THE SOPHS
We're Broke. We're Happy
The Sophs. Photo by Ivan Martínez / TMN.
During our latest coverage of Primavera Sound Barcelona, we had the opportunity to sit down with Los Angeles indie band The Sophs, one of the most exciting new acts to emerge from the city's music scene.
BARCELONA | By Pablo Herrera
Following the release of their debut single, backed by their now regular live cover of Mac DeMarco's For the First Time, The Sophs have been steadily building momentum. In 2026 they released their debut album, Goldstar, before embarking on an extensive tour across the United States and, more recently, Europe.
For me, The Sophs had already become a band to watch.
The Sophs performing at SXSW. Photo by Micah Bierman / TMN.
I first saw them a few months earlier at the Radio Stage during SXSW in Austin and was immediately impressed by the energy of the six-piece from Los Angeles. Right after their performance, I tried to arrange an interview, but their schedule made it impossible. I did, however, have a brief conversation with guitarist Seth Smades, who happened to be wearing a classic Spanish national team track jacket. We took a few photos together and, almost jokingly, said, "We'll see each other again soon."
A couple of months later, while looking through the Primavera Sound Barcelona lineup, I spotted their name and immediately thought, this is our chance.
And it was.
Our team met the band backstage at the Port Stage in Parc del Fòrum just minutes after they had finished their set for a conversation that, in many ways, perfectly reflected who The Sophs are as people.
What impressed me most wasn't simply the music, but the way they are handling such a rapid rise.
Despite releasing their first album only recently and finding themselves playing major festivals across Europe, there is very little sense of ego surrounding the band. Instead, they seem determined to enjoy the experience together.
“We like to have fun. We like each other a lot, and we don’t really like going on our phones that much.”
The Sophs. Photo by Ivan Martínez / TMN.
That answer, simple as it may seem, probably summarizes The Sophs better than anything else.
I tried several times to steer the conversation into more serious territory, but the band constantly interrupted each other, joked around and answered with the kind of chemistry that only exists between close friends.
And that's precisely what makes them interesting.
None of it felt calculated. Quite the opposite. They don't appear interested in performing the role of "rock stars." Instead, they still come across as a group of friends enjoying the fact that they get to travel the world playing music together.
That honesty makes the conversation feel refreshingly human.
One of the most revealing moments came when we asked how they have managed such a fast rise.
“There are just so many factors that constantly remind us of our inadequacies... it’s easy to temper any feelings of ego... We can just open our bank app.”
The Sophs performing at Primavera Sound Barcelona. Photo by Ivan Martínez / TMN.
Moments later, another member summed it up with a sentence that perfectly captures the band's current mindset:
“We’re rich in friendship and experience.”
The conversation also moves through their experience playing Primavera Sound for the first time, why European audiences feel different from American crowds, the story behind covering Mac DeMarco's For the First Time, how they recorded Goldstar almost entirely by themselves, and the songs they would recommend to someone discovering The Sophs for the very first time.
“The demos that we made were the album. We just finished them up a little bit, and that was it. We just trusted what we were doing and went for it.”
Photo: courtesy The Sophs.
Looking back, the backstage itself probably became part of the interview. With people constantly walking past us, festival noise coming from every direction and six musicians bouncing jokes off one another, the conversation could easily have fallen apart.
Instead, it became one of the most spontaneous and enjoyable interviews we've recorded at TMN.
The full conversation with The Sophs is available below.
