February 21, 2025 • 31 mins
Sophie Lloyd is a British guitarist who rose to popularity by posting her amazing playing to digital platforms like YouTube and TikTok. This led to her releasing eps that saw her shredding through renditions of legendary hard rock songs. She then spent the better part of the pandemic putting together her first true solo album featuring a who's who of modern rock singers like Lzzy Hale, Tyler Connolly, Danny Worsnop, Brandon Saller, and more. All former guests of this show. In the process, she also became Machine Gun Kelly's guitar player. As a guitarist, I'm stoked to help introduce the amazingly talented Sophie Lloyd to you.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Attention please, and no, it's Cutters Rockcast.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Hello. Hello, Hello, Hello, that sounds great.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
It's like see the power of zoom an hour in
the studio together. Nobody until you watch the video, then
you'll know. Sophie Lloyd, it's a pleasure to meet you, Sophie.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
It's lovely to meet you too. Thank you so much
for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
You're very welcome. Happy post National Guitar Day.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Wait, did i'm Is that a real thing? Did I
miss that?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
It is a real thing. So at the time that
this conversation is being recorded, which is about a week
or two before air, yesterday was National Guitar Day.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Oh, I'm so embarrassed that I missed that. I'm so sorry.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Okay, it's fine, only one of the best guitarists in
the world. But hey whatever, I know, right.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
What let down the main day I'm gonna remember.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
I know it's fine. I posted my pictures of my guitars.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
They'll be so mad at me.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Hey, I mean I posted a picture of my guitars
and then I wrote a new song. Nobody'll ever hear it,
but it's fine. I wrote it. No, No, you don't
my singer like you d my singer says it sounds
too much like dirty honey.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
But whatever, well, there's no bad things sound.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Like, no, it's not, uh, Sophie. For anybody who doesn't
know who you are. Last year, you put out an
incredible solo record that I feel horrible the fact that
I just started learning about it recently. But you, of
course are also the guitar player of Machine Gun Kelly,
which sort of puts you in the same realm almost right,
(01:36):
like Anita Strauss Snoranti and like these amazing female guitar players.
My co host on my morning show goes now, what
came first? Was was it her hotness or was it
her guitar playing. I'm like, listen, listen to her. It
was her guitar playing. But this like female guitar player
who absolutely shreds plays with somebody and then releases soul
(02:00):
music that also absolutely shreds. You're doing amazing work.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
So thank you so much, Thank you man.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Like yeah, like that album was like it was my
first kind of debut album, like I'm released of like
full length especially like collaborating with different vocalists that I've
you know, kind of looked.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Up to throughout my my career.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
You know, like Lizzie Hale mah Fee from Trivium, you know,
Michael Starr, and it was incredible to get to work
with them, and as you say, sort of being mentioned
in the sphere with like Orientthonias Trauser's like such a
such a blessing for me because you know, I've looked
up to them all my career and like aspired to
be them, so like sort of you know, being having
my name kind of in the same realm as is
(02:40):
truly incredible.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Now let's go back to the beginning a little bit. Well,
I mean, what got you to pick up a guitar
in the first place.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
It's actually a really embarrassing story. I wish I had
like a cool rock and roll story, but it was
actually an episode of SpongeBob square Pants where they did
like a twisted sister song.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
I want a rack rack, but it was am a
goofy goober rack and he like floats in Yeah, it
does as crazy guitar salo as. Everyone was like wow,
my god. And I saw that and I was like,
I need to play guitar. So my parents got me
in love with I know, I wish I had something.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Cool, like oh I think that's a badass show.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
But no, it's embarrassing and.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Are you kidding me? Nothing wrong with it.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
It is a great show to be fair.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Hey, like I told somebody today, we had a SpongeBob
thing pop up on the show. I was a stoner.
I get it. I watched it. I watched it with
my kids, probably a little too much, if I'm being
honest with you, But that's interesting.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
That's for the parents as well.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
It was one of those cartoons that you know, I had,
I had. I had a kid pretty young, so we
could both kind of enjoy it, you know, him as
the kid and me as the person getting the jokes.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
You know exactly.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Yeah, it has like the adult like innuendos and stuff,
which I love as well.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
So I think absolutely definitely a good one.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Okay, So because of SpongeBob, you decided to pick up
a guitar and you go four and truly learned this instrument,
which again for a woman in rock, not that there
isn't plenty of them, because there are, and I love
the fact that it's become so much more normal.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Yeah, definitely, But as.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
A shredding League guitar player, that's the part that's rare.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Yeah, Like I think, like you say, there's definitely a
lot of like females coming up in the industry. And
I think the sort of shredding just came from, you know,
that was just always like the music I was into.
I sort of discovered Joe Saturani by accident when I
was younger because I picked up surfing with the Aliens.
I thought I had a really cool front cover on it.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
It does have a really cool front cover.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Here, it does.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
I was all pretty colors, but then I put it
in and I got really really into him and like
kind of telling a story through like instrumental music and
through guitar that it doesn't always have to be vocals.
That you can like invoke emotion and tell stories and
stuff through an instrument.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
So yeah, I just.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Sort of really focused in, focused in on that, and
I love like all the technical side of things, Like
that's just kind of satisfies my brain tickles my brain.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
In a nice way.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Yeah, all right, So yeah, but I think there's there's
more women definitely coming up, like nowadays, at least with
the power of social media.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
You know, Oh my god, I follow because as a
guitar player, myself obviously I go down that wormhole, and
I have followed quite a few amazing guitar players on
TikTok and on Instagram and such, and so many it
seems like so many women, and not just women, you know,
we're in the thirties, forties or fifties, but younger women, teenagers, yeah,
(05:38):
sometimes even younger than that that are just these amazing
musicians playing rock music that came out before I was born.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Yeah, it's really really cool to see, Like I think,
like especially I think because now there's more kind of
there's more people doing it, you know, I mean, so
there's more like exposure for younger girls.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
And stuff to look at and see that.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Like, you know, a lot of people have like full
female bands now or will like have a female so
it's like a lot more of like an accessible option.
I think, Like when I was younger, it was always
just sort of looking at like the men doing it.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
You know.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
So I think a lot of people that kind of
couldn't put girls off, if you know what I mean,
because it doesn't feel as accessible to them. But now
it's like much more inclusive, and I think, yeah, there's
like a really a really cool shift happening, and like
women bring like a different energy.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
To music and stuff, which I think is really exciting.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Well, yeah, because it used to be. I mean there
was lead of Ford and then that was it for
so long John Jet maybe to a lesser extent, you know,
but they played in the same band together, yeah, you know.
And then it's women played bass. If you caught a
woman and a woman in a hard rock have a
metal band, they were playing bass or drums, yeah, exactly know,
and not lead guitar. Which that's that's the part to
(06:49):
me that makes it so cool is that this has
this has come to this uh this thing. So so
when you picked up the guitar, you got into rock
music obviously, did you go the garage band route and
all that stuff or was it immediately like no, I'm
creating my own pieces of art here.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
I tell you what, I wish I could have gone
the garage bands route.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
I really really do.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
I sort of grew up in quite like a small
town where there really wasn't a music scene at all,
so I didn't and none of my family musicians or anything,
so I didn't know any musicians growing up, so there
was no one really to make a band with, which
I think is why I kind of turned to the
Internet and started like uploading stuff on YouTube and Facebook
and you know all of that stuff, Like, you know,
because when I started YouTube makes me feel old now,
(07:30):
but like it's it was before like you could, like
it wasn't like a career, if you know what I mean.
