In partnership with BandLab
Accompanied by her mother, Sophie Castillo is in high spirits after a jam-packed day as she meets NME in an east London pub. Having just finished her photoshoot for the BandLab and NME present: Get Featured opportunity at a nearby studio, it’s fitting that her Colombian mother was by her side for the whole day, as her influence forms a key part of Castillo’s Latin-tinged indie-pop that is continuing to cause up a stir on social media.
Since her early 2022 single ‘Call Me By Your Name’ unexpectedly blew up on TikTok a year later, Castillo has surpassed a million likes on the app and garnered a global audience, while the singles continue to come thick and fast. Building on this sound that centres on crisp pop production with a melodic, sexy Latin groove to it, Castillo is finally making the music that she was always destined to make, be it the warm bassline of ‘Fine’ or the raw, minimalist production on her latest single ‘3AM’, which had its idyllic artwork shot in Calima, Colombia.
“You feel like you grew up with [this music], and it’s in your blood”, Castillo tells NME. “Even more so for people like my mum, who are raised in South America… you feel it in your veins.”
Singing has been a constant feature of Castillo’s west London upbringing for as long as she can remember. Starting out in musical theatre, she then went through a phase of “the classic British teen experience” – where her taste and first songwriting exploits were dominated by indie, rock and pop-punk. As she entered young adulthood, the salsa that had soundtracked her daily car journeys and home life began to seep into her music, where her love of Lana Del Rey, Kali Uchis and Billie Eilish can intertwine with traditional Latin American styles.
Castillo spoke to NME about her childhood, handling the success of ‘Call Me By Your Name’ and where she hopes to take her sound next, as she is chosen as the latest selection of the BandLab and NME present: Get Featured Opportunity.
NME: Congratulations on being selected for the BandLab and NME present: Get Featured opportunity!
“It’s really nice that they have that opportunity. The shoot was very professional; a really easy, smooth process. I live in the Latimer Road area, on the [London Underground] Central Line, so it’s easy to get anywhere from there!”
When did you first start writing music?
“I was around 15… I actually used to write rock music. Pop-punk too, like Paramore and The Pretty Reckless. I liked a lot of bands at the time that classic British kids loved: Arctic Monkeys, The Vaccines, Jamie T.”
Did Latin music come into your life before or after this phase?
“I’ve always loved Latin music. I’ve grown up singing, dancing and enjoying the music with my family – it’s like everyday salsa in my house, in the car. I was constantly connected with it. [At home] we speak Spanglish. I started speaking Spanish when I was three years old, when my auntie came from Colombia to help look after me whilst my mum was working, she’s a single mom. With my mum, we switch – it really depends really on how many telenovelas we’re watching!”
Which Latin artists soundtracked your childhood?
“My family is big on salsa specifically. Groups like Grupo Niche, Fruko Y Sus Tesos, and then the iconic people like Celia Cruz, Marc Anthony. Then there was Bachata, and Reggaeton was a bit later in my life. My family were always forcing me to dance when I was a teenager, at family parties that we had. I was so shy! It was such a Latina childhood experience.
“When I was 18 years old, I tried to take more inspiration from Latin music and kind of failed, because I was a bit unsure how to approach it. I didn’t know any Latin producers or musicians and I didn’t have any prior connections to the music industry or anything like that.”
How did things change for you?
“I got GarageBand. I always wanted a Mac, but they’re so expensive – I got the pay as you go version just to get GarageBand specifically. And then I started making my own beats on there. That way I had more control, so I could add Spanish in there if I wanted.
“The first demo I made, I then sent it to a producer. That was my first single and then the second, and the third. I slowly but surely started adding more and more Spanish. When I met a Latin producer that I wanted to work with, we did ‘Call Me Your Name’ and went more indie-Latin.”
Do you still take the same approach?
“I like to give the producer a solid idea of what kind of production I want. I’m really focusing on being a co-producer, because I can bring a lot of production ideas. I love production. I just need to learn the software!”
How did you meet this producer you’re now working with?
“His name’s Lennyn. We actually met at a gig, he’s the bass player for this UK indie-Latin artist that I love [called] Desta French. I went to her show, we chatted to him and did a session with him. I went back afterwards to do more, and then we made ‘Call Me By Your Name’. He had a really clear idea of what I wanted it to be, he really helped bring it to life.”
Did you feel any pressure after ‘Call Me By Your Name’ went viral?
“There were situations that were delaying [future] songs from coming out. I couldn’t let it dip, I had to give the people something. It does add a little bit of pressure, because I wanted to make sure that I keep making music that people like. I don’t want it to just be one song, I want people to love all of them. I was lucky that the streams on all my other songs went up too; really healthy numbers.”
Is there a particular style or genre you’re hoping to move towards?
“I’m quite a cinematic person. I want to let my mind run free and not be limited. I’m fully independent at the moment, I haven’t got management anymore. I feel like I’ve put the love back into music. I had a period of time where making music was so stressful,because of exterior circumstances.
“The stuff I’m working on now is very cinematic, ethereal and the drama is there. It’s like watching a film. For the next single, imagine that there’s a door in the ocean and you go through the door. My producer had the same image for some reason, it was like a weird message that we both received. For another one, I’m doing a music video for it. It’s like From Dusk Till Dawn, where Salma Hayek’s dancing on the table – that kind of vibe.”
What are your plans for the year?
“I’m working on an EP at the moment. It’s all about love, betrayal, passion, drama, the experience of being a Latin woman. Femininity, divine feminine energy – super ethereal stuff. Every song is different, drawing inspiration from loads of different Latin genres.
“A lot of my audience are in the USA. I’m trying to see how I can do some shows over there because a lot of people keep asking me to perform! Maybe I could at least do a small gig in California or New York or Miami.”
Sophie Castillo has been chosen as the next selected act for BandLab and NME present: Get Featured, a music initiative through Opportunities via ReverbNation.