Live Review: Sofy - Scala, London 09/04/2025
Sofy is a rising star. Leicester-raised, London born, she has capitalised on the wave of Britpop to deliver one of the most fun concert experiences of the year, raw and emotionally honest, lighting up Scala with her signature sound.
Sofy is a rising star. Leicester-raised, London born, she has capitalised on the wave of Britpop that ballooned out of bands like Oasis and more recently, Pastel, teasing her set on Instagram by promising songs from a Gallagher brother. Arriving on stage in a retro football jersey with a crowd of people who have half-discovered her from the soundtrack on FIFA 23 and her song big talk – now elevated to early in the set as opposed to a closer - half from her lengthy festival circuit run that included playing at Glastonbury. She has already shown up on the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge as an introducing act and is only tipped for bigger and brighter things to come. She’s emotional; this is a big show for her – and this much raw talent has the right amount of energy needed to really shake up the indie pop scene.
First came Eden Rain who looks set to follow in Sofy’s rise as a young Londoner with a penchant for storytelling, influenced by Leonard Cohen and other great singer/songwriters of that era. She’s awkward yet confident at the same time – she jokes about if her trousers fall, it’s part of the set, and shouts out her dad – who has escaped a packed, sold-out Scala that is sweltering by the time Rain comes on stage. Her emotional Who I’ve Touched is the climax – and her visual ideas are brought to life for a maverick patchwork-inspired show. Her vulnerability in songwriting makes her songs relatable for the audience and they embrace her as much as they do Sofy – a telltale sign of a *very* good support act - respectful; engaged and even patiently have time to listen to her Waterloo Sunset sequel. Another banger – Crashmat, showcased her range – the Leeds based indie-pop prodigy has touches of an early Lana del Rey. Expect big things from her going forward – she’s already acutely aware of her need to be something for everyone and that much is shown in her script.
Whoever picks Sofy’s support acts deserves a raise – Eden Rain and My First Time who have supported her at the Bodega in Nottingham are the stars of the future generation; and if you’re at a Sofy show – chances are you’re about to see something special even before she comes on stage.
The main event followed – brought onto Party Rock Anthem – a belter of a hype track. Sofy’s Another Day in Paradise album meant that she couldn’t fit all her songs into the set so fans got to see a spin-the-wheel game – it landed on Breathing Exercises (“I’m kinda nervous and I don’t know why / not been the same and now I’m 25”), a lucky bit for her as they had practiced it in the warm-up. It’s an inventive and unique way of crowd engagement for sure and everyone gets involved – doubly so when it lands on a good song; perfect for the moment of mental health and owing much to Scala’s history as a nightclub/casino-type arena in the heart of Camden.
Crowd interaction has been a noted hallmark of her shows and she’s capable of keeping the audience engaged; ramping up the energy early on by encouraging the audience to get down on their knees before leaping up and everyone obeys. It’s an immersive audience – few phones are in sight, a rarity in this crowd of mainly gen-z audience members, and the experience is better for it – the short set-time perhaps the only negative thing about the set but that’s perhaps only a limitation of music output – I could’ve listened to at least another 10-15 minutes of her solo show. Not often these days you want to stay up later on a Wednesday night but I could’ve happily done that for Sofy.
Hush was a favourite of mine – it skewers more pop-punky but the energy was there and it felt befitting given Scala’s status as an emo/pop-punk night powerhouse. Wet Paint leans into the sax for an experience that has to be seen live to be believed – its lyrics complete with soaring melodies really make for a standout – capturing youthful energy and temptation that sometimes is just so easy to give into. Just like Eden Rain – Sofy is destined to reach the big time and you’d better invest in those stocks immediately if you’re an indie pop fan – and her loyal fanbase is already there and happy to oblige her music.
Another Day in Paradise is an album that gives as good as it gets and there are plenty of tracks everywhere you look on her setlist. Pirates and socks are heavy hitters – and no wonder she’s made such a connection with gen-z, it’s all about them. It’s a staging ground for a conceptual mixtape as opposed to an album – nineties groove feels all over the influences here; and there’s a lot of Lily Allen at times. Set closer togethertogethertogether follows encore staple Strawberry Milkshake – “sidekick, costar, I wanna be wherever you are, you’re my sous-chef, my copilot, always got my covered why we even trying to fight it?” is peak catchy chorus and instantly singalong version – bragging about writing a masterpiece on a coaster that all the critics called a smash shows that her confidence has only grown over the course of her career. Jump on board now before she reaches the next level – it won’t be long before she leaves the small venues of Scala behind her.
Words by Miles Milton Jefferies
Photo Credit: Lily Dodge
