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Roses 3:180:00 / 3:18
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Insanity 2:530:00 / 2:53
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Falling Far 4:460:00 / 4:46
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Leaves 3:530:00 / 3:53
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Letters of Lies 4:180:00 / 4:18
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Beauty of the Heart 4:060:00 / 4:06
Sophie Dorsten
Singer/Songwriter
My name is Sophie Dorsten and I am an Indie Pop/Folk singer-songwriter from the Phoenix area. #littleblondegirlbigvoice
I have released several EP’s, my most recent release titled “Roses.”
“This 16-year-old singer-songwriter has been blessed with a voice that’s nothing less than spellbinding, which she uses to brilliant effect on the emotionally vulnerable ballads that make up her latest recording, a breathtaking three-song collection called “Roses.”
Ed Masley, azcentral.com, January 11, 2019
“When I first heard Sophie’s voice I could not believe such a mature sound came out of a 16-year-old. Blew me away. Her new EP Roses is a sampling of not just her talent in music, but also in writing. She also recently did a live version of “O Holy Night at a Proof is in the Pudding music competition that literally brought tears to my eyes (the good kind.) She plays many gigs valley-wide so plenty of opportunities to catch this rising star.”
Dani Cutler, KWSS, December 10, 2018
Recent Music
Please check out some of my original songs!
Shows
Always posting new shows so be sure to come back and see what's happening! Would love to see you at a show!
Reviews
"This 16-year-old singer-songwriter has been blessed with a voice that's nothing less than spellbinding, which she uses to brilliant effect on the emotionally vulnerable ballads that make up her latest recording, a breathtaking three-song collection called "Roses."
Ed Masley, azcentral.com, January 11, 2019
“When I first heard Sophie’s voice I could not believe such a mature sound came out of a 16-year-old. Blew me away. Her new EP Roses is a sampling of not just her talent in music, but also in writing. She also recently did a live version of “O Holy Night at a Proof is in the Pudding music competition that literally brought tears to my eyes (the good kind.) She plays many gigs valley-wide so plenty of opportunities to catch this rising star.”
Dani Cutler, KWSS, December 10, 2018
"Blurring the lines between folk, dream-pop and chart accessibility, Roses, the title track of her EP, is a charming and graceful calling card. It revels in space and atmosphere, restraint and understatement, the beat doing only enough to provide sonic hooks to hang minimalist music on, the guitars used sparingly, the bass line merely punctuation points. All of this leaves her vocals the focal point of the song and what a great voice it is too. Able to wander between emotive voice,-as-instrument deliveries, and heart-felt pleas, there is something simultaneously beautifully human and eerily otherworldly weaving together at the heart of it all.
Roses is proof that young, would-be pop artists, though even as I write the word it seem woefully inadequate to describe what’s going on here, don’t have to follow the conventions imposed by those around them, that you don’t have to fall for the industry pressures to deliver quickhits and throwaway crowd pleasers. This is music being made for the long game. And if she is making music this mature at 16…yes, you read that right….16, imagine what she might be doing three or four years from now. Definitely one to keep a very close eye on."
Dave Franklin, Dancing About Architecture, September 5, 2019
https://dancingaboutarchitecture.info/2019/09/05/roses-sophie-dorsten-reviewed-by-dave-franklin/
"Based out of Phoenix, Arizona, the highly-talented singer and songwriter Sophie Dorsten blesses us again with another great song entitled Roses. The pop/folk songstress has a very unique voice with a homegrown organic sound that complements her approach to music.
Roses is the title track from Dorsten’s new EP. The song is musically-crafted through a fabulous array of instrumentation, including acoustic guitar, strings, and an immense vocal performance by Sophie Dorsten. it is almost as if everything that Dorsten’s voice touches turns into gold. Dorsten is able to carry her audience into the clouds with the theme of surviving heartbreak and coming to grips with what was. Bravo!"
Warlock Asylum International News, September 8, 2019
https://warlockasyluminternationalnews.com/2019/09/08/roses-by-sophie-dorsten/
"“Roses” is taken from Sophie Dorsten’s EP, which is also titled Roses. Dorsten is a sixteen-year-old singer (that’s right; just sixteen), and “Roses” is a moody, acoustic guitar-driven ballad. Dorsten sells it with a precociously lovely voice.