It was just sort of like a video sharing platform.
So I just sort of I just kind of wanted
to meet like minded people and stuff. So I think
that's kind of why I've definitely had a more kind
of INTERNETI route into the music industry than a lot
of other people, just because I just didn't have the
(07:51):
people around me to form bands. And as I got older,
you know, obviously like through the Internet, I met a
lot of people and then I joined some very dodgy
garage bands and but yeah, sort of most of it's
always kind of been creating things online. And that's like
what I really love doing is just like writing my
(08:11):
own music and or like adapting someone else's song, you know,
into shred version or so that's why my love my
love for guitarists.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
But that's that's the advantage of the internet right there.
That's the cool part of the Internet, and what's been
able to do specifically for musicians or artists in general,
really right right, being able to just get your art there,
get your talent out, and be able to you know,
find like minded people. But we have all joined dodgy
garage bands. You're not doing any different. I'm just glad
(08:42):
you did it. Be it that way. It's still it's
good that it still exists, you know it. It's like
taking a shot of you know, hardcore whiskey and put
her on your chest. It's sort of that sort of
like you almost got to go through it to find it, you.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Know, Oh, definitely, Yeah, You've got to go through the
trenches a little bit to come out the other side.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
It's like quite like full circle because I.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Remember in the garage band, I was going through my
hardcore emo face at the time, and I think we
covered well did Yeah, it was like the I think
we covered the final episode or something by Asking Alexandria.
And then recently I was with Danny from Asking and
he and I showed him the video that I think
it's still on YouTube somewhere of like me when I
(09:23):
was like trying to play that song, and he.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Was like, oh my god, this, you should never show
this to anyone. I was like, yeah, I agree, but
it's cool to.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Have those like full circle moments because everything like I do.
In the back of my mind, I'm always thinking, like
I want to do it for that girl, you know,
that like young girl, the fifteen sixteen year old girl
even younger that like wants to be something and do
something but doesn't necessarily have an accessible route into it.
But now it's like, like you say, with the Internet,
it's so much more more possible. So I just want
(09:52):
to inspire kind of younger people that they can do it.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
It surprises me to hear that you don't have a
musical family, because it sounds like when I was you play,
you have a very natural talent around the instrument, and
usually there's something you know within the gene pool that
allows that to break down. I don't want to get
all like weird scientifical and philosophical here, but.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Yeah, like what my mum used to think she was
an amazing singer and wake me up in the morning singing.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Opera at the top of her lungs, so which I
never enjoyed. So I guess that.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
But yeah, other than that, like I don't. I don't
can't really think of anything. Like one of my uncles
plays guitar in a band, so maybe there's like something small,
but there's no one like, you know, kind of notable
or anything.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
Well yeah, and I don't mean, you know, obviously you
have to have somebody notable, but just that there's music
in the you know, going on somewhere.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Well my dad is super into music, Like he always
had like kind of vinyls playing or like his speakers
on and like he drives me short. He'd always have
like rock rock music like Santana, like the proper kind
of good old classic.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Stuff like playing in the car there you go.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
So I think that was good, like definitely exposure to
that kind of music from a young age. So I
got into that kind of music from a young age.
And then obviously I just it's kind of like a
I think anyone who listens to like rock music kind
of has the natural transition to kind of want to
play something you like.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Usually they pick up an instrument of some kind.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
That's true, Yeah, that's true. How old were you when
you first picked it up?
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Ma?
Speaker 1 (11:23):
If you don't mind me asking.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Me about no, I honestly kn't of. I think I
was about ten or eleven.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
I feel like I always say a different age, so
but yeah, it was like, yeah, it was when I
was between like nine and eleven, I think. So I
played for quite a while now, and I dropped off
a little bit, like during like school and stuff. But
when I sort of got to like sixteen, that's when
I got really really into it and kind of was like, Okay,
this is what I.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Want to do.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Yeah, rededicated yourself. Okay, so if you you went the
internet route, obviously, YouTube and all that stuff, joined a couple,
as you said, dodgy garage bands. How did the machine
on Kelly Gig come about? That?
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Again, through the power of social media, as everything seems
seems to be these days. We I was just I
think like it was weird, Like when we were writing
the album, I had a pop punk song that I
wanted to get a singer on, and I was just
messaging a bunch of like singers that I know did
pop punk.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Like that's how I got vocalists on the album.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
I would just send out a random Instagram message in
hopes that some would reply, and surprisingly a few people did.
But anyway, Yeah exactly, So I, you know, send him
on and then I didn't hear anything back for like
two years or something. And then we're we're literally in
that we were about to move house to like sort
(12:40):
of settle down and get a dog and you know,
get a nice in the country, and suddenly I get
this message just from MGK just being like a U
in la and I was like, I wasn't.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
I was in London.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
I was in this weird little you know, town in London,
and I was like, yeah, sure I can be here.
And like from there it was like a complete whirlwind.
Like I didn't really audition. I just sent them like
a bunch of videos of me playing live and in
various like of my dodgy garage garage bands, so you know, and.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Yeah, it kind of just went from there.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
I think it was like the drummers dad or something
had found me on Instagram and they were looking for
another guitarist to kind of complete their lineup, and he
suggested me, and Carl's kind of liked my vibe. I
think he likes he likes kind of bringing a woman's
energy into the band as well. He obviously has a
lot of female and a young female audience, so I
think he thought it was cool for them to see
(13:32):
like a female musician in his band. So yeah, within
like a month or so, I had to get my
US visa expedited, which was a bloody nightmare in itself. Yeah,
but yeah, then I was over there and you know,
playing in crazy stadiums, which is so wild.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
This is nice because now I feel like we've reset
the machine Gun Kelly conversation. I'm just gonna really quick.
I'll explain a couple of years ago, ol Corey Taylor
was on this show and that is where the fight happened.
It was on this show. I didn't know, I didn't
know what was gonna happen. Just sort of Corey says
what he says. I love Corey to death, but he
(14:14):
is He's very outspoken, to the point where the producers
of that documentary actually reached out to me and asked
if they could use audio from that conversation, and I
said no, Oh my goodness. And the only reason I
said no is because I talked to slip Knots management
and they're like, yeah, I mean, it's up to you,
but we like working with you. I'ment Oh, I'll get it.
