Sophie B. Hawkins will perform Sunday in Agoura Hlils.
Emotional moments inspire Sophie B. Hawkins’ original songs.
“I’ll be triggered by some emotional event that brings up these really deep feelings,” the singer and songwriter told the News-Press. “There’s nothing I can do but to go to the piano or guitar and write the song. There’s no other way I can process, to get to the depth of that feeling and why I’m triggered.
“I say on stage that my songs tell the truth,” the New York City native said.
Ms. Hawkins, who sang last weekend at the Libbey Bowl in Ojai, will perform at 8 p.m. Sunday at The Canyon, 28912 Roadside Drive, Agoura Hills.
Her tour is celebrating the 30th anniversary of “Tongues and Tails,” her debut album.
“In some ways, the album was groundbreaking,” Ms. Hawkins said. “I was so unabashedly myself.”
She said she continues to enjoy performing the album’s songs such as, “Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover.”
“They’re fun to perform, even now, but they’re really difficult to sing. They were then, and they are now,” Ms. Hawkins said. “The intervals (between notes) are nuts. The melodies are kind of unique. The lyrics are phenomenal. The harmonies were beautiful.”
She said her new music is also popular. Her recent music includes the song “Love Myself.”
“That song came from a true story. I went to a party, drank wine and ate coconut cake,” Ms. Hawkins said.
On the way home, Ms. Hawkins thought about her life and the party.
“Did I eat too much? Did I drink too much? Did I say too much?” Ms. Hawkins said.
When she got home, Ms. Hawkins explored her thoughts about her life by going to the piano and writing “Love Myself.”
“The message is that pivotal moment — you never know when it’s going to be — when you transcend all these different beliefs about yourself,” she said. “It frees you from your baggage, and you start living and loving yourself. You get to enjoy yourself.”
Ms. Hawkins started playing the drums at age 14 and played in a rock band in high school. She said she played piano, banjo, guitar — “anything I can write a song on.”
She went on to attend the Manhattan School of Music as a classical percussionist.
“I want to keep writing songs that are meaningful,” Ms. Hawkins said. “My songs are my teachers.”
email: dmason@newspress.com
FYI
Sophie B. Hawkins will perform at 8 p.m. Sunday at The Canyon, 28912 Roadside Drive, Agoura Hills.
Tickets cost $28 to $58. To purchase, go to wheremusicmeetsthesoul.com.
Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