Dorsten is a self-described indie/folk singer that calls the Phoenix, AZ area home. If you think sixteen is a young age to be recording music, you should also know Dorsten’s been performing since she was the tender age of nine. Back then, she was in a band with her brothers called Sophie and The Boyz, where she sang and played bass. After a long stretch as a kind of family band, though, Dorsten set out on her own. She taught herself how to play guitar and write her own songs. She also chose to cover songs she really liked. She’s released three Eps of solo music, so far, with the first being Beauty of the Heart, which she put out at just thirteen. She’s worked with Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock organization in Arizona, and even volunteers as a vocal coach. After all, at sixteen, she’s already a musical veteran.
With “Roses,” Dorsten sings like a true adult. One must wonder, what with a song and EP title like Roses, if Dorsten was inspired by another folk singer. One who was not an indie artist – indie didn’t even exist at the time – but a commercial artist, named Joni Mitchell. For the Roses, was Mitchell’s fifth studio album. But whereas Dorsten sonic is fairly stripped down, Mitchell worked with jazzer Tom Scott, and featured Graham Nash and Stephen Stills on backing vocals. Nevertheless, it’s nearly impossible to imagine modern folk – even the indie variety – without the pioneering work of Joni Mitchell. Before Mitchell, it was rare to hear a woman write and sing highly introspective, scarily vulnerable songs. She was one of the first, and still after all that have come after her, one of the best.
Dorsten draws from Mitchell with the heartfelt nature of this song. She also sings beautiful high notes, the way Mitchell used to do, before smoking gave her voice an equally enjoyable husky tone. Dorsten has the sound down, although one must wonder how much real life love she’s experienced. At sixteen, one is still a few years shy of adulthood. Even Maria McKee, back when she fronted Lone Justice at a young age, still had some living to do. What McKee lacked in real life experience, though, she more than made up for by educating herself on country music history. She may not have lived that life, but like any good actress, she learned her part well.
Clearly, Sophie Dorsten has a talent to be reckoned with. I once overheard someone describe a band has being good; they just hadn’t sinned enough. We’re not wishing Dorsten a life of sin, in order to become more believable. However, more life experience will give her music much more depth. With a voice like hers, though, she really has a chance to go places. Let’s hope everything comes up roses for Dorsten in the future."
Skope Mag, September 10, 2019
https://skopemag.com/2019/09/10/sophie-dorsten-new-single-roses-from-her-ep-roses
"Sophie Dorsten sings with pure love on the passionate “Roses”. Lyrics have a poetic aura to them. The arrangement perfectly accompanies her over the journey of her engrossing storytelling. A delivery that recalls Joanna Newsom at her most soulful, the entirety of the piece works wonders. Carefully taking her time she makes sure every element falls into place with the utmost of care. Folk, country, and chamber pop merge into one singular cohesive whole. By refusing to fully settle into any one of these styles she goes for something that has a timeless air to it. Instrumentally too the song has a colorful, flexible quality.
The nimbleness of the acoustic guitar introduces the piece. From there it all unfurls in a gorgeous haze. Gentle, graceful gestures come about as her vocals enter the mix. With a bit of longing the song comes into bloom upon the inclusion of the drums into the mix. Strings, piano, and more combine to create a stream of consciousness quality. Virtually weightless the entirety of the piece radiates such undeniable warmth. Letting all of it slowly fade out halfway through points to the cyclical nature of the piece. On the latter half of the work things truly shine, for the tension from the first half becomes resolved with such satisfaction.
On “Roses” Sophie Dorsten explores a pastoral beauty, one that unfolds on its own terms, with a romantic quality that permeates the entirety of the piece."
Beach Sloth, September 6, 2019
http://www.beachsloth.com/sophie-dorsten-roses.html
Photos
Proof Finals at the Van Buren
Marquee Theatre
Marquee Theatre
ROSES Album Cover
ROSES - Last Exit Live
ROSES Release Party
ROSES - Last Exit Live
ROSES Release Party
Performing Insanity at Last Exit Live
The Van Buren - Proof Finals
