Soko (singer)
Encyclopedia
SoKo is a French singer and actress.
, France. She has used the nickname Soko as long as she can remember. Sokolinski left home at 16, quit school and moved to Paris to start acting class with Eva St Paul where she studied for one year; she then resumed her education at several different schools, but quickly became tired of it and dropped out. She later appeared in several French films and began to write songs.
with her song "I'll Kill Her" after the radio program The Black Boy Scouts
began to promote it. The song reached number one on the chart of the Danish version of the iTunes Store
and was the number one song in rotation on radio. The song is also a hit in Australia, being played on high rotation on Triple J
radio; it later placed number nine in the Triple J Hottest 100
2007 music poll. The song was also popular in Belgium
being played by Studio Brussel
, Radio 1 and Pure FM, and in The Netherlands, being picked up by 3FM
radio station. In October 2007 her music was featured in Stella McCartney
’s fashion show in Paris. She toured in the UK in late 2007 supporting M.I.A.
on the KALA Tour. Since early 2008 she has also been played in Germany by 1LIVE
, first only at night in 1Live Plan B but later, due to high demand, throughout the whole day.
Sokolinski has not yet released a full album, but has self-released one EP
Not Sokute, and collaborated with The Go! Team
and Cornershop
, the latter on a song called "Something Makes You Feel Like". She has her own record label called Babycat Records and is signed to Because Music
in France.
at the end of 2008, the Southbound Festival and the Sunset Sounds Festival at the start of 2009. She has performed in the Los Angeles venues Henry Fonda, Troubadour, Bootleg Theatre, Spaceland, and Echoplex, and has played in support of Pete Doherty
, Babyshambles
, Kate Nash
, Nouvelle Vague, Daniel Johnston
and Johnny Borrell
.
As a live performer, she is unpredictable and never uses a set list; her backing band consists mostly of different friend-musicians at each show. She sometimes plays up to 3 hours by herself, in intimate and quiet venues.
In August of the same year, she declared that she was 'reborn' and writing songs such as "I'm So Ready to Be a Good Man" where she writes:
She later referred to the pressure of the music industry, before declaring that she was "having a new heart and being ready to be a new man".
In August 2011, Soko announced the release of her first album Feb. 6th, 2012, on her website www.s-o-k-o.com and an Aug. 17 show at the Bootleg Theatre (http://www.bootlegtheater.org/) in Los Angeles, CA on Facebook.
as best actress for her role in 'À l'origine' by Xavier Giannoli.
, lead singer of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
. Soko is a vegan.
Soko's first EP was only available digitally worldwide by Believe Digital www.believedigital.com from April 2007 to November 2008. It included 5 songs, sung in English and French language :
I Thought I Was an Alien is Soko's first official album that she worked on throughout the summer of 2011. She released her first single on YouTube August 1, 2011 entitled "No more home, no more love". Soko often refers to this album as "her baby" and she feels like shes giving birth to it.
Some songs from the album include:
These songs at the moment can be found on YouTube
Early life
Sokolinski was born in BordeauxBordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, France. She has used the nickname Soko as long as she can remember. Sokolinski left home at 16, quit school and moved to Paris to start acting class with Eva St Paul where she studied for one year; she then resumed her education at several different schools, but quickly became tired of it and dropped out. She later appeared in several French films and began to write songs.
Musical career
In 2007, Sokolinski achieved a hit single in DenmarkDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
with her song "I'll Kill Her" after the radio program The Black Boy Scouts
The Black Boy Scouts
De sorte spejdere was a Danish radio programme on DR's P3 hosted by Anders Breinholt and Anders Lund Madsen. The programme was aired on weekdays at 2-4 PM, and was also offered online as a podcast.-Content:...
began to promote it. The song reached number one on the chart of the Danish version of the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
and was the number one song in rotation on radio. The song is also a hit in Australia, being played on high rotation on Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
radio; it later placed number nine in the Triple J Hottest 100
Triple J Hottest 100
The Triple J Hottest 100 is an annual music poll, based on the votes of national Australian radio station Triple J listeners, in order to determine their favourite song of the year. Voting is conducted by the internet and begins roughly two weeks prior to the new year for the previous year's songs...
