Q&A: SONGS FOR SABOTAGE Come Out With "Fortress"
MEET SONGS FOR SABOTAGE - The electrifying duo comprising Lina Sophie from Stockholm, Sweden, and Richey Rose from Lexington, Kentucky, who converged in the creative hub of NYC in 2017. Transitioning from their respective musical backgrounds, they birthed Fortress, a sonic journey that defies convention. Initially rooted in indie/garage vibes, their sound has metamorphosed into a synth-laden exploration, epitomized by their latest album "Clean Trauma."
Drawing inspiration from eclectic sources like Depeche Mode, Alice In Chains, and emerging electronic artists, SFS crafts music devoid of boundaries, guided solely by artistic impulse. Their tracks, including the enigmatic 'Phantom' and the pulsating 'Killer,' resonate with mystery and allure, mirroring the essence of SFS themselves. From the confines of their home studio in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, they navigate the music industry's tumultuous landscape while balancing careers in production and creative direction.
With a penchant for DIY ethos and a history of touring, SFS envisions a future adorned with live shows and collaborative endeavors, fueled by their unwavering dedication to the craft.
LUNA: Introduce yourself: who is Songs for Sabotage? How and when was the project born?
SONGS FOR SABOTAGE: Hey there, we’re Lina Sophie & Richey Rose, aka SFS. Lina is from Stockholm, Sweden and Richey is from Lexington, Kentucky. We met in November 2017 in NYC. We were in other bands at the time (Lina in a garage/punk trio and Richey in a goth duo) and were craving something new creatively. We started writing together just for fun and eventually had enough material to play a show, so we officially became a band once we played our first show in August 2019.
LUNA: How has your music changed in the past few years?
SONGS FOR SABOTAGE: It’s changed sonically quite a bit… when we started out we were recording our demos as we were writing them, and most everything was written on guitar and electric bass. It had more of an indie/garage vibe in the beginning, which is apparent on our first album. Our new album is a lot more synth-heavy… we arranged most of the songs using a Roland JDX-i synth and 4 track, to keep it very minimal and simple. We played the songs live for about a year before we recorded them, which allowed them to evolve quite a bit more than how we approached the songs on our first album.
LUNA: Who inspired your music? Who are your biggest influences?
SONGS FOR SABOTAGE: We’re both inspired by all kinds of music… Collectively we love bands like Depeche Mode, Alice In Chains, Garbage, My Bloody Valentine, The Kills. We’re also big electronic music fans - we love newer artists like Prospa, Com Truise, Uffie. Richey’s guitar playing and lyrics are hugely influenced by 80s post-punk and new wave artists like Joy Division, The Smiths, Love & Rockets, etc. Lina is influenced by artists like Alison Mosshart, Christina Martinez, and Layne Staley.
LUNA: Could you introduce your favorite singles you've released so far?
SONGS FOR SABOTAGE: Our most popular one is ‘Phantom’, from 2021. It’s mysterious and sexy, quite like ourselves. Our personal favorite right now is our latest single, ‘Killer’, which is the opening track on our new album entitled Clean Trauma.
LUNA: How did you develop this style? Will you experiment with other genres in the future?
SONGS FOR SABOTAGE: Our style is just the culmination of things we like… we make music for ourselves… we’ve never set out to make a specific style of music or be in a specific scene. Once you do that you’re not making art anymore, you’re just participating in commerce.
LUNA: Let's talk about "Fortress:" what inspired it and how did it come to life?
SONGS FOR SABOTAGE: Fortress was written off of a demo we had from a few years ago. We had the bass groove and synth lead, which was originally a guitar riff, and some placeholder lyrics. The demo sat around for a while until we started writing our second album. We couldn’t really decide what direction to take it in until we re-arranged all the parts on a Yamaha PS20 synthesizer. Once we’d revamped the sound design the track took on a whole new vibe. The lyrics came quickly after; they’re about boxing yourself in due to a total lack of self-esteem… you’re hidden away in a fortress, so you’re technically protected, but you’re still trapped - a victim of your own devices.
LUNA: Who produces your tracks? How do you choose which producers to work with? Do you have some dream producers you'd like to work with?
SONGS FOR SABOTAGE: We produce all of our music at our home studio in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles. We’d love to work with producers like Butch Vig, Björn Yttling, Rick Rubin
LUNA: Is music your main occupation at the moment? If not, how are you conciliating your day job with your music career?
SONGS FOR SABOTAGE: Hell no. The only way music can be your full-time job in 2024 is if you’re stupid rich, insanely lucky, or really good at scamming people on Patreon. We, unfortunately, are none. Richey works in the music industry as a production manager and audio engineer, Lina works as a creative director for various fashion brands. We actually just had to cancel a run of west coast dates due to a work conflict, so that’s how our real jobs are affecting our art at the moment.
LUNA: Have you ever been on tour? If not, would you like to embark on one? If yes, tell us about it.
SONGS FOR SABOTAGE: Yes - Richey began touring in 2005, starting out totally DIY and eventually opening for artists like Echo & The Bunnymen, Killing Joke, and Manic Street Preachers. He also played guitar for artists such as Tamaryn and Wendy James from Transvision Vamp. SFS has played a lot of shows in NYC/Brooklyn, SoCal, Arizona and Nevada. We’d love to get out on the road more with this project.
LUNA: Who's your dream feature?
SONGS FOR SABOTAGE: Richey: Johnny Marr or Peter Hook. Lina: The Kills
LUNA: Where do you see yourself in one year as a musician?
SONGS FOR SABOTAGE: Hopefully with a few more live shows under our belt.
