Her independently released second album "Monday's Ghost" (2008) stayed at the top of the swiss charts for several weeks and caught the attention of critics abroad. The Guardian described her as "Laura Marling, Beth Orton and Björk in one folk-rocking package".
The Swiss singer spent parts of her youth abroad, living in England and Germany. Her cosmopolitan biography is reflected in her multilingual songwriting. While most songs are in English or German language, each album contains one song in a Swiss German dialect. Her third studio album 1983 (2010) also includes a cover version of Noir Désir's Le Vent Nous Portera in French language.
Hunger has always worked in a collaborative spirit, and her many musical interests have led her to a fascinating geographic and personality mix. While she had recorded her solo début "Sketches On Sea" at home in just a few days, her latest album "The Danger Of Light" evolved over three sessions abroad. In Los Angeles she was joined by Josh Klinghoffer (Red Hot Chilli Peppers, PJ Harvey), Nathaniel Walcott (Bright Eyes) and Steven Nistor (Danger Mouse); in Montréal Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire), singer/songwriter Mark Bérubé, Brad Barr (The Barr Brothers) und David Payant (A Silver Mt. Zion) jammed along. That last session from Hotel2Tango-Studio in Montréal is included on the Deluxe Edition of her latest release.
Rapidly gaining a reputation as an electrifying live performer, Hunger has been sharing stages with some of Switzerlands’s most successful artists, like Erik Truffaz, The Young Gods, Kutti MC or Stephan Eicher and appearing at locations such as Olympia in Paris, Miles Davis Hall at the Montreux Jazz Festival or the John Peel Stage at Glastonbury Festival.
The musical directions of Sophie Hunger are limitless, from traditional folk songwriting bathed in jazzy moods to soul balladry. Her musical universe is very flourished, nourished by an exceptionally fragile yet mature voice as well as an ability to cross genres. For Sketches On Sea, she collaborated with a great number of musicians, from a trombone player to a flamenco guitarist. Sophie’s technical prowesses can lead her anywhere and allow her to do things that nobody else could get away with.
Sophie Hunger also contributed the soundtrack to the documentary "Zimmer 202" and the movie "Der Freund" by Micha Lewinsky.
Sites: SoundCloud, Vimeo and Facebook.
Drainpipes
Sophie Hunger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
with a flute in her throat
She's only in bloom whispering
by the command of a ghost
She dares not to speak knowing that this would unfold
The lack of a voice, genuinely hers all alone
In the land with no drainpipes again
A new order to what has bored them enough,
where's the news?
So she, Sophie, buys herself a skeleton
to simply believe
That there once was a shape underneath
our infinite possibilities
Bring her snowstorms
Bring her back to the chain
Bring the dictator
who is now sleeping in vain
The lyrics to Sophie Hunger's song "Drainpipes" explore themes of identity, voice, and conformity. The opening line refers to a "land with no drainpipes," which can be interpreted as a metaphor for a place that lacks proper channels for self-expression and individuality. The singer of the song is a girl with a flute in her throat, who can only whisper by the command of a ghost. This ghost represents the societal pressures that restrict her from speaking up and being her true self. She knows that if she were to speak her mind, it would "unfold" the lack of a voice that is genuinely hers, all alone.
Later in the song, the focus shifts to the people in this land with no drainpipes, who are switching their seats and seeking something new. However, the singer chooses to give into her own desires and purchases a skeleton, representing the idea that there was once a shape underneath our infinite possibilities. She refuses to conform to the societal pressures around her and instead chooses to embrace her unique identity.
The final lines of the song, which call for snowstorms, a return to the chain, and the return of a sleeping dictator, can be seen as a call to upheaval and change in this stagnant society.
Overall, the song is a powerful commentary on the importance of individuality and the dangers of conformity.
Line by Line Meaning
In the land with no drainpipes there's a girl
There's a girl in a place without drainage pipes
with a flute in her throat
She has a pleasant voice
She's only in bloom whispering
She only expresses herself quietly
by the command of a ghost
She is inspired by her imagination
She dares not to speak knowing that this would unfold
She avoids sharing her thoughts for fear of the consequences
The lack of a voice, genuinely hers all alone
She doesn't feel like she has a voice of her own
In the land with no drainpipes again
Once again in a place without drainage pipes
they are switching their seats
People are changing their ways
A new order to what has bored them enough,
People are looking for change from boredom
where's the news?
Where is the exciting and different thing?
So she, Sophie, buys herself a skeleton
Sophie invests in something unique
to simply believe
To give her hope and inspiration
That there once was a shape underneath
That there was once something bigger and better
our infinite possibilities
That there are limitless opportunities
Bring her snowstorms
Sophie wants to be challenged
Bring her back to the chain
She wants to be reminded of the past
Bring the dictator
She wants something or someone to direct her
who is now sleeping in vain
But the paths she's taken so far haven't been successful
Contributed by Mason B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.