FEATURE:
Spotlight
The Sophs
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ON 13th March…
The Sophs release their debut studio album, GOLDSTAR. You can pre-order the album here. I want to spotlight the band ahead of that release. The L.A. sextet are playing London’s 100 Club on 22nd April. That is going to be a hell of a gig! 2026 is going to be a very busy one for them. Promoting that debut album and taking their music around the world. They have a sound and vibe that you do not get with other bands. They have been tipped for big success by so many publications. The band consists of Ethan Ramon, Sam Yuh, Austin Parker Jones, Seth Smades, Devin Russ, Cole Bobbitt. The first interview I am getting to is from Hard of Hearing Magazine, and their 2025 chat with The Sophs as they played the End of the Road Festival in the U.K. They were asked about their formations and how British festivals compare to U.S. ones:
“LA sextet The Sophs announced their signing to Rough Trade this year with the addictive debut single ‘SWEAT’, which spirals from something reminiscent of the intimate indie pop of Metronomy to a furious pitch more evocative of East Coast influences like Bodega and The Strokes. Subsequent singles elaborate on a sprawling musical approach that always orbits a deeply melodic core, the band always keeping focus on the hook that really makes a song. The band’s sprawling setup features lead vocalist Ethan Ramon, keys from Sam Yuh, Austin Parker Jones and Seth Smades on guitar duties (Seth also adds occasional accordion), Devin Russ on drums and Cole Bobbitt on bass. We met up with the band at End of the Road last month after their storming set at a packed Folly stage, comparing notes on Festivals on either side of the Atlantic and hearing about everything the band are excited to share in the coming months.
How did you guys all meet?
E: So Austin, Sam, Seth and I all are from Arizona, I graduated high school with Sam… The Sophs wasn’t formed until we moved out to LA and we were already friends with Cole and Devin and then it all just lined up.
Cole: We were all friends first before the music came along.
How do US festivals compare to UK?
C: I’ve been to Coachella for a few years… this is something completely different. There’s a lot more culture and, people are here to enjoy the music, less so to be seen by cameras. I feel like people go to Coachella and festivals like that to be seen by cameras. People are here to enjoy the music, it’s very refreshing for sure.
What are you most excited to share with listeners, either musically or beyond the music?
S: The end of ‘Blitzed Again’, the end of ‘Blitzed Again’ is magical.
C: I’m excited for all the music we have coming out… I think that since we’ve really strapped in and started working, everything keeps getting better and better, and we become closer as friends professionals, and it feels really special.
E: I think honestly just us as people. I think we have the rare opportunity, we’re fortunate enough to redefine ourselves in the context of this band, at all of our big ages, where all of us are old enough to be a little more in control of how we’re perceived, how we act, and the type of music we make. We’re not failing in public anymore, not creatively, not personally, so just really stoked to be a young adult in a band introducing myself to people, and it kind of sticking”.
Riff Magazine spent some time with The Sophs last year. A no-holds-barred and honest Rock and Roll band, they were signed to a big label despite not having this huge buzz or a relentless social media campaign. A rare occasion of a band being noticed because of tehri talent, live reputation and originality. Something they are not taking for granted as they prepare to release their debut album:
“The Sophs’ live show has a unique, intense energy that seems to be resonating with audiences. The band attributes this in part to the power of playing together, the whole greater than the sum of the parts.
“When I watch the videos back after we’ve played a show, I’m kind of surprised,” Jones says. “When we’re playing, we’re still ourselves. But together we’re an entity, and we’re able to ride that energy through the show. Honestly, I do wish I could see it [from the audience] myself, because when I watch it back, it’s a lot of fun.”
The band has been hitting the road since last summer, including a short tour of the U.K. and Europe. Up next is an eight-date U.S. tour that begins at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco on Oct. 28.
Rough Trade is the home of many of their favorite bands. The band Caroline comes in for particular praise from the band, for its unique and collaborative songwriting. The Sophs says that they are very collaborative themselves and strive for an organic process without famous super-producers and co-writers. Several of the members know how to produce, which they say helped them achieve the sound they wanted better than trying to explain it to an outsider.
They describe their production as “guerilla-style,” adding that being active in the Los Angeles music scene helped prepare for the moment when it came. Friends who work at studios helped them get recording time on nights and weekends.
“We plugged ourselves over these last couple of years, while we were amassing this catalog, Ramon says.”When the time came for us to utilize our resources and our connections and the Rough Trade story came along, we had a lot of people that were willing to help us out, which we’re eternally grateful for”.
here is one more interview that I am covering off before finishing things. In this interview with Atwood Magazine spoke with lead Ethan Ramon as he “fearlessly unpacks the shame, paranoia, catharsis, and brutal honesty driving his band’s irresistible, no-holds-barred sound”. I do think that GOLDSTAR is going to be among the best debut albums of this year. I might revisit the band later in the year:
“DEATH IN THE FAMILY” is your second lifetime single, and one of the more vulnerable songs I've ever heard. What's the story behind this song? What makes it special, for you?
Ethan Ramon: Do you know the scene in 8 Mile where Eminem’s character starts off his final rap battle completely disparaging himself? He talks about how he lives in a trailer park with his mom, then finishes his verse with “tell these people something they don’t know about me.” He protects himself from any criticism, as he’s self-aware enough to identify the worst parts of himself and effectively “beat people to the punch” about himself by weaponizing his flaws and vulnerability. So picture me (Ethan) as Eminem in that scenario.
Ethan, you've said this song is one of the most personal songs you've ever written. What’s this song about, for you?
Ethan Ramon: It’s about shame and paranoia. Two traits I believe all people must have in order to be a good hang.
What do you hope listeners take away from “DEATH IN THE FAMILY,” and what have you taken away from creating it and now putting it out?
Ethan Ramon: I’ve been reading a lot of really touching DMs from fans of the song. I hope they find some sort of solace. That being said, I hope my weakness is not taken for kindness, and I’m not hailed as some sort of bastion of mental health. A flawed person is not going to only be flawed in ways that you can relate to, or are easily captured by an Instagram reel. I hope my status as a human is something everybody can continue to respect.
Lastly, tell me about the band’s latest single, “I'M YOUR FIEND”!
Ethan Ramon: [It’s] The Sophs at our most manic. It’s frenetic declarations of love and lust under a blanket of static so thick it feels like your DIRECTV satellite just got hit by lightning in the middle of your favorite show”.
I am going to wrap it there. I know there are other interviews from last year with the band, though I was eager to spotlight a few that approached the band and music from different perspectives. This feature is an introduction and starting point. People should do a bit more reading and digging, as L.A.’s The Sophs are primed for a huge rest of this year. GOLDSTAR is out on 13th March. I would advise people to check it out. They may be in their earliest phases at the moment, but you know The Sophs are a band with…
A long career ahead.
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