Sophie West Turns Miles into Music with Her Debut EP “Long Time Coming”
Sophie West’s debut EP, “Long Time Coming,” may span just three tracks, but it carries the weight of years spent writing, performing, and waiting for the right moment to share her work, a journey that forms the heart of the record. The Denver-based singer and songwriter has lived and breathed music since childhood, first in the Bay Area, where her mother’s record collection shaped her early taste, and then on San Francisco stages before she even finished high school. Later, in Colorado’s live circuit, she co-founded West of Fennario and performed in venues woven into the state’s musical fabric. Each chapter strengthened her foundation in performance and collaboration, grounding the solo voice we hear today.
“Long Time Coming” emerged from a period of upheaval and self-discovery. In 2019, Sophie walked away from a steady job and familiar routines, bought a van, and spent four months traveling across the country. At a time when things were quietly unraveling, she sought space to rediscover herself through music. The solitude of the road became her writing room, and the songs that surfaced helped her process what words alone couldn’t express. That journey eventually took her to Memphis, where three years of creative growth deepened her sound amid a community built on musical reinvention. Each song began as a journal entry, a fleeting thought that only later revealed its meaning.
The three songs trace a clear emotional arc. The opener, “Outrun My Mind,” blends keys and steel strings to capture the moment Sophie leaves her comfort zone for the open road, where fear and hope start coexisting. “Just Once More” settles into the rhythm of travel, a country-tinged ballad that evokes a lively room under soft yellow lights, as Sophie turns self-reflection into something tender rather than bitter.
The final track, “Note to Self,” brings the focus inward again, pairing piano and strings in a collaboration with longtime friend Greg Leistikow. The result adds texture without overshadowing the song’s intimacy.
Listening to these songs invites reflection beyond Sophie West’s own story. How do you know when it’s time to step away from a life that no longer fits? What does it take to offer yourself the grace to grow into someone new? And once you do, who do you let walk beside you? For Sophie, the answers live inside the music. “Long Time Coming” is brief, but it captures the scope of a much longer journey. It distills years of performance, collaboration, and quiet persistence into a voice that feels steady and assured. Rather than a beginning, it’s a continuation, the sound of an artist who has carried her songs long enough to share them with conviction.
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