(14:34):
I get what you're doing here. Okay, cool, you know,
and it's no problem. But the clip they were going
to use with a painted Corey in a bad light,
and I don't want that either. So anyway, positivity, we've
got it. The circle has been made. Here we are exactly,
and I think that fight's way and over and for
a long time. So it's fine.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
I was gonna say, I don't think any of them,
probably either of them ever really think about it anymore,
told to be honest, and like, I think they, you know,
both of them have grown so much and like proved
to them absolutely, like I was approved himself in this
genre and so like I think it's you know, water
under the bridge now.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Really absolutely. It surprised me. Mg K is also a
fantastic actor. That one threw me for a loop. I mean,
real talented guy, real talented.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Yeah, it's weird, weird. I'm on.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
I was like on the plane on the way there,
like scrolling through the movies and I was.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Like, oh, that's to watch. That's such a good movie.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Oh my god, that's fantastic, fantastic.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
I know. And it was cool because we got to
go and see uh.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
He performed that song that with Motley Crue and I
got to go and meet all of them and stuff,
so amazing, incredible opportunities that like satisfies the many little
rocker in me.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
You there, you go, well and listen, Okay, So listening
to the solo that's obviously the influential music that got
you going must have been the music of that era.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Yeah, yeah, definitely, Like classic rock has kind of always
been my love. Like that's kind of why I first
started first started listening to and like I this album
I had in mind.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
I wanted to make an album for my like fifteen
year old self that like she would have loved, if.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
You know what I mean, with all of these different artists,
and so that's kind of what I had in mind.
And I kind of wanted each song to be a
slightly different kind of sub genre, I guess, because that
was just kind of what I was into.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Like I loved Slash's.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
First album, oh yeah, first solo album, and that had
like people from all you know, Chris Cornell had Lemy
and then had like Fergie on it. Like I had
all of these different people from from different you know,
parts of the music scene, and it kind of brought
them together, but it still had the running theme of
it kind of being slash, and I kind of wanted
to do something like that.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
You know, there are some fantastic albums out there if
you search them, that are like that. Tony Iomi did
it as well. Yeah, obviously legend of guitar player of
Black Sabbath Slash has done it. Obviously Strauss recently did it.
Dave Golden h You know, there there are some fantastic
(17:05):
albums out there with like here's the musician, the main guy,
and maybe all these different people that work pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
Like I love that as well, because, like you know,
as musicians we love writing too, but often that you know,
sort of vocalists or always sort of the ones that
usually lead the songs and stuff. So it's nice to
I don't know, it's nice to show the musicians a
bit of like put them in the spotlight a bit,
like I always think it's really.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Cool, absolutely so on this album. Imposter Syndrome, by the way,
is what it's called. Interesting name. I'll get to that
in a second. But you have singers like you, said
Lizzie Hale from Hailstorm, Michael Starr from Steel panther Tyler
Connelly from Theory of the dead Man. The single is
with the song do or Die is mind Blinkings. Thank you.
(17:50):
Nathan James, who also kind of plays that sort of
bluesy hard rock, almost stemmed in the eighties kind of style.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Doesn't he Yeah, he does.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
He just has this like epic, like classic rock voice,
like the crazy like rock opera voice, like like you've
ever heard, so yeah, yeah, he does.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
A lot of that.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Were there any singers that said yes to this that
you were surprised by?
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Pretty much all of them.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
A lot of it was just like a shot in
the dark, honestly, Like the first person that said yes,
I think was Tyler Connolly, and that.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Was crazy because I was such a Theory fan.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
And then that was the first song we got back,
and hearing his voice on one of my songs was
like such a crazy moment for me, so full circle
because he has such like a unique, distinct voice, so
that was something really really cool.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Matt Heathey as well.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
I'm just a fangirl at heart, Like I had like
pictures of these people on my wall, you know, like
I have a I have a When I recorded my
very first EP delusions. I had like iron on Trivium
T shirt that I'd made myself, you know, and I
have a picture of me like with my little guitar
starting out, so like I've been a fan of these
people for so for so long. And yeah, Lizzie obviously
(19:02):
was like the one. She originally wasn't able to be
on it, but then we had to push it back
a year because of the MGK dates We're going to
clash with the release stuff. So but because we pushed
it back, we were able to have her on the
on the title track, which was you know, absolutely incredible.
And then also I have a lot of my friends
on it as well, like Cole Rowland, Lauren Babbeck.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Maurice Rodriguez. She's from She's from one of my.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
Old old growing up so yeah, yeah, we played together
here and reading all the time. So you know, it's
got a whole mix of different people, but all of
them mean like something to me, you.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Know, tell me more about the song do or Die,
because we're gonna play it obviously.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Oh cool, Well, do or Die?
Speaker 3 (19:42):
We wanted to write kind of like a classic rock
song with like a killer riff, something a cool solo
just like proper guitar, you know, old school, and Nathan
was the perfect singer for that because he just has
the most powerful vocal cords, as I've said, and he
so basically, we kind of wrote the songs like a
glorified backing track, and then we sent them to Nathan
(20:04):
and he would kind of send back any ideas, and
then we'd add on, like top lines, like the guitar
lines in the pre chorus, We added them on after
the vocals came on. And yeah, it's just like a
really cool, powerful song. We did a cool music video
with a bunch of fire. There was way too much
hair and hair spray for all the fire we had.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
Wi's honestly dangerous. No one caught on fire. Yeah a
little bit, but.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
How cool would have that looked done on camera?
Speaker 2 (20:28):
It would have looked I was gonna say, make sure.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
It's one chats, one shot.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
But yeah, I'm really proud of that song.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
It's such a fun song to play live, and yeah,
I hope everyone likes it.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Amazing. Impastor Syndrome, you said, that's also across the title
track with Lizzy Hale. That's the song the album being
called that Impastor syndrome is something we joke around about
a lot because it's like, oh, I do this thing now,
am I really supposed to be here? You know exactly?
Is that kind of the feeling you were getting and
why you decided to call it impastor syndrome?
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Yeah, definitely, Like I struggled with it, like quite badly,
to the point I was just completely avoiding playing live,
like kind of just it was kind of just before COVID,
before I started writing this album, I was avoiding playing
live all costs.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Really because I just had such bad performance anxiety.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
I think because my career had been built on the Internet,
where you can kind of edit things you can not edit,
but like retake things a bunch, you know, you get
a bunch of takes.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
It's not like properly live.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
So I think I kind of built this unrealistic, unrealistic expectation,
if you know what I mean, for myself, not even
for anyone else, but like for myself to meet that
like this bar that I just couldn't meet, you know,
And I think that just really kind of put me
off ever playing live. And I just sort of felt
like an impost or a fraud or anything that I
didn't deserve.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
To kind of be where I was.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
But then throughout the process of making the whole album,
and like each song kind of means something different in
the realms of imposter syndrome, but especially that Lizzie Hall one,
Like I went to meet her at one of her
gigs and had a discussion with her and just hearing
her say that she you know, it feels the exact same,
and we kind of had like this really kind of
(22:11):
healing moment, you know, where we were just like sharing
our experiences and stuff, and she really kind of wrote
that song like it was a page out of my
own diary.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
So that's special when that happens, for sure.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Yeah, definitely, And yeah, kind of throughout that it made
me a lot more comfortable with it. And then obviously
the MGK opportunity came and I was like, I'm just
gonna I'm gonna throw myself in the deep end and
do it. And like, I'm kind of pleased to say
that throughout the process of that album kind of becoming
a thing, I've pretty much there's always good days and
(22:44):
bad days, but I've pretty much overcome it.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
So now I just absolutely love playing live.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
I can't get enough of performing and rocking out, and
it's just like nice to come out the other side,
you know, and be comfortable and feel feel like I
have worked hard and I do deserve.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
To be where I am.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
That's amazing. I think I realized something when you were
saying that story. So you this this album obviously a
couple a few years really right in the making. Yeah,
And the MGK thing came in the middle of that.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
So it ended up being delayed by like a year
year in a bit. And also just writing an album
with a bunch of.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Different more, yeah, that's gonna take a while.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
So like logistically difficult, just like getting contracts sort other
stuff is so annoying, so it naturally took longer. But yeah,
we started it around the beginning of COVID probably like
twenty twenty, okay, and then we released it in twenty
twenty three or something early maybe late twenty twenty two,
I forget now, but yeah, So it was definitely a
bit of a bit of a slog towards the ends
(23:41):
trying to get it out. But I'm, like I said,
I'm glad it was delayed because that meant Lizzie got
to be on it, and you know, I think everything
happens for a reason.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Absolutely pastor syndrome. Yeah, it came out twenty twenty three,
which so it surprises me that actually this album's been
out that long and we're just starting to kind of
get at least on our end of it, right taste
of it. Yeah, with singles and things like that.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Yeah, it's cool. It's kind of like because obviously I'm.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
UK based, so we did a lot of like UK
stuff and radio circuits.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
Yeah, you don't say I can't hear the accent at all.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Sorry, I'll put on my normal X.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
No, don't, please don't.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
I'm so sorry.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
It's like, if I try to get rid of I'm
from Wisconsin. There's a little inflections here and there that's
almost sound Canadian. You know. It's like if I get
rid of it, it's like now I just don't feel
real never.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
Mind, but I can't remember what I was saying.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
Now. The singles and all that just kind of coming
to the forefront now here in the States exactly.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
Yeah, so we but we've just sort of started like
kind of promoting it and pushing it in the in
the US because that's where my main audience is online.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
It's all like US based.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
And obviously we had my first kind of debut show
at the Whiskey in LA earlier this year.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
I heard about it, so it was so much fun.
