Undertow

With her first album Undertow, London-based composer/singer-songwriter Sophia Hansen-Knarhoi reveals stark vulnerability nestled in a dark ambience that is both intimate and expansive. 

Voice and cello entwine to provide a cinematic intensity to songs that tell stories of memory, growth, and the raw, often dark, textures of emotion. with cinematic intensity.. ‘Undertow’ tethers intimacy to the corporeal, spanning violation and deep trust.. It deals with the fallout of the victims of violence against women, voyaging through fear and pain to absolution.

Born in Perth, Western Australia, Hansen-Knarhoi grew up surrounded by the natural world. ‘Undertow’ draws on the stark landscapes of Western Australia. At moments, field recordings are woven into the work, while at others, arrangements reflect its beautiful barren environment through memory. “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”. ‘Undertow’ revels in this remote sonic landscape

Her 2023 debut EP, Wildflowers, explores the transition from childhood to adulthood, blending ethereal, delicate vocals with graceful and tender instrumentation to embody memory, trauma, and the moments that shape us. This time, with the skilled Brooklyn producer Randall Dunn as a collaborator, Undertow pushes further into the abstract, a dark and dissociative space. Dunn carves intricate space around the lyrics, etching into the soundscape with tension. Cello and voice interact as dual narrators, layering hypnotic drones, gritty textures and raw emotive vocals.

Undertow frames Hansen-Knarhoi in a caught moment, continuing her evolution, and all the sharp objects in the way. “Although rage is a cornerstone of its being, it is grounded in a hope of connection, a sense of healing on the horizon.”