2007 music poll. The song was also popular in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
being played by Studio Brussel
Studio Brussel
Studio Brussel is a radio station in Belgium, owned by the VRT. The music played is considered more alternative than the other big radio stations, and is aimed mainly at a youth audience....
, Radio 1 and Pure FM, and in The Netherlands, being picked up by 3FM
3FM
3FM is a Dutch radio station on the NPO which broadcasts popular music. It can be compared with BBC Radio 1.-History:3FM was created as Hilversum 3 by minister Maarten Vrolijk on 11 October 1965, to counterbalance the popular offshore station Radio Veronica...
radio station. In October 2007 her music was featured in Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney
Stella Nina McCartney is an English fashion designer. She is the daughter of former Beatles member Sir Paul McCartney and the late photographer and animal rights activist, Linda McCartney.-Early life:...
’s fashion show in Paris. She toured in the UK in late 2007 supporting M.I.A.
M.I.A. (artist)
Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam , better known by her stage name M.I.A. , is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A...
on the KALA Tour. Since early 2008 she has also been played in Germany by 1LIVE
1LIVE
1LIVE is a radio network by the Westdeutscher Rundfunk public broadcasting corporation in Germany. It specialises in popular music aimed at the 14-39 age bracket. The average age of listeners is 34.- History :...
, first only at night in 1Live Plan B but later, due to high demand, throughout the whole day.
Sokolinski has not yet released a full album, but has self-released one EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Not Sokute, and collaborated with The Go! Team
The Go! Team
The Go! Team are a six-piece band from Brighton, England. They combine indie rock and garage rock with a mixture of blaxploitation and Bollywood soundtracks, double dutch chants, old school hip hop and distorted guitars similar to the style of Sonic Youth. Their songs are a mix of live...
and Cornershop
Cornershop
Cornershop are a British indie rock band formed in 1991 by Wolverhampton-born Tjinder Singh , his brother Avtar Singh , David Chambers and Ben Ayres , the first three having previously been members of Preston-based band General Havoc, who released one single in 1991...
, the latter on a song called "Something Makes You Feel Like". She has her own record label called Babycat Records and is signed to Because Music
Because Music
Because Music is an independent record label with headquarters in Paris and London. Because Music was founded in 2006 and has acts on its roster such as Mercury Music Prize nominated Metronomy and electronic duo Justice. Along with actress and songwriter Charlotte Gainsbourg and husband and wife...
in France.
Live performances
Sokolinski has had sold-out concerts in Scandinavia, Britain, and Australia. She performed at the Falls FestivalFalls Festival
The Falls Festival is a New Year's Eve music festival, held annually in Lorne, Victoria and Marion Bay, Tasmania Australia since 1993.It lasts four days, from 29 December to 1 January each year. The headline acts play mostly over two evenings, 30 December and 31 December...
at the end of 2008, the Southbound Festival and the Sunset Sounds Festival at the start of 2009. She has performed in the Los Angeles venues Henry Fonda, Troubadour, Bootleg Theatre, Spaceland, and Echoplex, and has played in support of Pete Doherty
Pete Doherty
Peter Doherty is an English musician, writer, actor, poet and artist. He is best known musically for being co-frontman of The Libertines, which he reformed with Carl Barât in 2010. His other musical project is indie band Babyshambles...
, Babyshambles
Babyshambles
Babyshambles are an English indie rock band established in London. The band was formed by Pete Doherty during a hiatus from his former band The Libertines, but Babyshambles has since become his main project . Babyshambles has released two albums, three EPs and a number of singles...
, Kate Nash
Kate Nash
Kate Marie Nash is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. She had a UK no. 2 hit "Foundations" in 2007, followed by the platinum selling UK number 1 album Made of Bricks. She was named Best Female Artist at the 2008 BRIT Awards....
, Nouvelle Vague, Daniel Johnston
Daniel Johnston
Daniel Dale Johnston is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and artist. Johnston was the subject of the 2006 documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston. He currently lives in Waller, Texas....
and Johnny Borrell
Johnny Borrell
Johnny Borrell is an English guitarist and singer, currently the frontman of the band Razorlight.-Early life and career:...
.
