We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sophia Montano. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sophia below.

Sophia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Our first release was a song called The Laughing Man and it’s success surprised everyone. We released it first because we all felt like it was our strongest song, but we didn’t anticipate how it would resonate with people around the world. We have over 45,000 streams on Spotify alone, and almost 2,000 plays on the music video. It gave us the confidence to keep moving forward with our alt-americana sound, and our moody, vibrate, and playful visual style.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

For folks who may not have read about you before, can you please tell our readers about yourself,
– Lazy Daughter is a band made up of 5 longtime friends creating alternative-americana music in Ventura California. We like to say that we’re sound like Patsy Cline, and 90s alt-rock.

how you got into your industry / business / discipline / craft etc,
– The impetus of Lazy Daughter was a quarter life crisis. I (Sophia, Vocals) had this morbid fear that I’d die without there being any record of the songs I had written so we formed a band to record some songs. However, once we started playing together and writing together it became clear that we had something really special.

what type of products/services/creative works you provide,
– We perform up to 2 hours of live music with a focus on original songs, and unique re-imaginings of classics. Our band brings a shameless creative energy to the stage that’s punctuated by short stories about the themes of our music.

what problems you solve for your clients and/or what you think sets you apart from others.
– Three things really stand out
1) Our song writing references jazz, alternative rock, and Americana. It sounds like a bizarre combination but it really works!
2) We create all of the visuals associated with our band. Our cover art and music videos are entirely an effort of DIY determination, and a reference early cinema, XXX, and XXX
3) Shameless artistry – we often start our shows by saying “Hi there – We’re Lazy Daughter: a group of artists that use music to tell stories about our own lives and the lives of others. You might not get every song, and that’s okay – we just hope you enjoy the ride.”

What are you most proud of
– The Laughing Man music video and the June Marie music video was a massive undertaking that required all hands on deck and then some. Our singer created the story, costumes, and set, and our longtime friend Nick Kvistad (at SYNRGY Creative) produced, filmed, edited (see videos for credits) them. Both videos prove that Lazy Daughter not only writes killer songs, but that we also have a strong visual identity that we want to share.

what are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc.
– If you like Americana, 90’s alt-rock, gutter jazz, or folk you should give us a listen. If you like surrealism, fantasy, and vintage cinema you should give us a watch. We have 5 more songs to be released in the next year so follow us on our socials for updates, behind the scenes, and works in progress.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

We need more venues that support original music and that encourage attentive listening. I love going out to see jam bands at our local bars, but it’s difficult to find a venue where I can thoughtfully engage with original music. Growing up here there were several free community spaces that encouraged art, music, and connection. These environments teach kids that creative experimentation is important to cultural development, and allows adults to build community through artistic expression.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Developing your own creative voice and stage appearance requires a lot of weird outfits and embarrassing experimentation.

I’m actually very aware that I look strange.

But it’s my job. It’s literally my responsibility as the front person to be eye-catching, entertaining, and have a strong visual identity so that the band I’m in is visually recognizable. You wouldn’t judge a construction worker for wearing a neon vest so that they’re noticeable. So reconsider your judgement of how performers present themselves onstage.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lazydaughtersmusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/your.lazy.daughter/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Your.lazy.daughter
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6Hy8L7TD4KhDysMiGnRWs1?si=dTq65RqcRHquwdYYX99Eng

Image Credits

Nick Kvistad