Sofia Gillani: An Authentic, Bold Voice In Music
Samantha Colleran, May 2025
Ahead of the release of her newest single, “Chains”, I had the chance to chat with Sofia Gillani, a London based avant garde pop singer-songwriter who began her musical career at just nine years old. With a number of single releases under her belt, Sofia’s music has connected with listeners through her vulnerable songwriting that conveys a message of hope. Two of her singles have been featured on BBC Introducing and she’s performed at numerous HMV stores across the UK as well as main stages for festivals including Haslemere Fringe Festival and Exeter Pride. “Chains” will be released on May 30th, but in the meantime, you can read all about Sofia’s musical journey, inspirations, and where to catch her on tour this summer!
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SC: Today we have avant garde pop singer-songwriter Sofia Gillani. Sofia, if you’d like to introduce yourself, give us some background on who you are and where you’re tuning in from.
SG: Hi! As you said, I’m Sofia Gillani, a London based avant garde pop singer-songwriter. I like to experiment a lot with my sound. I’ve released a number of singles, “Read Your Mind” being the most recent release, which you should definitely check out! I’m also releasing a new song called “Chains” on the 30th of May.
SC: I did have a sneak peek of “Chains”, and I’m super excited for everyone to hear it! It’s so awesome.
SG: Thank you!
SC: Let’s backtrack a bit. You began your musical career starring as the lead in Evita which ran for four nights at the Olivier Awards, and you were just nine years old. How has musical theater informed your career so far, if it has? Do you take any of those lessons you’ve learned on the stage and incorporate them into performances, do you feel that it’s informed your songwriting and style?
SG: Definitely! Musical theater has aided the performance aspect of being a singer-songwriter. You have to think about all these different parts of making music; writing, producing. When you start young, you have to learn the ropes and that helped me develop. Musical theater focuses specifically on performing, it focuses on production and facial expressions that I don’t think I’d have if I never did musical theater. I love performing so much, it allows me to give bold flavor to my music which I think is the reason my favorite part of being a singer-songwriter is performing.
Doing “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” was definitely an experience. At that age I had to understand what the song was and its delicacies. It was an eye opening experience that helped me with writing and performing.
SC: Being able to understand the weight of that song at such a young age is incredible. Not only have you been in musical theater, you’ve also been featured on BBC Introducing with your singles “Water Run Dry” and “Levels”. What was it like to be featured with those two songs, and what did it mean to you to connect to an audience on that level, because BBC Introducing is huge!
SG: “Water Run Dry” and “Levels” are two of my favorite songs that I’ve ever released. Having them specifically on BBC Introducing was incredible. Hearing your music back on the radio is a surreal experience, regardless of what radio station it is. BBC Introducing specifically was an eye opening experience, it showed me that what I’m doing is a journey and we have to appreciate the small victories on the way. Last week, I was actually on BBC Berkshire, which is broadcasted to Oxford, Surrey, Kent, Solent, a few other places, and I actually got to go to the studio to talk about “Read Your Mind”. Being able to talk to my interviewer Rena [Dannobil] in the studio was such a fun experience. It reminds me why being an independent singer-songwriter is as fun as it is.
SC: That’s amazing, so so cool! As you mentioned, you are an independent artist. You do a lot of self promotion, writing, producing, you’re an everything woman. How do you balance all of it? Creating music in itself is a lot, but especially in today’s world being an independent artist where so many people have access to all the same tools and social platforms can be challenging. You’re doing a lot of the hard work, how do you balance all of it?
SG: Well, thank you! It is a lot. I have to say, as independent as I am, I could not be where I am without the support system and team I have. I have some amazing co-managers, and my dad is so ridiculously supportive. Without them, navigating music as I have at the moment, would be so tricky. When anyone is starting out in the music industry, they should have a strong support system. It’s a vulnerable industry, there’s so many things that can go wrong.
At the core of it, what I’ve always wanted to do is express myself, put songs out there that represent my name, a brand, but it all has to be authentic. That’s why I like to have a foot in everything, especially songwriting. All the songs I have out at the moment are one hundred percent me. I’m open to collaboration, but I like to have that voice in my music. Because there are so many tools out there, people tend to get lost in them. When navigating all these different parts, especially producing, it’s a journey, and we all have to start somewhere. I’m not going to sit here and say I was completely perfect when I started. Starting young, it feels as if you grow alongside your music. Being independent whilst having that support system is one of the cool parts of my music, it comes through.
SC: It for sure shines through in your music. You did say that you write all of your own music, one hundred percent you. What is your process like when writing? Do you have an idea for a melody first, do lyrics come to you first and then melody and production get worked around that? Do you have an experience where you’re like “Oh my God, I have to write about this”? I love hearing people’s process behind the making of songs.
