Interview: 2020 Must-Know - Silver Sphere

"Silver Sphere is not from this earth... I'm a popstar from a planet you've never heard of!" states the website of Chicago-based Silver Sphere (real name: Sophie Cates) - a bold declaration from an equally as bold and fearless artist who goes on to say, "I’ve been writing music for a while now, but just started to put out songs around two years ago. Writing songs about my experiences with life and love so far is what keeps me going as an artist, and sharing my personal experiences through music is my outlet to connect with the world! I hope you listen to my music and it pushes you to be your best person, get over that awful guy who texts you only at 3AM, or help you through whatever else it may be that you are going through."

And with a new EP on the way, which includes the blistering upcoming single, 'Handle Me' ("You don't tell me what I'm worth now," she truth-talks), Silver Sphere is perfectly poised for the glo-up from unfamiliar popstar... to your favourite popstar.

MUST-LISTEN: 'Waste My Time', 'Boys R Dumb! Duh!', 'Boys In Bands'.
YOU WILL LIKE, IF YOU LIKE: Chvrches, Sky Ferreira, Claude, Allie X, Clairo, Charli XCX, Halsey... and ghosting dumb boys in bands.

COUP DE MAIN: In 'Waste My Time' you say, "You are never gonna be the type to commit / One day you're in love, then you're over it." Why do you think it's in human nature to feel compelled to chase after someone or something that you can't have?
SILVER SPHERE: Imagine if you had everything you wanted? That would be so boring. Being human and being alive is about filling your time with goals to reach or successes to achieve. So I think subconsciously we know that going for someone we can't have is more exciting and more of a challenge. I always want what I can't have, and as soon as I get it I want the next thing, I think that's part of any artist's personality.

CDM: You serve the tea in 'Boys In Bands', saying hilariously, "You're tryna play me like / A fuckin’ Bright Eyes song." What are the worst things about the 'indie boy' stereotype?
SILVER SPHERE: If an indie boy knows three chords on guitar he’ll think he’s the next Bob Dylan. And they smoke their cigarettes and talk like they're the star of some indie movie that's all about them...

CDM: How does your songwriting process work?
SILVER SPHERE: It’s different every time. I used to write all my lyrics and melodies by myself with my guitar and bring it into the sessions because I was too nervous to write in front of people (and I just like to write everything on my own), but recently I've been opening up to starting songs in the session and getting better about showing my process to my collaborators. I usually start by pinpointing what kind of emotions I want to convey that day, and once the producer and I get a track started that I connect with, I write lyrics and melody simultaneously.

CDM: Do you write your lyrics specifically for the songs, or do you write poems or prose and then evolve them into song-form?
SILVER SPHERE: Again, it’s always different. I have so many notes in my phone of one or two lines that just pop into my mind when I’m thinking. I never fully finish a song without melody but a lot of my songs stem from those shorter lyrical ideas I have stored in my notes.

CDM: Lyrically, what's your favourite song that you’ve written?
SILVER SPHERE: It’s a song off my next EP called 'Disappear'. I was listening to a lot of folk and country music at the time that I wrote it and I think that influenced my way of storytelling in the lyrics. I feel like it has some of my most honest and personal lyrics while also being some of my most well-crafted.

CDM: What do you think is the difference between a good song and a great song?
SILVER SPHERE: I think it's subjective. I have no idea really. But I guess for me, the songs that I go back to over and over again, and the songs that make me feel something, are the ones with attention to detail in every aspect. It's the little details in the production, lyrics, melody, and the way they work together to create context around the story. It's evident when a lot of thought has been put into every decision, because every decision has a reason and a purpose.

CDM: At what age did you write your very first song ever, and what was it about?
SILVER SPHERE: Probably twelve. I think it was called 'Hazel Eyes'. About a boy named Adam. I don’t even think his eyes were hazel.

CDM: What do you hope for people to take away from listening to your music?
SILVER SPHERE: When people visit the silversphere I want them to feel free to express their emotions with no judgement. The silversphere is an escape from reality or a place to contemplate it. I just want to give people honesty in my music and I hope they feel comforted knowing there's someone out there who gets them.

CDM: What can you tell us about your upcoming new EP?
SILVER SPHERE: My next EP is a collection of stories from my first trip to earth. And from my experiences in love up until now. It’s about the many mysterious stages of love and how humans handle them.

CDM: What was running through your mind while writing 'Handle Me'?
SILVER SPHERE: You know, when a relationship ends, it's really easy to only think about the good parts that you miss. And it's really easy to look at yourself and see only the faults or imperfections that could've ended the relationship. I wrote this song in a moment of clarity between all the sulking and reminiscing. In a moment when I was like, "Wait... he was so shitty and I’m so dope, I better write this down so I can hold onto this mindset."

CDM: "It's your loss if you can't handle me," you say. Is confidence in your self-worth an important life lesson to learn?
SILVER SPHERE: Hell yes. If you can get to a place where only YOU determine your power, ability, and beauty, you’re golden. Having confidence in yourself opens doors you didn’t even know existed. I’m not 100% confident all the time but as I’ve grown up and reclaimed my self-worth I see how important it is to believe you deserve good things.

CDM: If S.I.L.V.E.R. S.P.H.E.R.E. were an acronym, what would each letter stand for?
SILVER SPHERE:
Super Iconic Lover Very Euphoric Realm
Songs Parties Hot Emotional Radiant Era

CDM: If you could steal one thing without consequence what would it be?
SILVER SPHERE: Chanel slingbacks. The ones with the logo in rhinestones on the back.

CDM: If you were a country, what would be your national anthem?
SILVER SPHERE: 'Dreamer' by Charli XCX.

CDM: What are your top five necessities for isolation/quarantine/lockdown?
SILVER SPHERE: Microphone, laptop, frozen blueberries, books, 'Friday Night Lights'.

CDM: You’re one of our 'must-know’ artist picks for 2020... who are yours?
SILVER SPHERE: LAN Party, Chase Alex, Harry Teardrop, Alice Longyu Gao, Christine and the Queens, Isaac Dunbar.

Watch the music video for 'Boys In Bands' below...