It was honestly one of the best days of my life.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
And you know, so I feel like it's like time
to kind of expand my market and kind of the
US is just such an exciting, cool place, and like
it's like.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
Rock and roll. It's so cool.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
It's like, you know, I think I fit in there well,
So it would be good to her just yeah, get
get in the space a little bit more there.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Just to pull back the curtain a little bit, you know,
the person that's working out your song to radio. So
there are people that obviously do this. These are jobs
that exist, not many, but there are some. Is a
person who I love dearly. Her name's Maria and she's
she's from also from Wisconsin. Originally she's been an LA
person now for decades, but she sold out. But I
(25:47):
respect your opinion, and I've known her for a very
long time and she hit me up last week about
you and and hey, can we have her, you know,
come on Cutters broadcast. And obviously the radio show The
Cutting Edge Countdown focus on her music a little bit.
She told me the story a minute and she's like, listen,
I went to the show at the Whiskey. This girl's
going to blow you away. I know you're a guitar player,
and I now you're cynical a hole, but this girl's
(26:10):
going to blow you away. And like, Okay, I'm sold.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
Oh that's so sweet. Oh my god, I love her
so much.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
She's the best to live up to though, So hope
you're not disappointed.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
She says that I believe it, But you are you
going to get this out on tour? You know?
Speaker 2 (26:29):
So that yeah, that's.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
That's definitely the plan, like obviously, like because we've only
just started sort of doing live shows relatively recently, even
though the AM came out a while ago, just because
of commitments with MGK and stuff. It's uh where I'm
so excited to finally kind of tore it and we've
like I feel like we've really like dialed in the
show and it's it's been a new thing for me
to transition into being like a front woman as well
(26:51):
and be comfortable like talking with the crowd.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
But I feel like at the whiskey.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
That was like a really that was a time where
I felt really comfortable doing it like which was really nice,
and I feel like the show a good flow. So
we want to be able to take it on tour
probably later later this year, I reckon We've got some
like UK shows and festivals and stuff coming up, but
I'd like to definitely go back to the States and
do some shows there towards the end of the year.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
What is the live man like for you? Because this
is your soulo stuff, this is your music. You have
a bunch of different singers on these songs, and you're
the lead guitar player, the show woman who sings, Like,
how do you manage that?
Speaker 3 (27:26):
It's it's still like kind of we're still kind of
figuring out exactly like how it works. But we've got
some incredible like vocalists that we know, and if we're
in a certain location, we'll try and get like guest vocalists.
Like when we were in la we managed to get
Michael Starr to come down and do our song Runaway together,
which was a really cool moment and we just saw
(27:47):
again like I think Lauren Babbeck, who sung on one
of the songs did most of like the female bass songs.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
We tried to have at least kind of.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
Two singers per show just to kind of mix it
up and have a little bit of variety in there.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
So or usually try and.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
Have a guy singer and a girl singer just because
the song's also quite difficult for one singer to sing.
There's so many different ranges and styles for like one
vocalist to do.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Everything is like a tall order.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
But yeah, it's just sort of who's who's around that area,
who would be up for doing it, who's you know,
we know it luckily, you know, I know loads of
vocalists and stuff, and there's ones that I love working
with and have a lot of fun with and feel
like have good stage chemistry with. So yeah, we had
Lauren singing our show in la and then we had
my friend Izzy T and then the singer from Dead
(28:36):
posey As while our support band came and sing a songs.
So we had like quite a few different singers sort
of jumping jumping on and off on different songs. But
I feel like that kind of always gives the crowd
slink interesting, right, you know, it gives them synk to
look forward to and then we also do like shred
versions and like shred covers of songs, which is when
we take a song like En Sandman and just make
it into like a We still play like the melody,
(28:57):
but I make it into a bit of a whole
two three minute.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Long guitar solone.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
It's very silly, but very fun, and it like gets
the crowd going.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
So we've got like a good mix of a bunch
of different things.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
I don't hate that.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
It's fun. You should you should come to a show
if everyone in America.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
Well listen, I will next time you guys are in
the in the area, and you know Midwest generally speaking.
I don't travel a ton for a lot of concerts
anymore since really since the pandemic. But my kids are
at all kids, and you know, I got married a
couple of weeks ago, so it's like going in thank
you very much. Yeah, going and traveling the country like
(29:33):
I used to do to do band interviews and check
out showcases and all that stuff just isn't in the
cards anymore.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
But yeah, I think that's fair enough.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
Honestly, Like even for me traveling into London it's an
annoymare and I only live an hour away from it.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Yeah, but you're also talking about one of the biggest
cities in the world. I can't imagine. You know that
the commute of that is probably really annoying.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
It's just it's tiring, and people are so annoying.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
People are annoying, you know, on public transport, so I
like to avoid travel as much as possible, so I
completely relate to you there.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
I don't blame me.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
Yeah, I get it, Sophie Lloyd. This has been an
absolute pleasure it. Congratulations on a fantastic record. I wish
I would have found it in twenty twenty three when
it came out, but better late than never. You're very
welcome and good luck with it all, you know, getting
this out on the road, because I imagine logistically that's
not going to be easy, but I know if you do,
(30:27):
just talking to you, it's going to be the best
thing possible.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
You're welcome so much.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
It really means a lot.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
Is there any MGK tour stuff this year?
