Tucson’s music scene has been very supportive of local band Sophia Rankin & The Sound this last year.
With a series of packed performances, a growing fanbase and new music, 2024 has shaped up to be another great year for the talented group.
The band is fronted by the dynamic vocalist and songwriter Sophia Rankin who first began to capture the attention of Tucson’s live music enthusiasts with her powerful stage presence and infectious melodies at just 15 years old.
Throughout her career in Tucson she has evolved from singing on small stages as a folk singer to playing bigger venues throughout town. Her band has also evolved over the years and with each new album she looks to continue to expand her music style, Rankin said.
“When I write music, I really want it to not be stuck in a specific age and I want everyone to relate to it. I think my job as a songwriter is not only to write about my experiences but also give space to the stories of others,” Rankin added.
This year, the band’s momentum has only grown. From intimate venues like Club Congress to larger venues like the main stage of DUSK Music Festival, Sophia Rankin & The Sound’s performances have become must-see events for music lovers across the city.
“We’ve been so lucky to have such a supportive community here in Tucson,” Rankin said. “The local music scene is so vibrant and we’ve gotten a lot of love from the fans and other artists. It’s really been a dream come true.”
The band had played at DUSK Music Festival before but this year was their first time on the main stage. Rankin said it was a very special moment for the band.
Tucson’s music scene has been very supportive of local band Sophia Rankin & The Sound this last year.
“I know a lot of the sound guys that work at DUSK Music Festival and when we were setting up on the main stage they said, ‘It’s about time,’ and that was really cool and validating,” Rankin said. “We had a lot of friends come out — it was one of the few moments as a local musician where people recognized us afterwards and were like, ‘Can we take photos with you?’ I felt so cool.”
The band’s success can be credited not only to their raw talent but also their relentless work ethic. The band’s newest album “Natural Disaster” was released in September and features eight tracks and can be streamed anywhere you stream music.
“[Natural Disasters] was a long time in the making,” Rankin said. “We started four years ago with the songs ‘Just Gonna Do Me’ and ‘Sunburn’ and since then we had changes in the band. We got a new bassist and a new guitarist and it felt right to wait for everyone to get comfortable in their spot before we moved forward with finishing this album.”
As the band decided to craft a new sound, Rankin’s brother Connor, also the drummer in the band, was a big pusher for getting things done and finding their new rhythm.
The band switched to a new sound engineer for this new album and they picked eight songs that they felt were a little left over from the last album, plus a mix of new songs they had written — and completed the album.
“Songs like ‘Sunburn,’ ‘Warm’ and ‘Volcanic’ are songs that showcase our in-between phase, and others like ‘Cyclone’ and ‘All About’ and ‘Nice Guy’ are songs that push the envelope a little but it was very exciting to get this album done and we got to play around with many styles of music,” Rankin said.
The feedback from fans about this last album has been spectacular, Rankin added.
“I was pretty nervous about releasing this last album because I have been performing since I was 15 and while each of my albums has progressed into more alternative, indie and pop, this album is very different,” Rankin said. “I still think there’s an essence of me in every song but you really get to hear everyone’s voice come through. I was nervous how our OG fans were gonna react to it but it’s been really amazing to hear fans say, ‘We love this new sound.’”
Sophia Rankin & The Sound perform at 2nd Saturdays Downtown on April 9, 2022.
This is also the first album released under the band’s name Sophia Rankin & The Sound, having previously been released under just Sophia Rankin. This added to the nerves for Rankin but she said the fans easily found the new music and have been very supportive of the new sound.
Rankin shared that she has been very blessed by Tucson and the year she has had performing on stages all across town and even throughout Arizona and over the border.
“It’s been a really wild year performance-wise. We played Circus Mexicus this summer and all over the state, and I’ve loved every moment,” Rankin said. “It has been really nice seeing people come through at all our events. We played at the Reid Park Zoo and some of those people also came through to our album release party and it has been really great to see our fans and the community support us and our music so much this year.”
With their continued success and strong fanbase, it’s clear that Sophia Rankin & The Sound are poised to be one of Tucson's standout acts in 2024 and beyond. As their stardom continues to rise, we think it’s only a matter of time before they make waves on a national level.
“We’re super excited for what’s to come,” says Rankin. “The new album is really a step forward for us. We’ve really pushed ourselves musically and we can’t wait to continue to share it with everyone.”
For now, though, Rankin and her bandmates are focused on enjoying the present, creating music and connecting with the community that has helped them get this far.
“We’re just taking it one step at a time and enjoying the ride,” she said.
Upcoming performances:
6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at Hotel Congress Plaza.
7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20 at The Rialto Theatre.
6:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31 at the AZ Bowl NYE Bash.
Stay tuned for more updates and new music from Sophia Rankin & The Sound as they continue to make their mark on the Tucson music scene and beyond.
