London-based composer and singer-songwriter Sophia Hansen-Knarhoi announces her debut single, “Crying in Pastel”, out now alongside an ethereal, witchy visualizer that heralds her first full-length album, Undertow (out November 14th via Ba Da Bing! Records).
Co-produced by Hansen-Knarhoi and acclaimed Brooklyn producer Randall Dunn, the track exemplifies the album’s impressionistic and emotionally raw sound, a collision of cinematic intensity and stark vulnerability.The single, the second track on Undertow, is anchored by Hansen-Knarhoi’s cello and deep, red-wine vocals, creating a hypnotic bedrock of spiraling harp, methodical bass, and delicate drones. It’s a world where lyrical sorrow cuts through serenity. Hansen-Knarhoi’s voice, gritty yet precise, draws the listener into a lyrical vortex of grief as she sings: “Did you think of me?/Something pretty?/Are you scared of me?”
“Crying in Pastel” vacillates between anger, fear, and sadness, capturing the complex emotional palette of grief. Rage and ruin coexist with a longing for connection, reflecting a need to understand the psyche of a predatory man. The single, paired with its atmospheric visualizer, is both an aesthetic statement and an introduction to the sonic landscape of Undertow, a record that is intimate, expansive, and unapologetically reflective.
Born in Perth, Western Australia, Hansen-Knarhoi grew up immersed in the natural world, and Undertow draws from the stark landscapes of her homeland. Field recordings, barren arrangements, and reflective textures evoke memory and environment, offering a remote and haunting sonic terrain. “Engulfing myself in nature has always been a way for me to process the world, to bring me back into my body and my senses,” she says, describing the meditative grounding behind her compositions.
Hansen-Knarhoi’s journey as a composer began in her early teens. “I would sit in my bed at night after school and write at least one poem a night,” she recalls. These early exercises formed the foundation of her storytelling voice, creating melodies for her words and sometimes drawing maps with squiggles, imprinting songs into her memory. Today, this intuitive storytelling continues to shape her music, which blends the classical and the avant-garde with an ambient folk sensibility. “This aural tradition, I have found, is still my truest form of creative expression. To understand the song, one must listen to the delivery, feel the weight of the words, and understand the elements and intricacies that make the song what it is.”
Collaborating with Randall Dunn, known for his work in experimental and heavy ambient production, Hansen-Knarhoi explores abstract soundscapes on Undertow. Cello and voice operate as dual narrators, weaving hypnotic drones, gritty textures, and raw emotive power. “I concentrate on developing connectivity between cello and voice, the space I hold with my body and sound. The music also expresses the way my body holds onto trauma,” she explains. Her meticulous attention to touch, tone, and space allows each performance to carry unique physical and emotional nuance.
Hansen-Knarhoi also draws inspiration from dance, theatre, and film, integrating performance into her music to create living, immersive experiences. “What ends up sounding like ambient folk is the result of my voice and cello explorations, my reflective storytelling, the intimacy of my production techniques, a deliberately understated use of orchestration, and hypnotic droning pulses and textures. I work to keep in a minimalistic framework,” she says.
With “Crying in Pastel”, listeners are introduced to a world of memory, growth, and emotional depth, an intimate space tethered to corporeal intensity and narrative weight. Though the album navigates dark and difficult themes—including the fallout for victims of violence—the music carries hope, empathy, and a subtle promise of healing. “Although rage is a cornerstone of its being, it is grounded in a hope of connection, a sense of healing on the horizon,” Hansen-Knarhoi reflects.
Crying in Pastel is out today, September 25th, with the full album Undertow set for release on November 14th via Ba Da Bing! Records. The single and its visualizer offer a first glimpse into the immersive, deeply human world Hansen-Knarhoi has created, where voice, cello, and sonic space converge to reflect grief, resilience, and connection.