Speaker 3 (30:37):
Nothing confirmed yet, I don't think, but I reckon there
probably will.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
I think they're in the studio writing at the moment.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
You can sit at home, no relax exactly, write more music.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
This is the home time exactly. Yeah, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
You're welcome, Sophie. Take care of yourself.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
Thank you for this, Thank you, Bye you two rock Cast.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
Don't forget to tune in exactly
Attention please, and no, it's Cutters Rockcast.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Hello. Hello, Hello, Hello, that sounds great.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
It's like see the power of zoom an hour in
the studio together. Nobody until you watch the video, then
you'll know. Sophie Lloyd, it's a pleasure to meet you, Sophie.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
It's lovely to meet you too. Thank you so much
for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
You're very welcome. Happy post National Guitar Day.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Wait, did i'm Is that a real thing? Did I
miss that?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
It is a real thing. So at the time that
this conversation is being recorded, which is about a week
or two before air, yesterday was National Guitar Day.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Oh, I'm so embarrassed that I missed that. I'm so sorry.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Okay, it's fine, only one of the best guitarists in
the world. But hey whatever, I know, right.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
What let down the main day I'm gonna remember.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
I know it's fine. I posted my pictures of my guitars.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
They'll be so mad at me.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Hey, I mean I posted a picture of my guitars
and then I wrote a new song. Nobody'll ever hear it,
but it's fine. I wrote it. No, No, you don't
my singer like you d my singer says it sounds
too much like dirty honey.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
But whatever, well, there's no bad things sound.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Like, no, it's not, uh, Sophie. For anybody who doesn't
know who you are. Last year, you put out an
incredible solo record that I feel horrible the fact that
I just started learning about it recently. But you, of
course are also the guitar player of Machine Gun Kelly,
which sort of puts you in the same realm almost right,
(01:36):
like Anita Strauss Snoranti and like these amazing female guitar players.
My co host on my morning show goes now, what
came first? Was was it her hotness or was it
her guitar playing. I'm like, listen, listen to her. It
was her guitar playing. But this like female guitar player
who absolutely shreds plays with somebody and then releases soul
(02:00):
music that also absolutely shreds. You're doing amazing work.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
So thank you so much, Thank you man.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Like yeah, like that album was like it was my
first kind of debut album, like I'm released of like
full length especially like collaborating with different vocalists that I've
you know, kind of looked.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Up to throughout my my career.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
You know, like Lizzie Hale mah Fee from Trivium, you know,
Michael Starr, and it was incredible to get to work
with them, and as you say, sort of being mentioned
in the sphere with like Orientthonias Trauser's like such a
such a blessing for me because you know, I've looked
up to them all my career and like aspired to
be them, so like sort of you know, being having
my name kind of in the same realm as is
(02:40):
truly incredible.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Now let's go back to the beginning a little bit. Well,
I mean, what got you to pick up a guitar
in the first place.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
It's actually a really embarrassing story. I wish I had
like a cool rock and roll story, but it was
actually an episode of SpongeBob square Pants where they did
like a twisted sister song.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
I want a rack rack, but it was am a
goofy goober rack and he like floats in Yeah, it
does as crazy guitar salo as. Everyone was like wow,
my god. And I saw that and I was like,
I need to play guitar. So my parents got me
in love with I know, I wish I had something.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Cool, like oh I think that's a badass show.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
But no, it's embarrassing and.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Are you kidding me? Nothing wrong with it.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
It is a great show to be fair.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Hey, like I told somebody today, we had a SpongeBob
thing pop up on the show. I was a stoner.
I get it. I watched it. I watched it with
my kids, probably a little too much, if I'm being
honest with you, But that's interesting.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
That's for the parents as well.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
It was one of those cartoons that you know, I had,
I had. I had a kid pretty young, so we
could both kind of enjoy it, you know, him as
the kid and me as the person getting the jokes.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
You know exactly.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Yeah, it has like the adult like innuendos and stuff,
which I love as well.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
So I think absolutely definitely a good one.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Okay, So because of SpongeBob, you decided to pick up
a guitar and you go four and truly learned this instrument,
which again for a woman in rock, not that there
isn't plenty of them, because there are, and I love
the fact that it's become so much more normal.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Yeah, definitely, But as.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
A shredding League guitar player, that's the part that's rare.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Yeah, Like I think, like you say, there's definitely a
lot of like females coming up in the industry. And
I think the sort of shredding just came from, you know,
that was just always like the music I was into.
I sort of discovered Joe Saturani by accident when I
was younger because I picked up surfing with the Aliens.
I thought I had a really cool front cover on it.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
It does have a really cool front cover.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Here, it does.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
I was all pretty colors, but then I put it
in and I got really really into him and like
kind of telling a story through like instrumental music and
through guitar that it doesn't always have to be vocals.
That you can like invoke emotion and tell stories and
stuff through an instrument.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
So yeah, I just.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Sort of really focused in, focused in on that, and
I love like all the technical side of things, Like
that's just kind of satisfies my brain tickles my brain.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
In a nice way.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Yeah, all right, So yeah, but I think there's there's
more women definitely coming up, like nowadays, at least with
the power of social media.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
You know, Oh my god, I follow because as a
guitar player, myself obviously I go down that wormhole, and
I have followed quite a few amazing guitar players on
TikTok and on Instagram and such, and so many it
seems like so many women, and not just women, you know,
we're in the thirties, forties or fifties, but younger women, teenagers, yeah,
(05:38):
sometimes even younger than that that are just these amazing
musicians playing rock music that came out before I was born.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Yeah, it's really really cool to see, Like I think,
like especially I think because now there's more kind of
there's more people doing it, you know, I mean, so
there's more like exposure for younger girls.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
And stuff to look at and see that.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Like, you know, a lot of people have like full
female bands now or will like have a female so
it's like a lot more of like an accessible option.
I think, Like when I was younger, it was always
just sort of looking at like the men doing it.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
You know.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
So I think a lot of people that kind of
couldn't put girls off, if you know what I mean,
because it doesn't feel as accessible to them. But now
it's like much more inclusive, and I think, yeah, there's
like a really a really cool shift happening, and like
women bring like a different energy.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
To music and stuff, which I think is really exciting.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Well, yeah, because it used to be. I mean there
was lead of Ford and then that was it for
so long John Jet maybe to a lesser extent, you know,
but they played in the same band together, yeah, you know.
And then it's women played bass. If you caught a
woman and a woman in a hard rock have a
metal band, they were playing bass or drums, yeah, exactly know,
and not lead guitar. Which that's that's the part to
(06:49):
me that makes it so cool is that this has
this has come to this uh this thing. So so
when you picked up the guitar, you got into rock
music obviously, did you go the garage band route and
all that stuff or was it immediately like no, I'm
creating my own pieces of art here.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
I tell you what, I wish I could have gone
the garage bands route.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
I really really do.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
I sort of grew up in quite like a small
town where there really wasn't a music scene at all,
so I didn't and none of my family musicians or anything,
so I didn't know any musicians growing up, so there
was no one really to make a band with, which
I think is why I kind of turned to the
Internet and started like uploading stuff on YouTube and Facebook
and you know all of that stuff, Like, you know,
because when I started YouTube makes me feel old now,
(07:30):
but like it's it was before like you could, like
it wasn't like a career, if you know what I mean.
