SheKnows recently had the opportunity to bond with the delightful and deep French actress and singer Soko. Like any good French love story, we’re left brokenhearted over the fact that we can’t become besties and forever be in each other’s lives.
Building a girls-only tree house or spending our weekends getting existential with French chanteuse Soko may be out of the question, but we did learn plenty of facts about the pixie of a rocker that we’re excited to share with you.
Want to know more about Soko’s upcoming album? We have you covered >>
1) Wikipedia isn’t lying when it says she’s a vegan and straight edge.
“Wikipedia is always right!” Soko teased. “I’m just a crazy health freak. I’m vegan, sugar-free, allergic to gluten and nuts and alcohol. Boring! Don’t do it! And I don’t do drugs either. I know. Even more boring, right? So, that would make me pretty straight edge indeed.”
2) Those health choices seem to stem from a sense of needing control.
Soko’s a bit of a control freak. So much so, in fact, that she just delayed her North American tour to stick around Los Angeles and work on the finishing touches of her album, instead of leaving those choices to someone else. Still, one of the things she’s most concerned about is the stuff she puts in her body.
“I think I like being in control,” Soko explained. “I don’t like to put weird stuff in my body to make it feel different than its normal state, like drink coffee to wake if I’m tired, when really I just need a nap!”
3) She’s also into yoga and meditation.
“When I’m performing, I usually feel like I’m giving away the best of myself, and then what is left when I’m alone is sometimes hard to handle on a day-to-day basis,” the singer shared. “I’m much better now. Been trying to have a good daily routine of meditation and yoga.”
Soko also said she’s surrounded herself with more positive people who keep her happy and inspired, including Ross Robinson, the producer of her new album My Dreams Dictate My Reality.
4) Despite a life in the entertainment world, she actually prefers being alone.
“I’m just… kind of a grandma,” Soko said. “I like staying home. I’m pretty anti-social. I like alone time.”
5) Wellllllll, most of the time, anyway.
Sometimes a girl likes to cut loose. “I’m also the total opposite at times, and then I turn into the super confident version of myself who loves performing and [to] be in someone else’s shoes and tell stories. And that happened quite early on. I knew I wanted to tell stories to the world, and at the same time, I was a super weird child, never had any friends at school. Boohoo. Now I feel like I really need that sweet relief of getting out of my shell. So, I don’t know if performing chose me to take me out of my head every now and then or if I chose that to save myself from my demons!”
6) She has no plans of going home.
“I like adventures, challenges, changes,” Soko said of her life on the road. “I left Bordeaux when I was 15, not to come back. I felt like I’d seen enough of it. I wanted to go explore the world and that’s what I’m doing constantly.”
Want more from smart, talent songstresses? Check out Laura Marling, too >>
7) As a matter of fact, her new home base is in California.
If you follow Soko on Facebook, you know she recently took to the social media site in search of the perfect Los Angeles apartment. After spending time in some of the biggest, coolest cities in the world, Soko loves LA the best. (Who can blame her?)
“I found my happy place in Los Angeles,” she said. She went on to explain why the scene appeals to her, saying, “[It’s a] big city, but lots of nature, and I’m living a pretty mellow life here.”
8) One reason she loves California: The sun!
Surprise, surprise! If you thought Soko was all dark and dreary, think again. While she admits she’s pretty goth at heart, she still loves the splendid Southern California sun.
“I need the sun. Mind you, I’m a total goth baby, and I wear sunscreen as soon as I wake up. But I need it for my mood,” Soko shared, hinting at what could be a touch of Seasonal Affective Disorder. “And I feel safe writing here and inspired all the time. I don’t really feel like I’m in the spotlight anywhere, though.”
9) She also has a clear, concise and adorable definition of happiness.
What does happiness look like to Soko? “Being in love, petting kitties, eating vegan ice cream, watching movies, making music every day and having the best friends in the entire world.”
10) And she has amazing taste in music.
Soko told us her favorite band is The Cure. We also asked her what she enjoyed listening to while driving around and she gave us a bit of her Los Angeles traffic jam playlist.
“I drive all around LA all the time, and I’ve been listening to a lot of Stranglers lately, and FELT, and The Only Ones, Monochrome Set, The Smiths (always) and I really love Unknown Mortal Orchestra,” Soko said.
If knowing the kind of music someone loves is a way to get to know Soko, we could have seen that list and learned quite a lot. We’re glad we got the chance to actually bond with the lovely performer, though. We can’t wait to hear the new album this fall.
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