Actress-Turned-Musician Sophie Thatcher Endorses Funky Monkey Fall

Photo courtesy of Sophie Thatcher.

This is SOUND ADVICE, a weekly destination for playlists curated by Interview’s friends, enemies and lovers. Over the past few weeks, we’ve gathered playlists from Patch +,  Mel Ottenberg, and “Weird Al” Yankovic. This week’s edition comes from actress-turned-musician Sophie Thatcher, who’s about to drop her debut EP Pivot & Scrape. While Thatcher is probably best known for her breakout role in the series Yellowjackets, her latest release, the single “Black and Blue,” is a sultry introduction to her singer-songwriter talents, accompanied by a French New Wave-inspired music video. To commemorate the moment, Thatcher graced us with a blissful playlist and answered our questionnaire, where she discussed taking style cues from Anaïs Nin, coming of age to the music of Elliott Smith, and listening to Silver Jews while lying on the floor.

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Who do you trust most with the aux? Myself… or my twin sister Ellie.

What’s a song that reminds you of your hometown? “Scatterbrain” by Radiohead. I would listen to this on my iPod on repeat.

Who is Pivot & Scrape for? Anyone who would like to listen. I don’t like the idea of having a target audience. 

What led to your pivot to music? I’ve been making music since I was 14 just by myself. My mom was a piano teacher and I grew up taking voice lessons since I was 9. I started off writing melodies with my omnichord then started using Ableton and experimenting with different sounds and textures. 

What makes an iconic bang? A nostalgic melody. 

Who are your style icons? Zoe Lund, Beatrice Dalle, Nina Hagen, Lizzy Mercier Decloux, Nastassja Kinski, Anais Nin, the list goes on and on. So many iconic, stylish, and outlandish women out there. 

Who is your muse? Stina Nordenstam and Kazu Makino. 

Name your favorite artist no one knows about: Grim. Jun Konagaya is a legend and I try to show everyone I know his music. It’s truly magical and from another time. You can find him on YouTube. His solo ambient/experimental work is amazing too.

What does your notes app look like? Lyrics that don’t make any sense, me constructing texts to bail on people (I’m very good at that), breakup texts, if you really scroll far back. Basically, any social interaction that gives me anxiety is in there.  

Hot Girl Summer or Sad Girl Fall? Funky Monkey Fall.

What was your coming-of-age soundtrack? Anything Elliott Smith. I grew up on his music and listened to him every day for about ten years when I was in school. He got me through a lot of times when I felt like a total loner in school. 

What was on the moodboard for the “Black and Blue” music video? The canoe scenes from Celine and Julie Go Boating were my biggest influence. I’m a huge fan of Rivette and Berto and anything they do together. The stop motion Wolf House was another huge inspiration on Ellie’s behalf. 

What album is playing in heaven? Dark Island by Pram.

Best movie-needle drop: “Spoon by Can” in Morvern Caller. Hands down best movie soundtrack. 

Favorite song to listen to while lying on the floor? “Trains Across the Sea” by Silver Jews.

What’s your go-to karaoke song? Anything Carpenters or Pulp. If I’m feeling risqué, I’ll sing something from Cabaret.