It was just sort of like a video sharing platform.
So I just sort of I just kind of wanted
to meet like minded people and stuff. So I think
that's kind of why I've definitely had a more kind
of INTERNETI route into the music industry than a lot
of other people, just because I just didn't have the
(07:51):
people around me to form bands. And as I got older,
you know, obviously like through the Internet, I met a
lot of people and then I joined some very dodgy
garage bands and but yeah, sort of most of it's
always kind of been creating things online. And that's like
what I really love doing is just like writing my
(08:11):
own music and or like adapting someone else's song, you know,
into shred version or so that's why my love my
love for guitarists.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
But that's that's the advantage of the internet right there.
That's the cool part of the Internet, and what's been
able to do specifically for musicians or artists in general,
really right right, being able to just get your art there,
get your talent out, and be able to you know,
find like minded people. But we have all joined dodgy
garage bands. You're not doing any different. I'm just glad
(08:42):
you did it. Be it that way. It's still it's
good that it still exists, you know it. It's like
taking a shot of you know, hardcore whiskey and put
her on your chest. It's sort of that sort of
like you almost got to go through it to find it, you.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Know, Oh, definitely, Yeah, You've got to go through the
trenches a little bit to come out the other side.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
It's like quite like full circle because I.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Remember in the garage band, I was going through my
hardcore emo face at the time, and I think we
covered well did Yeah, it was like the I think
we covered the final episode or something by Asking Alexandria.
And then recently I was with Danny from Asking and
he and I showed him the video that I think
it's still on YouTube somewhere of like me when I
(09:23):
was like trying to play that song, and he.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Was like, oh my god, this, you should never show
this to anyone. I was like, yeah, I agree, but
it's cool to.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Have those like full circle moments because everything like I do.
In the back of my mind, I'm always thinking, like
I want to do it for that girl, you know,
that like young girl, the fifteen sixteen year old girl
even younger that like wants to be something and do
something but doesn't necessarily have an accessible route into it.
But now it's like, like you say, with the Internet,
it's so much more more possible. So I just want
(09:52):
to inspire kind of younger people that they can do it.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
It surprises me to hear that you don't have a
musical family, because it sounds like when I was you play,
you have a very natural talent around the instrument, and
usually there's something you know within the gene pool that
allows that to break down. I don't want to get
all like weird scientifical and philosophical here, but.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Yeah, like what my mum used to think she was
an amazing singer and wake me up in the morning singing.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Opera at the top of her lungs, so which I
never enjoyed. So I guess that.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
But yeah, other than that, like I don't. I don't
can't really think of anything. Like one of my uncles
plays guitar in a band, so maybe there's like something small,
but there's no one like, you know, kind of notable
or anything.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
Well yeah, and I don't mean, you know, obviously you
have to have somebody notable, but just that there's music
in the you know, going on somewhere.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Well my dad is super into music, Like he always
had like kind of vinyls playing or like his speakers
on and like he drives me short. He'd always have
like rock rock music like Santana, like the proper kind
of good old classic.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Stuff like playing in the car there you go.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
So I think that was good, like definitely exposure to
that kind of music from a young age. So I
got into that kind of music from a young age.
And then obviously I just it's kind of like a
I think anyone who listens to like rock music kind
of has the natural transition to kind of want to
play something you like.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Usually they pick up an instrument of some kind.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
That's true, Yeah, that's true. How old were you when
you first picked it up?
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Ma?
Speaker 1 (11:23):
If you don't mind me asking.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Me about no, I honestly kn't of. I think I
was about ten or eleven.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
I feel like I always say a different age, so
but yeah, it was like, yeah, it was when I
was between like nine and eleven, I think. So I
played for quite a while now, and I dropped off
a little bit, like during like school and stuff. But
when I sort of got to like sixteen, that's when
I got really really into it and kind of was like, Okay,
this is what I.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Want to do.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Yeah, rededicated yourself. Okay, so if you you went the
internet route, obviously, YouTube and all that stuff, joined a couple,
as you said, dodgy garage bands. How did the machine
on Kelly Gig come about? That?
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Again, through the power of social media, as everything seems
seems to be these days. We I was just I
think like it was weird, Like when we were writing
the album, I had a pop punk song that I
wanted to get a singer on, and I was just
messaging a bunch of like singers that I know did
pop punk.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Like that's how I got vocalists on the album.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
I would just send out a random Instagram message in
hopes that some would reply, and surprisingly a few people did.
But anyway, Yeah exactly, So I, you know, send him
on and then I didn't hear anything back for like
two years or something. And then we're we're literally in
that we were about to move house to like sort
(12:40):
of settle down and get a dog and you know,
get a nice in the country, and suddenly I get
this message just from MGK just being like a U
in la and I was like, I wasn't.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
I was in London.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
I was in this weird little you know, town in London,
and I was like, yeah, sure I can be here.
And like from there it was like a complete whirlwind.
Like I didn't really audition. I just sent them like
a bunch of videos of me playing live and in
various like of my dodgy garage garage bands, so you know, and.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Yeah, it kind of just went from there.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
I think it was like the drummers dad or something
had found me on Instagram and they were looking for
another guitarist to kind of complete their lineup, and he
suggested me, and Carl's kind of liked my vibe. I
think he likes he likes kind of bringing a woman's
energy into the band as well. He obviously has a
lot of female and a young female audience, so I
think he thought it was cool for them to see
(13:32):
like a female musician in his band. So yeah, within
like a month or so, I had to get my
US visa expedited, which was a bloody nightmare in itself. Yeah,
but yeah, then I was over there and you know,
playing in crazy stadiums, which is so wild.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
This is nice because now I feel like we've reset
the machine Gun Kelly conversation. I'm just gonna really quick.
I'll explain a couple of years ago, ol Corey Taylor
was on this show and that is where the fight happened.
It was on this show. I didn't know, I didn't
know what was gonna happen. Just sort of Corey says
what he says. I love Corey to death, but he
(14:14):
is He's very outspoken, to the point where the producers
of that documentary actually reached out to me and asked
if they could use audio from that conversation, and I
said no, Oh my goodness. And the only reason I
said no is because I talked to slip Knots management
and they're like, yeah, I mean, it's up to you,
but we like working with you. I'ment Oh, I'll get it.
(14:34):
I get what you're doing here. Okay, cool, you know,
and it's no problem. But the clip they were going
to use with a painted Corey in a bad light,
and I don't want that either. So anyway, positivity, we've
got it. The circle has been made. Here we are exactly,
and I think that fight's way and over and for
a long time. So it's fine.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
I was gonna say, I don't think any of them,
probably either of them ever really think about it anymore,
told to be honest, and like, I think they, you know,
both of them have grown so much and like proved
to them absolutely, like I was approved himself in this
genre and so like I think it's you know, water
under the bridge now.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Really absolutely. It surprised me. Mg K is also a
fantastic actor. That one threw me for a loop. I mean,
real talented guy, real talented.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Yeah, it's weird, weird. I'm on.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
I was like on the plane on the way there,
like scrolling through the movies and I was.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Like, oh, that's to watch. That's such a good movie.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Oh my god, that's fantastic, fantastic.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
I know. And it was cool because we got to
go and see uh.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
He performed that song that with Motley Crue and I
got to go and meet all of them and stuff,
so amazing, incredible opportunities that like satisfies the many little
rocker in me.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
You there, you go, well and listen, Okay, So listening
to the solo that's obviously the influential music that got
you going must have been the music of that era.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Yeah, yeah, definitely, Like classic rock has kind of always
been my love. Like that's kind of why I first
started first started listening to and like I this album
I had in mind.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
I wanted to make an album for my like fifteen
year old self that like she would have loved, if.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
You know what I mean, with all of these different artists,
and so that's kind of what I had in mind.
