Sofia Camara on ‘Healing Hearts’: All things songwriting, touring, and her new EP ‘Hard To Love’

Having just released her second EP, Hard To Love on 10 October, Camara’s very first headline tour kickstarted in Manchester this November. With venues upgraded across Europe due to high demand, Camara is certainly one to watch as her powerfully honest and emotive ballads are likened to artists such as Olivia Rodrigo and Gracie Abrams. 

Following the viral success of her single ‘Who Do I Call Now (Hellbent)’ with over 44 million streams globally, Camara has gone on to perform to thousands at Lollapalooza – her festival debut. Not to mention, supporting Bastille on their UK tour this November too. 

Her new EP, Hard To Love, consists of six songs, including the acclaimed singles ‘Parking Lot’ and ‘Girls Like You’. In conversation with Camara (just days before the new release), she reflected on the “collaborative” and “cathartic” songwriting process, working with the same team she wrote ‘Who Do I Call Now (Hellbent)’ with. From the beginning of the process, it was certain that the theme of the EP would be centred around “emotional, honest, and impactful” storytelling.  

The ‘behind the scenes’ work for Camara is equally meaningful, as she describes the process as like ‘getting together with friends’

Hence, a deep dive into the ins and outs of Camara’s life growing up led to a songwriting process of just a few weeks! The celebrated power ballads – including my personal favourites ‘Ingrained (DNA)’ and ‘Parking Lot’ – reinforce the importance of “looking after ourselves”, and “taking a step away” when our hearts are “a little sensitive”. Camara hopes that her listeners will be “a little more patient” with themselves on their own healing journey, and she exclaims excitedly that she hopes her music will heal her fans as much as the songwriting process has healed her.  

When asked whether she preferred the songwriting or performing aspect of her work, Camara articulated how hard it was to choose between the two. She excitedly spoke about the experience of meeting her fans at concerts, and the opportunity to share her own story – with the “added visual element”, such as “lighting, intros, and outros” to communicate the emotional intensity of the music even further on stage. However, the “behind the scenes” work for Camara is equally meaningful, as she describes the process like “getting together with friends”. She informs us how her team of talented musicians will “just start talking, and then they’ll start telling the story along the way”.  

You know yourself better than anybody else, so you shouldn’t let others tell you what kind of music to write

Sofia Camara

The name, Healing Hearts Tour, truly reflects the positive impact creating this music has had on Camara, so taking ‘Hard To Love’ on tour felt like “the perfect opportunity” to create a sense of community and a feeling of “coming home” for her fans. When speaking about her tour, Camara lit up at the thought of sharing her new songs live with her audience. Particularly as she has only played two headline shows previously, she cannot wait to play both ‘Complicated’ and ‘Ingrained (DNA)’ as they have been on repeat at home (she’s not kidding). 

Finally, Camara’s top tips for aspiring artists breaking into the music industry are “don’t try to be somebody you’re not” and “stay true to who you are”. Even if you are pressured to change the music you make, she explains the importance of keeping a clear vision and not “getting lost along the way”: “Success can also be a million things for you.” For instance, it’s not always about numbers or social media views. Camara reinforces that “you know yourself better than anybody else, so you shouldn’t let others tell you what kind of music to write”.  

You can stream her new EP Hard To Love on all platforms now!