Absolutely bursting with talent, singer-songwriter Philine Sonny has a lot to celebrate. Sonny recently signed with Nettwerk Music Group, received ample praise for her latest single, “Drugs”, announced her upcoming EP, Invader, and is back with a new single, “Take A While”. Her debut EP, Lose Yourself, propelled her into the spotlight just last year and the whirlwind has never stopped for the 21-year old German-born artist. 

Her latest release, “Take A While”, urges you to be persistent, even when your aspirations begin to feel hopeless. “‘Take A While’ is a loving letter to anyone struggling to let their vulnerability outlive the pain,” says Philine.

“Take A While” has an explosive beginning that propels you straight into the emotional discomfort we all feel when the world begins to feel too heavy. Once you’re in it, you’re spiraling right alongside Philine’s beautiful vocals encouraging you to keep going. This track is a strongly worded ballad made from a vulnerable place but dedicated to fighting back against all odds. 

Currently supporting Medium Build on a few dates in the UK, there are many more opportunities to come for someone as talented as Philine Sonny. Thirteen Magazine was able to chat with her and learn more about who she is and what’s to come! Read more below:

THIRTEEN: Hi Philine! Thank you for doing this interview with us. Could you tell us a little bit more about you and your music?

PHILINE SONNY: Hey! Thanks so much for showing interest in what I do. I’m 22 years old and grew up in a small town in Germany. I write and produce my songs, I love classic songwriter music, as well as more experimental indie pop music and rock classics such as The War on Drugs or Springsteen and I feel like all of these influences show, sometimes more, sometimes less.

THIRTEEN: Congratulations on all the many successes lately! You recently signed with Nettwerk, are about to release your next single, “Take A While”, and have an album coming out in the Spring of 2024 titled Invader. How is everything feeling?

PHILINE SONNY: I‘m actually feeling pretty good right now. At this moment, I’m on the train from Manchester to London, I just played my first shows here in the UK as support for Medium Build which was exceptionally fun and fulfilling and eye-opening. I‘m very grateful for the people that I get to spend my time with and invite me to learn from them. There‘s still some personal stuff going on obviously and I could’ve gotten a little more sleep these past days but all in all, I’m doing good!

THIRTEEN: Before Nettwerk, you took a very DIY approach to building your career. What was that process like in getting you to where you are today?

PHILINE SONNY: I think it helped me build that much needed confidence in my own abilities. I got to try different stuff and discovered a lot about what parts of this job I’m good at and the things that I need help with. Also, I wouldn‘t expect anyone to put that much effort into a song that‘s not theirs and because  of that I feel like I can focus on details much better if I work alone because I don‘t have to worry about paying someone that’s watching me sing the same line for literally 170 times. 

THIRTEEN: Tell us more about “Take A While.”

PHILINE SONNY: It‘s a very personal song so I can’t really go into detail. But I really enjoyed the production process. I wanted this song to be kind of stripped down at the beginning and my voice to have some space. When I start recording I usually record at least 3-5 layers of my vocals, this time I didn’t, I wanted the words to get all the attention. The production gets bigger towards the end of the song. There’s a chorus, a bridge, a solo part, another bridge and then finally another chorus that are high energy. One of the challenges throughout the production process was to keep these parts interesting but not overloaded. I ended up recording acoustic guitar in Nashville tuning, some small piano parts and bass lines to change up things in a subtle way rather than vary the essential vocal melodies or chords. I like that the intensity stays high for so long, I don’t think I’ve done this before. 

THIRTEEN: “Drugs” and now “Take A While” are the first look into Invader. Sonically, they are very different from one another. Why did you feel these were the ones to release ahead of the album?

PHILINE SONNY: I didn’t really think about that too much, it just kind of felt natural. To me, they don‘t sound too different, I used the same instruments and techniques on both songs. 

THIRTEEN: Is there anything you can share about Invader and what fans can expect?

PHILINE SONNY: The songs are more personal and grown-up compared to my first EP. I think I got bolder and because I’ve been going to therapy I‘m much more comfortable with difficult topics. Productionwise, I’ve learned a lot in the past year so the production is also a bit rougher. 

THIRTEEN: You’ll be joining Medium Build on tour in just a few days, what do you hope new audiences will take away from your music and performance?

PHILINE SONNY: I hope that people can relate to the stories that I‘ll share with them. In the past year I realized that it doesn’t really matter if people feel connected to you because they‘re having the best time thanks to you or they‘re feeling deep feelings that they haven‘t felt in a while. Either way, the human connection is what matters. 

THIRTEEN: It’s mentioned that your hometown never felt like home. Why? Do you feel as though you’ve found a place to call home now?

PHILINE SONNY: I’ve found myself a nice place to come back to now, a town called Bochum in the west of Germany. I have friends there, parks, a river, a small studio. So yeah, I’d say I feel home there. 

THIRTEEN: Along with this, where else do you draw inspiration from?

PHILINE SONNY: Usually it‘s the people around me and their stories but it could also be any good movie or book.

THIRTEEN: Your career really took off in 2022 with your EP, Lose Yourself. What was your musical journey like before this?

PHILINE SONNY: I started writing songs when I was 14. For a long time they just existed in my room until I started playing solo gigs. I played about a handful of gigs every year but kept writing and writing and writing. So then one day I met my manager and basically already had a notebook full of songs to show to him. 

THIRTEEN: What direction do you hope to take your music in the future?

PHILINE SONNY: I really hope that I get better at producing and improving my guitar skills and make some more experimental stuff. And I hope I get to play some more gigs in the UK or even the US. 

THIRTEEN: We are excited for your future and congratulate you on everything you’ve accomplished thus far! We can’t wait to see what else you achieve.