And I kind of wanted each song to be a
slightly different kind of sub genre, I guess, because that
was just kind of what I was into.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Like I loved Slash's.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
First album, oh yeah, first solo album, and that had
like people from all you know, Chris Cornell had Lemy
and then had like Fergie on it. Like I had
all of these different people from from different you know,
parts of the music scene, and it kind of brought
them together, but it still had the running theme of
it kind of being slash, and I kind of wanted
to do something like that.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
You know, there are some fantastic albums out there if
you search them, that are like that. Tony Iomi did
it as well. Yeah, obviously legend of guitar player of
Black Sabbath Slash has done it. Obviously Strauss recently did it.
Dave Golden h You know, there there are some fantastic
(17:05):
albums out there with like here's the musician, the main guy,
and maybe all these different people that work pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
Like I love that as well, because, like you know,
as musicians we love writing too, but often that you know,
sort of vocalists or always sort of the ones that
usually lead the songs and stuff. So it's nice to
I don't know, it's nice to show the musicians a
bit of like put them in the spotlight a bit,
like I always think it's really.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Cool, absolutely so on this album. Imposter Syndrome, by the way,
is what it's called. Interesting name. I'll get to that
in a second. But you have singers like you, said
Lizzie Hale from Hailstorm, Michael Starr from Steel panther Tyler
Connelly from Theory of the dead Man. The single is
with the song do or Die is mind Blinkings. Thank you.
(17:50):
Nathan James, who also kind of plays that sort of
bluesy hard rock, almost stemmed in the eighties kind of style.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Doesn't he Yeah, he does.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
He just has this like epic, like classic rock voice,
like the crazy like rock opera voice, like like you've
ever heard, so yeah, yeah, he does.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
A lot of that.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Were there any singers that said yes to this that
you were surprised by?
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Pretty much all of them.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
A lot of it was just like a shot in
the dark, honestly, Like the first person that said yes,
I think was Tyler Connolly, and that.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Was crazy because I was such a Theory fan.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
And then that was the first song we got back,
and hearing his voice on one of my songs was
like such a crazy moment for me, so full circle
because he has such like a unique, distinct voice, so
that was something really really cool.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Matt Heathey as well.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
I'm just a fangirl at heart, Like I had like
pictures of these people on my wall, you know, like
I have a I have a When I recorded my
very first EP delusions. I had like iron on Trivium
T shirt that I'd made myself, you know, and I
have a picture of me like with my little guitar
starting out, so like I've been a fan of these
people for so for so long. And yeah, Lizzie obviously
(19:02):
was like the one. She originally wasn't able to be
on it, but then we had to push it back
a year because of the MGK dates We're going to
clash with the release stuff. So but because we pushed
it back, we were able to have her on the
on the title track, which was you know, absolutely incredible.
And then also I have a lot of my friends
on it as well, like Cole Rowland, Lauren Babbeck.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Maurice Rodriguez. She's from She's from one of my.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
Old old growing up so yeah, yeah, we played together
here and reading all the time. So you know, it's
got a whole mix of different people, but all of
them mean like something to me, you.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Know, tell me more about the song do or Die,
because we're gonna play it obviously.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Oh cool, Well, do or Die?
Speaker 3 (19:42):
We wanted to write kind of like a classic rock
song with like a killer riff, something a cool solo
just like proper guitar, you know, old school, and Nathan
was the perfect singer for that because he just has
the most powerful vocal cords, as I've said, and he
so basically, we kind of wrote the songs like a
glorified backing track, and then we sent them to Nathan
(20:04):
and he would kind of send back any ideas, and
then we'd add on, like top lines, like the guitar
lines in the pre chorus, We added them on after
the vocals came on. And yeah, it's just like a
really cool, powerful song. We did a cool music video
with a bunch of fire. There was way too much
hair and hair spray for all the fire we had.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
Wi's honestly dangerous. No one caught on fire. Yeah a
little bit, but.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
How cool would have that looked done on camera?
Speaker 2 (20:28):
It would have looked I was gonna say, make sure.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
It's one chats, one shot.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
But yeah, I'm really proud of that song.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
It's such a fun song to play live, and yeah,
I hope everyone likes it.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Amazing. Impastor Syndrome, you said, that's also across the title
track with Lizzy Hale. That's the song the album being
called that Impastor syndrome is something we joke around about
a lot because it's like, oh, I do this thing now,
am I really supposed to be here? You know exactly?
Is that kind of the feeling you were getting and
why you decided to call it impastor syndrome?
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Yeah, definitely, Like I struggled with it, like quite badly,
to the point I was just completely avoiding playing live,
like kind of just it was kind of just before COVID,
before I started writing this album, I was avoiding playing
live all costs.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Really because I just had such bad performance anxiety.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
I think because my career had been built on the Internet,
where you can kind of edit things you can not edit,
but like retake things a bunch, you know, you get
a bunch of takes.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
It's not like properly live.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
So I think I kind of built this unrealistic, unrealistic expectation,
if you know what I mean, for myself, not even
for anyone else, but like for myself to meet that
like this bar that I just couldn't meet, you know,
And I think that just really kind of put me
off ever playing live. And I just sort of felt
like an impost or a fraud or anything that I
didn't deserve.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
To kind of be where I was.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
But then throughout the process of making the whole album,
and like each song kind of means something different in
the realms of imposter syndrome, but especially that Lizzie Hall one,
Like I went to meet her at one of her
gigs and had a discussion with her and just hearing
her say that she you know, it feels the exact same,
and we kind of had like this really kind of
(22:11):
healing moment, you know, where we were just like sharing
our experiences and stuff, and she really kind of wrote
that song like it was a page out of my
own diary.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
So that's special when that happens, for sure.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Yeah, definitely, And yeah, kind of throughout that it made
me a lot more comfortable with it. And then obviously
the MGK opportunity came and I was like, I'm just
gonna I'm gonna throw myself in the deep end and
do it. And like, I'm kind of pleased to say
that throughout the process of that album kind of becoming
a thing, I've pretty much there's always good days and
(22:44):
bad days, but I've pretty much overcome it.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
So now I just absolutely love playing live.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
I can't get enough of performing and rocking out, and
it's just like nice to come out the other side,
you know, and be comfortable and feel feel like I
have worked hard and I do deserve.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
To be where I am.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
That's amazing. I think I realized something when you were
saying that story. So you this this album obviously a
couple a few years really right in the making. Yeah,
And the MGK thing came in the middle of that.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
So it ended up being delayed by like a year
year in a bit. And also just writing an album
with a bunch of.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Different more, yeah, that's gonna take a while.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
So like logistically difficult, just like getting contracts sort other
stuff is so annoying, so it naturally took longer. But yeah,
we started it around the beginning of COVID probably like
twenty twenty, okay, and then we released it in twenty
twenty three or something early maybe late twenty twenty two,
I forget now, but yeah, So it was definitely a
bit of a bit of a slog towards the ends
(23:41):
trying to get it out. But I'm, like I said,
I'm glad it was delayed because that meant Lizzie got
to be on it, and you know, I think everything
happens for a reason.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Absolutely pastor syndrome. Yeah, it came out twenty twenty three,
which so it surprises me that actually this album's been
out that long and we're just starting to kind of
get at least on our end of it, right taste
of it. Yeah, with singles and things like that.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Yeah, it's cool. It's kind of like because obviously I'm.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
UK based, so we did a lot of like UK
stuff and radio circuits.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
Yeah, you don't say I can't hear the accent at all.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Sorry, I'll put on my normal X.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
No, don't, please don't.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
I'm so sorry.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
It's like, if I try to get rid of I'm
from Wisconsin. There's a little inflections here and there that's
almost sound Canadian. You know. It's like if I get
rid of it, it's like now I just don't feel
real never.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
Mind, but I can't remember what I was saying.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
Now. The singles and all that just kind of coming
to the forefront now here in the States exactly.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
Yeah, so we but we've just sort of started like
kind of promoting it and pushing it in the in
the US because that's where my main audience is online.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
It's all like US based.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
And obviously we had my first kind of debut show
at the Whiskey in LA earlier this year.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
I heard about it, so it was so much fun.
