“You can get a little bit formulaic sometimes when you know where to go next, and alternate tunings definitely take that away”: Soccer Mommy on the power of alternate tunings in pushing her songwriting capabilities

Singer-songwriter Sophie Allison – known by her moniker Soccer Mommy – has been delivering her unique brand of indie rock while wielding a wide array of electric guitars, including a fully transparent Mustang-style build by Scale Model Guitars that was unveiled earlier this year.

Since she first emerged on the indie community's radar, one of her most distinct songwriting characteristics has undoubtedly been her guitar playing style – and her preference for alternate and open tunings.

“I think it was probably about when I was 19 or 20 [when I started using alternate tunings],” Allison tells the Broken Record Podcast.

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“I think it's just a really good way – if you've been playing guitar for a long time, and you kind of know the neck a bit, you know chord shapes – to take all of that knowledge out of your hands a little bit and kind of erase that.

“You can get a little bit like formulaic I think sometimes when you know where to go next, and it definitely takes that away.”

Allison explains that while such an approach forces her to “rethink a lot,” it also fosters a sense of discovery and experimentation that, in turn, pushes her songwriting.

“You do find things,” she continues. “In open A for example, if I were to play like a dominant seven chord, just anywhere on the neck. Pretty much, if I were to play that kind of shape, it would be a minor chord. Just randomly found that out.”

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“You mess around until you find something that sounds like a chord, sounds recognizable, and then you can put it anywhere. And just have to maybe work around open strings sounding a little funky, and try to stay away from those if it's not working.”

Just under a month ago, Soccer Mommy released her fourth studio album, Evergreen, through Loma Vista Recordings. She kicks off her tour in support of the album on January 22 in Atlanta, Georgia.