Dive into the world of SFSF, a French Berlin based songwriter bringing you Rock, Pop, Indie and catchy melodies!
French Berlin based songwriter - Rock, Pop, Indie and catchy melodies!
Ghost: Can you tell us about your journey into music? How did you get started, and what inspired you to become an indie artist?
SFSF: I’ve always been into music, but I officially started releasing songs last September. So, it’s just the beginning of a journey. In fact, I wanted to be a ghost songwriter and create a catalogue of songs for other artists and bands. I wanted to be like Quincy Jones for Michael Jackson. So, I released my music without paying too much attention to production and vocal performance, thinking that it will eventually be remastered with another artist. But the reality is that it’s not so easy to find my Michael, so I decided to give myself a chance to be the main artist. After all, it comes out of me. So here I am. Not a great vocalist neither a sound engineer, that’s why I chose to underproduce my music. That means no Autotune, no quantization, no compression, no AI correction… but I would say I know how to deliver a mood with lyrics and strong melodies.
Ghost: What is the story behind your artist's name? Does it hold a special meaning for you?
SFSF: I really like acronyms because they leave room for doubt (R.E.M., NTM, ACDC, NWA...). In my case, SFSF stands for Songs For Souls Factory, because I consider myself a purveyor of melodies that are catchy enough to touch the soul. But in the mind of my fans, it could mean anything, and I like it like that.
Ghost: How would you describe your music style? What genres or artists have influenced your sound?
SFSF: I try not to lock myself into a too strict genre, but I play rock. And my first EP "Manifest" is a rock one but my music ranges from art rock to pop rock with everything in between. Also, I'm very inspired by the 80s.
I would describe my music as combative, catchy and moody.
Combative because some lyrics engage me and have a warlike tone like "New Era Troopers", "Your Lesson", "Paris, la France".
Catchy because I focus on hooks and melodies to provide either catchy or haunting choruses to counterbalance the minimalism of the production.
And moody because that’s what it’s all about with my music: a mood. I believe we can feel it with songs like "Night Train", "Paris, la France" or "I'm Gonna Come To You In A Magic".
Ghost: Can you share the creative process behind your latest album/single?
SFSF: Yes, of course. Well, first of all, as we live in a single releasing era, I dropped songs as singles first. As a newcomer artist I felt the need to clarify my artistic statement, not only to my potential audience but also to myself. So, when I had enough tracks, I picked up the ones that would tell the most about me and built my EP around them. And this is how the title “Manifest” became obvious. It was a manifesto.
Ghost: How do you usually go about writing and producing your songs?
SFSF: Most of the time, first comes a melody and very quickly or at the same time comes a sentence or a word that sounds good. And then I take out my phone to record it otherwise it's lost forever.
Then I let this snippet obsess me for a while until I feel the urgency to write the whole song with the lyrics. And when I have the feeling it's solid, I sit down at the piano and with my DAW and I compose the details (intro, pre-chorus, bridge, solo...). This is where I spend a lot of time because I want something to come out like it was in my head. Then, I must admit that I don't spend a lot of time on mixing and mastering.
Ghost: What challenges have you faced as an indie artist? How have you overcome them?
SFSF: The most challenging thing for me was to assume myself as an artist because I was afraid of being illegitimate. I said to myself: but you don't have vocal technique, you don't have experience, you're not sexy, you're not this or that. But little by little I saw my audience grow and some are even loyal and that motivated me to go on. I think friends and family are useless in combating a feeling of illegitimacy because they blindly support you, so they are not demanding. However, when a complete stranger is excited, it is very precious.
Ghost: Can you tell us who inspired your passion for music growing up?
SFSF: I think music plays an important role in everyone's life. I mean, I don't think anyone on this Earth is insensitive to music. We just have different experiences, needs and tastes. I live in Berlin, Germany but I was born and raised in France. As a teenager, I was immersed in French music of course but also in Anglo-Saxon music. I didn't grow up in a musical family, but music was always there.
As I said above, I'm very inspired by the 80s but my taste goes way beyond that.
Ghost: What message do you want to convey through your music? Is there a particular theme or emotion you aim to evoke in your listeners?
SFSF: I think my music speaks for itself. I’m not sure I convey a message; I prefer to think that it delivers a mood. In some feedback, I could hear my music "creates a nice but naughty atmosphere" and I like that!
And as far as I'm concerned, as an artist, I can just hope that my audience supports my choice to underproduce my music and that they understand the claim behind it.
Ghost: What are your future plans? Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations that your fans should look forward to?
SFSF: This September was the one-year anniversary of my very first release "Personal Trainer" and also marked the first year of my musical journey. I celebrated it with my fans by releasing a synth rock version of the song.
And on October 4, I will drop the song "A Phantom", a drama rock ballad about a ghost which is also a metaphor for our loneliness. So, I’m very excited!
Ghost: We wanted to extend our heartfelt thanks to SFSF for taking the time to meet with us. We truly appreciate the opportunity to discuss your music and the beautiful story behind it, and to learn more about your excellent work.
Your insights and the music shared were incredibly wonderful, and we are excited about what is in store for SFSF in the future, and we look forward to new music from SFSF! Thank you once again for your time sharing your talent with the world!
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