The Sophs GOLDSTAR [Bonus Track] (RT0562CDJP) Japan Music CD

Product Description A rare "Gold Star" is born!! The Sophs, a six-piece band from LA on the verge of a breakthrough, have released their debut album on Rough Trade Records!! The Sophs, a six-piece band from Los Angeles, sent a demo to the prestigious Rough Trade Records, which has previously launched the careers of The Smiths, The Strokes, The Libertines, and more recently discovered Black Midi, despite never having performed a single live show, and managed to secure a contract. Debuting in 2025, this band, a true "Gold Star," has become a sensation worldwide, including in Japan, and has now released their debut album, "GOLDSTAR." The album's title track, "GOLDSTAR," is a ferocious and explosive song with a strong Latin influence, and a music video, filmed and directed by collaborator Eric Daniels, has also been released. Regarding the song, vocalist Ethan Ramon says, "'GOLDSTAR' is about the worst person you know, crying out to God, 'Give me proof that I'm a good person.' I want to ask this song and the album as a whole, in a way that isn't too serious, 'Does trying to be a good person for the wrong reasons diminish that goodness?'" "Decadent bravado." Ethan himself understands that what he's singing about is "wrong," but where does he release that impulse? "Sometimes it's important to write from the perspective of the worst part of myself, so that instead of letting that part live in everyday life, it can survive in music." It is him, and at the same time, it is not him. He walks into places that many people are afraid to step into. The Sofus' relentless honesty, intrusive thinking, and genre-crossing audacity immediately caught the eye of Rough Trade Records founders Jeff Travis and Janet Leigh. The day after Ramon sent a demo he "didn't expect a reply," the two had already appeared in his inbox, requesting a call. What Rough Trade Records found there was diversity, creativity, and an attitude of "no pretense." The Sofus, comprised of frontman Ethan Ramon, Sam Yu (keyboards), Austin Parker Jones (electric guitar), Seth Smayze (acoustic guitar), Devin Rath (drums), and Cole Bobbitt (bass), possess the flexibility to adapt to any stage. At one moment they venture into pop-punk, the next they blast through funk, singing as if speaking directly to the audience. The passion for all of it is evident, and Ramon's rich, powerful voice blends into countless styles like a chameleon. "We don't write songs intending for them to end up being this diverse," he says. 'GOLDSTAR' includes Delta blues-influenced tracks and songs influenced by ZZ Top. The Sophs approach songwriting like pop art, and are interested in "reproducing something over and over until it loses its meaning." "We want to steal, we want to quote, we want to borrow," says Ramon. This album asks: "Where is my golden star?", "Why am I not rewarded for being a good person?", "Am I doing good for the right reasons?". The title track, which opens with flamenco-style fingerpicking, grapples with the philosophy of "what it truly means to be good." The Sophs' music rarely offers comfort to the listener because you never know what's going to happen next. Extreme contrasts between silence and explosion, an obsession with sudden collapse. It is within this that their true essence emerges?explosively positive, happy, and collaborative. This "decadent bravado" should perhaps be called "the privilege of the clown," because what you feel from them playing in a single room is a bold and thrilling energy, the complete opposite of the characters in the album. It's rare to have the experience of receiving a demo in the mail, feeling your heart race, and being compelled to track down the sender. But that's what happened when I listened to the music Ethan Ramon sent me. - Jeff Travis, Janet Leigh (Rough Trade Records) 01. THE DOG DIES IN THE END 02. GOLDSTAR 03. BLITZED AGAIN 04. SWEAT 05. HOUSE 06. SWEETIEPIE 07. DEATH IN THE FAMILY 08. A SYMPATHETIC PERSON 09. They Told Me Jump, I Said How High 10. I?fM YOUR FIEND 11. Irish Exit (bonus track for Japan)