SG: Me too, actually, it is really interesting. I treat my songwriting a bit like journaling, or a diary. I feel a lot of intense emotions, and music is an extension of myself, so lyrics definitely come first. I jot a few words in my Notes app, and later on when I’m feeling more inspired or experiencing that same general emotion, I’ll develop the song. From there, I work out a melody or beat around said lyrics. The lyrics give away the general message or vibe of the song. If I started with the music first, it wouldn’t feel true to me.
SC: I know you write about personal topics and experiences. How do you find the balance between making your songs relatable while staying true to your lived experiences and your story?
SG: I think the relatability aspect of it happens quite organically. People interpret songs all the time whether artists work to make their music relatable or not. I do, when writing, feel a sense of “Other people can relate to this”, but most of it is just my experiences. I’ve had people message me and say how they feel about the song and how it related to them. My music does just that, it’s all different so people can relate to it at different stages of their life. While the relatability aspect is fun and it is something I subconsciously think about, the fact that it’s raw and I have my heart on my sleeve when I write my songs, that comes through. That’s how people relate to it, instead of me trying to be relatable, if that makes sense?
SC: That makes total sense! You can feel it when listening to your music. Let’s talk about “Chains”! I’m so excited for people to hear it. Walk me through the process of creation. How did the song come to be, what inspired it? How did you work… the production is a little intense, I felt it in my chest. When I was first listening, I was like, *holds chest* “Ooh!”
SG: Oh my gosh, yeah. It’s definitely an intense song. It’s very bold, loud, expressive. It’s so funny, we were wondering when we were going to release this. Because it’s such a loud, bold song, we had to find a time where we wouldn’t overwhelm listeners. With summer coming up, and me having some gigs and festivals in the summer, I think it’ll work really nicely. It’s me having this louder expression and being myself in the music industry. As stereotypically loud and expressive as it is, it is truly something special to me. I’ve been working on it for a very long time, and I’m really excited for people to listen to it.
SC: It’s going to translate so well in live settings. You can feel the energy. Once people have it in their ears and get to know it, and then come to see you perform, it’s going to be so cool! What festivals and shows are you playing that people can keep an eye out for?
SG: This is very soon, but this Saturday, the 10th of May, I’m headlining the Hippodrome Stage at Exeter Pride, which is going to be so fun. I’m playing “Chains” there! On the 13th of May, I have a gig in Hackney in East London at a place called Paper Dress Boutique for their electro pop night, where I’ll also be performing “Chains”. I have a few more shows, a U.K. mini tour, which you can see the dates for on my Instagram. I’m doing a few other Pride festivals like Chinchester Fringe and Guilfest. It’s going to be a really packed summer and I can’t wait for everyone to see the song in action!
SC: That is so exciting, and even more exciting that people get to hear “Chains” before it’s actually released!
SG: It’s going to be released so soon, and once it’s out on all streaming services I’ll have links for it everywhere. I’m ready to promote it! There will be visuals for the song as well.
SC: Ooh! When can we expect those, if you’re allowed to say?
SG: On the day of release! The song will come out, and then you can go see the visuals. Boom, boom, boom! As I said, it’s a packed summer.
SC: Will the visuals be on YouTube, will they be showcased as a Spotify canvas?
SG: There’s going to be promo material bouncing left and right, but definitely on YouTube for the full video.
SC: Love, it’s all so exciting! What do you hope listeners take away from “Chains”, and your overall message as an artist. What do you hope they connect with and learn about you through your music?
SG: With the new song, I want people to take up space, to be loud and unafraid to take up that space. I think in a time where being true to yourself is so important, it’ll resonate with people who feel like they’ve been bubbling up something. Now is the time to let it go, to be expressive. In general, what I hope people take away from my music is to not only feel that vulnerability in my songs, but to have a sense of hope. I’ve never done a song that’s completely depressing, I’ve always done something with an uplifting message. I want people to feel hope and light and a safe space, and like I said earlier, to relate to songs at any different stage of their life. If you want someone experimental and unafraid, Sofia Gillani.
SC: That is so beautiful. Like you said, especially now more than ever, we need people to be bold, brave, courageous, to speak their truth and live in the moment. I think “Chains” is going to be perfect for that.
SG: I can’t wait for people to hear it, 30th of May, mark your calendars.
SC: Where can people find you on social media? You mentioned your Instagram, are you on TikTok, Twitter or X?
SG: On Instagram, I’m @sofia.aneesa.gillani, and I do have a TikTok that I’m working on, @sofiagillanimusic. My music is on all streaming platforms, I’m Sofia Gillani on everything, you’ll find me!
SC: Wonderful, thank you so much for your time!
SG: Thank you!
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“Chains” will be available on all streaming platforms on May 30th, 2025. You can pre-save the track on Spotify, and follow Sofia on Spotify, Apple Music, or any streaming service you prefer!