My Life In Music, with Kettle writer Sophie Thirkell

For most people, music is one of the most important things in life. It can inspire you, fill you with joy or even make you cry. But different music affects us all in different ways. Each week, I interview one of our writers or editors about the impact music has had on their life. This week, I talk to Kettle writer Sophie Thirkell about her life in music. 

Describe your taste in music in three words.

Eclectic, indie, random.

What’s your favourite musical genre?

Indie rock.

Your favourite band or artist?

Troye Sivan. He’s usually a bit pop-y for my taste but I love it! 

Your favourite song of all time?

‘Stop Me’ by Mark Ronson… although it changes every week!

What was the first album you ever bought? 

Ta-Dah by Scissor Sisters. Bought at Woolworths back when it was a thing!

First gig you went to?

I’m embarrassed to admit it now but… 3OH!3 at Glasgow ABC.

What was the last song you listened to?

‘No Mind No Money’ by Beach Baby.

Which musicians do you admire? 

I admire my favourite artist Troye Sivan because we are the same age and he’s a successful actor, YouTuber, singer… OK now I’m beginning to dislike the guy..

What’s your opinion on music videos?

I cannot wait for artists to release their music videos. I can form my own opinions about a song but then when I watch the video the story behind it changes. It’s also a great outlet to be creative, they’re really fun!

In your opinion, what’s the most annoying song of all time?

UGH. ‘Gangnam Style’ by Psy. It was during high school where it was played over and over again. Those school discos were a nightmare.

Who do you think is the most overrated artist out there?

Ummmmm… Adele. I’ll probably get some hate for that..

Where do you find new music?

Spotify!

Do you play any instruments?

I tried to learn the guitar. However, I got frustrated when I couldn’t play at a Slash level after three lessons so I gave up.

Rock or pop?

Rock!

Classical or heavy metal?

Classical!

What song will always cheer you up?

I can’t pick a specific song but I usually listen to feel-good house music. Not club EDM but easy going house music like Cyril Hahn. Songs of that genre are really chilled out and I just like to play it in the background when I’m going about doing other things, I tend to feel calmer and happier.

What is your musical guilty pleasure?

As mentioned before, house music. It usually doesn’t have a lot of meaning but not all music has to. Everyone has different music tastes, if something isn’t for you, it’ll be someone else’s favourite. All music is worth listening to for many different reasons, that’s my excuse anyway!

What does music mean to you?

Lots of things! Mostly it’s a great way to escape life, I love zoning out from all my problems.

What do you love most about music?

I love discovering new music from emerging artists as well as new music from my longtime favourite artists to see how they’ve progressed. Music is like a window into the life of the musician and I think it’s great to see what inspires people to make music. That’s why I also like watching and conducting interviews.

If you could sit down for a chat with any musician (dead or alive) – who would it be?

George Harrison. For sure. He is my favourite Beatle and also one of my favourite musicians. I’d ask him lots of rumours from the Beatles era because I’m a nosy so-and-so.

Tell us your best musical memory.

Front row at Twin Atlantic at Soundwave Festival in Melbourne! They’re not very well known in Australia at all so they were one of the first bands on on the day and it wasn’t a struggle to get to the front. I was the only Scottish one there and I was the only one in the whole crowd singing the songs. They kept smiling at me because I was going crazy. They were probably thinking I was really crazy… They held a meet and greet later in the day and I only had to pay a two dollars which is one pound!

What’s your best musical memory? Tell us about your life in music in the comments below!