It was honestly one of the best days of my life.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
And you know, so I feel like it's like time
to kind of expand my market and kind of the
US is just such an exciting, cool place, and like
it's like.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
Rock and roll. It's so cool.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
It's like, you know, I think I fit in there well,
So it would be good to her just yeah, get
get in the space a little bit more there.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Just to pull back the curtain a little bit, you know,
the person that's working out your song to radio. So
there are people that obviously do this. These are jobs
that exist, not many, but there are some. Is a
person who I love dearly. Her name's Maria and she's
she's from also from Wisconsin. Originally she's been an LA
person now for decades, but she sold out. But I
(25:47):
respect your opinion, and I've known her for a very
long time and she hit me up last week about
you and and hey, can we have her, you know,
come on Cutters broadcast. And obviously the radio show The
Cutting Edge Countdown focus on her music a little bit.
She told me the story a minute and she's like, listen,
I went to the show at the Whiskey. This girl's
going to blow you away. I know you're a guitar player,
and I now you're cynical a hole, but this girl's
(26:10):
going to blow you away. And like, Okay, I'm sold.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
Oh that's so sweet. Oh my god, I love her
so much.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
She's the best to live up to though, So hope
you're not disappointed.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
She says that I believe it, But you are you
going to get this out on tour? You know?
Speaker 2 (26:29):
So that yeah, that's.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
That's definitely the plan, like obviously, like because we've only
just started sort of doing live shows relatively recently, even
though the AM came out a while ago, just because
of commitments with MGK and stuff. It's uh where I'm
so excited to finally kind of tore it and we've
like I feel like we've really like dialed in the
show and it's it's been a new thing for me
to transition into being like a front woman as well
(26:51):
and be comfortable like talking with the crowd.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
But I feel like at the whiskey.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
That was like a really that was a time where
I felt really comfortable doing it like which was really nice,
and I feel like the show a good flow. So
we want to be able to take it on tour
probably later later this year, I reckon We've got some
like UK shows and festivals and stuff coming up, but
I'd like to definitely go back to the States and
do some shows there towards the end of the year.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
What is the live man like for you? Because this
is your soulo stuff, this is your music. You have
a bunch of different singers on these songs, and you're
the lead guitar player, the show woman who sings, Like,
how do you manage that?
Speaker 3 (27:26):
It's it's still like kind of we're still kind of
figuring out exactly like how it works. But we've got
some incredible like vocalists that we know, and if we're
in a certain location, we'll try and get like guest vocalists.
Like when we were in la we managed to get
Michael Starr to come down and do our song Runaway together,
which was a really cool moment and we just saw
(27:47):
again like I think Lauren Babbeck, who sung on one
of the songs did most of like the female bass songs.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
We tried to have at least kind of.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
Two singers per show just to kind of mix it
up and have a little bit of variety in there.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
So or usually try and.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
Have a guy singer and a girl singer just because
the song's also quite difficult for one singer to sing.
There's so many different ranges and styles for like one
vocalist to do.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Everything is like a tall order.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
But yeah, it's just sort of who's who's around that area,
who would be up for doing it, who's you know,
we know it luckily, you know, I know loads of
vocalists and stuff, and there's ones that I love working
with and have a lot of fun with and feel
like have good stage chemistry with. So yeah, we had
Lauren singing our show in la and then we had
my friend Izzy T and then the singer from Dead
(28:36):
posey As while our support band came and sing a songs.
So we had like quite a few different singers sort
of jumping jumping on and off on different songs. But
I feel like that kind of always gives the crowd
slink interesting, right, you know, it gives them synk to
look forward to and then we also do like shred
versions and like shred covers of songs, which is when
we take a song like En Sandman and just make
it into like a We still play like the melody,
(28:57):
but I make it into a bit of a whole
two three minute.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Long guitar solone.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
It's very silly, but very fun, and it like gets
the crowd going.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
So we've got like a good mix of a bunch
of different things.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
I don't hate that.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
It's fun. You should you should come to a show
if everyone in America.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
Well listen, I will next time you guys are in
the in the area, and you know Midwest generally speaking.
I don't travel a ton for a lot of concerts
anymore since really since the pandemic. But my kids are
at all kids, and you know, I got married a
couple of weeks ago, so it's like going in thank
you very much. Yeah, going and traveling the country like
(29:33):
I used to do to do band interviews and check
out showcases and all that stuff just isn't in the
cards anymore.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
But yeah, I think that's fair enough.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
Honestly, Like even for me traveling into London it's an
annoymare and I only live an hour away from it.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Yeah, but you're also talking about one of the biggest
cities in the world. I can't imagine. You know that
the commute of that is probably really annoying.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
It's just it's tiring, and people are so annoying.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
People are annoying, you know, on public transport, so I
like to avoid travel as much as possible, so I
completely relate to you there.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
I don't blame me.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
Yeah, I get it, Sophie Lloyd. This has been an
absolute pleasure it. Congratulations on a fantastic record. I wish
I would have found it in twenty twenty three when
it came out, but better late than never. You're very
welcome and good luck with it all, you know, getting
this out on the road, because I imagine logistically that's
not going to be easy, but I know if you do,
(30:27):
just talking to you, it's going to be the best
thing possible.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
You're welcome so much.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
It really means a lot.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
Is there any MGK tour stuff this year?
Speaker 3 (30:37):
Nothing confirmed yet, I don't think, but I reckon there
probably will.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
I think they're in the studio writing at the moment.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
You can sit at home, no relax exactly, write more music.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
This is the home time exactly. Yeah, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
You're welcome, Sophie. Take care of yourself.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
Thank you for this, Thank you, Bye you two rock Cast.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
Don't forget to tune in exactly
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