Welcome to AP&R, the place we spotlight rising artists who will quickly turn into your new favourite.
Music has all the time been part of artist Softee’s life. Piloted by Nina Grollman, the pop persona has been experimenting with sounds since her youth, recording and producing music and singing covers all through highschool.
Hailing from Moorhead, Minnesota, Grollman has been based mostly out of Brooklyn, New York for nearly a decade, the place together with being an upcoming music sensation, she can be an actress on- and off-Broadway. Her 2020 debut album Hold On was primarily self-engineered and was a car for introducing her authentic DIY pop sound to the world. After signing with Metropolis Slang Data, Softee launched her label debut single “Molly” in 2022, an electrical music impressed by one among her first dates along with her fiancé.
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Her newest single “Come Residence” carries the ‘80s pop synth beat that has turn into a throughline of her work — an upbeat quantity that makes you need to break into dance in the course of the road with lyrics that pierce your coronary heart.
Forward of her upcoming album Pure (due Could 16), AP spoke to the rising pop star about her inspirations, her writing course of, what it’s like writing as Softee, and extra.
What’s the origin story of your persona, Softee?
The beginning of Softee was in 2019 and that was simply out of a necessity for a distinct persona. I wanted one thing else that was not simply me as a result of I had carried out completely below my very own identify all through the town and simply by no means felt fairly proper. It felt like if I simply had a distinct identify and a persona I might do a number of the issues that I wasn’t permitting myself to do as myself. I began producing increasingly as Softee got here alongside and located that sound. I am additionally an actress and I like type of slip into characters and do different issues. I consider myself as Softee and it’s very liberating as a result of like, these should not issues I do in actual life.
How would you describe the music you create?
I put a variety of my very own angst, pleasure, sophisticated emotions right into a pop format that is simple to know, and will get caught in your head. Additionally, I am very non-convoluted with my lyrical strategy. I am making an attempt to be as easy and easy as potential more often than not. So in some methods, it is digestible angst. It is pop music, but it surely’s acquired some angst. Not within the sound essentially however extra within the phrases.
What artists have helped encourage your sound?
I am an enormous fan of Robyn. I am very, very influenced by her, and what she does rather well is she places her lyrics in distinction to her music. Her music “Dancing On My Personal” is the right instance. It is such a tragic music lyrically, however the music is so excessive, and it simply desires to make you need to dance. Positively, Beyoncé is one among my tops. I simply suppose she’s unimaginable, sonically. One other individual that influenced me all through my life, is Regina Spektor. It isn’t my strategy in any respect however I am impressed by her music. Her melodies are simply insane and so catchy, however complicated.
What’s your course of relating to creating your music?
My music “Pink Mild Inexperienced Mild” was distinctive as a result of, up to now, I have been rather more insular with my course of. I are inclined to preserve it to myself till I am within the levels the place there must be some closing touches or, I simply need somebody’s ear on it. However this album has been very completely different, collaboratively. I have been very open from the beginning of letting individuals into the method, and that is been very nice, really.
In the case of your writing course of, is it tough when the traces between Nina and Softee blur?
I all the time begin from a spot of reality. It doesn’t matter what, it is all the time coming from me. Whether or not that’s then augmented or put by way of the lens of a type of character relies on the music and the vibe. However I all the time do begin from a spot of some actually severe ideas or emotions that I am making an attempt to place into phrases.
What’s subsequent for you?
I feel that I’ve a lot extra to study and so many extra individuals to collaborate with. It seems like only the start for me proper now.
