopeful.

I have always been able to hear melodies in everything- from the pitch of the coffee grinder to the rhythms that the closing car doors in the grocery store parking lot simulate. Sounds in the natural world can spur melodic or rhythmic ideas. Paired with intentional musical instruments, melodies and chunks of lyrics flow into my mind. Over the years I have learned to collect these ideas with as much diligence as possible. What I hear is very eclectic; I have a lot of different moods and energies that I can write in, so I have learned to find creative ways of honoring all my different sides, regardless of a capitalist market that desires for a definable style. Currently I’m writing two different albums- one is more gritty and cinematic, while the other is more organic and minimal. As I grow as an artist, I have learned to be as free as possible in the creation, while also being as intentional during the editing process. I understand the difference of phases, and have empowered myself with my own rituals that empower my unique flow.

Who are some of the key artists and creators who have inspired or influenced you?

Tori Amos

Glennon Doyle

Lao Tzu

John Lennon

Yoko Ono

Nina Simone

Audre Lorde

Dan Wilson

Kate Bush

Yumi Sakugawa

We’re talking to you on the 5 year anniversary of “Quiet”, which became the unofficial anthem of the women’s march in 2017. How did it feel to have written something which empowered and moved so many women during this great moment of protest?

As someone who feels quite a bit of anxiety and worry, this viral moment of “Quiet” was the most divine reminder for me to trust: To trust that my story is enough. To trust my inner voice that whispers to me. To trust that I’m not alone in my obstacles as a survivor, Asian human, and woman.

I also learned that when I mix self-healing with intentional storytelling, I can share in the healing with quite literally the world. Being able to witness something that my cowriter Adrianne Gonzalez and I created become something so deeply integrated into our culture’s yearning for healing has forever deepened my respect for the power of songs.

For a while, the high of being able to connect so deeply with people all over the globe also warped my standards for my other songs. The intense goal of writing more songs to become cultural anthems did freeze me up for a bit, no matter how much I consciously told myself to avoid that desire. I had to learn to go gentle on myself, and to remember that what truly was the gift was the beautiful process of honestly healing myself through the song. I’ve adjusted the goal post from “write global anthem to heal women” to “write song to heal self”, and it feels MUCH BETTER. Lol.

Now, I do my best to focus on the process, rather than the outcome.

What do you see the role of art being when it comes to politics and the ability to impact the world we live in?

In a capitalist driven culture that feeds on human beings becoming commodified worker bees for the benefit of a select few elite, I think art is a gorgeous practice for questioning the existing paradigm. Art is a crucial tool that human beings use to remind ourselves of our wildness and our worthiness. Art is a powerful reminder of our yearning to feel loved and free. Art is a powerful reminder of how unique we each are, while being so similar to each other at the same time.

In Tori Amos’s book Resistance, she reflects on how a radio DJ showed her a list of forbidden songs during the period of crisis after 9/11. Songs that had lyrics that could trigger people, like airplanes, etc. One of the songs that was banned from radio playlists was “Imagine” by John Lennon and Yoko Ono! Tori Amos speculates that the song was banned for being too powerful in its reminder for a possibility of peace during a time that the states was yearning to go to war.

Art has the power to open people’s hearts, which then more effectively opens people’s minds, priming large populations of people to act. Studies have shown that storytelling increases the amount of serotonin in the brain, which increases the likelihood for a human to take action. How amazing is that? Art sparks movements. Activists provide the fuel to keep the movements sustainable.

You’ve collaborated with many brilliant creatives. Amanda Gorman and Jordin Sparks to name a couple. In your opinion, what defines a strong musical collaboration?

A strong musical collaboration is a conjoining of artists who have had a lot of intentional practice with listening to and vocalizing their intuitions and instincts.

The more clear and honest we can each be with ourselves, the more clear and genuine a collaboration can be.

Amanda Gorman and Jordin Sparks are both very strong and intelligent women who have harnessed their ability to listen to their own instincts, which made it a joy to cocreate with them.

What can we expect from your forthcoming album?

I am learning to slow down to listen to and trust my instincts more and more, so I’ve been able to grow as a producer myself. As I grow as a producer, I have leaned into my curiosity with sonic textures. You’ll notice this album has a heightened level of sonic range, allowing my sense of angst and grittiness to cathartically unleash.

shesaid.so is a community guided by intersectionality. In your opinion, how could the music industry do better in terms of inclusivity?

“SLOW DOWN.”

When we rush, we often practice what I call “rushist” practices… Efficiency does not prioritize the nuances of humanity, so we need to slow down to update our contact lists. Despite the perceived financial “cost”… rather than looking at slower production schedules as you search for and train more BIPOC employees, I encourage all of us to look at it as a financial “investment” in creating more holistic and representative community at work.

You can learn more about MILCK through her Instagram @milckmusic and her website.