As a live performer, she is unpredictable and never uses a set list; her backing band consists mostly of different friend-musicians at each show. She sometimes plays up to 3 hours by herself, in intimate and quiet venues.
Musical hiatus
On 19 January 2009 Sokolinski stated on her MySpace page that she was quitting music and is 'dead', writing that she was scared of the music industry and wanted to return to acting. Despite having recorded a double album in Seattle, she is not willing to release it.In August of the same year, she declared that she was 'reborn' and writing songs such as "I'm So Ready to Be a Good Man" where she writes:
"in my battle with the demons
I just had to die
coz they're way too evil
and I couldn't fight"
She later referred to the pressure of the music industry, before declaring that she was "having a new heart and being ready to be a new man".
In August 2011, Soko announced the release of her first album Feb. 6th, 2012, on her website www.s-o-k-o.com and an Aug. 17 show at the Bootleg Theatre (http://www.bootlegtheater.org/) in Los Angeles, CA on Facebook.
Acting career
In February 2010, Soko was nominated for a César AwardCésar Award
The César Award is the national film award of France, first given out in 1975. The nominations are selected by the members of the Académie des arts et techniques du cinéma....
as best actress for her role in 'À l'origine' by Xavier Giannoli.
Filmography
- 2002 in French TV: Clara, cet été là by Patrick Grandperret: Zoé
- 2003 in French film: L'escalier by Frédéric Mermoud
- 2006 in French TV: Louis Page (season 8): Lydia
- 2006 in French TV: Commissaire Valence (season 4): Camille Valence
- 2006 in French film: Les Irréductibles by Renaud Bertrand: Lucie
- 2006 in French film: Mes copines by Sylvie Aymé: Manon
- 2006 in French film: Madame Irma by Didier Bourdon: la jeune lycéenne
- 2007 in French film: Ma place au soleil by Éric de Montalier: Sabine
- 2007 in French film: Dans les cordes by Magaly Richard-Serrano: Sandra
- 2007 in French film: Ma vie n'est pas une comédie romantique by Marc Gibaja: Lisa
- 2007 in French TV: Les Diablesses by Harry Cleven: Éliane/Denise
- 2009 in French film: In the BeginningIn the Beginning (2009 film)In the Beginning is a 2009 French drama film directed by Xavier Giannoli. The film competed in the main competition at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival.- Cast :* François Cluzet* Gérard Depardieu* Emmanuelle Devos* Brice Fournier - Louis* Roch Leibovici...
( French: À l'origine) by Xavier GiannoliXavier GiannoliXavier Giannoli is a French film director and screenwriter. He has directed nine films since 1993.-Filmography:* Le condamné * Terre sainte * J'aime beaucoup ce que vous faites...
Personal life
As of October 2008, Sokolinski is living in Los Angeles, California and dating Alex EbertAlex Ebert
Alex Ebert is an American singer-songwriter. He is best known for being the lead singer and songwriter for the American bands Ima Robot and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.-Early life:...
, lead singer of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros is an American band led by Alex Ebert, vocalist of the power pop group Ima Robot. Their first full-length recording, Up from Below, was released July 7, 2009, digitally and July 14, 2009, physically on Community Records...
. Soko is a vegan.
Discography
| Year | Song | FR France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
DK Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
SWZ Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
BEL Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "I'll Kill Her" | - | 2 | - | 3 | Not Sokute Not Sokute Not Sokute is an EP containing five songs and the debut release by French indie singer-songwriter SoKo. It was released on April 11, 2007.- Track listing :... |
Soko's first EP was only available digitally worldwide by Believe Digital www.believedigital.com from April 2007 to November 2008. It included 5 songs, sung in English and French language :
- "The Dandy Cowboys"
- "Shitty Day"
- "I'll Kill Her"
- "Take My Heart"
- "It's Raining Outside"
| Year | Release Date | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | "February 20st, 2012" | I Thought I Was an Alien |
I Thought I Was an Alien is Soko's first official album that she worked on throughout the summer of 2011. She released her first single on YouTube August 1, 2011 entitled "No more home, no more love". Soko often refers to this album as "her baby" and she feels like shes giving birth to it.
Some songs from the album include:
- "For Marlon"
- "No more home, No more love"
- "We Might be Dead by Tomorrow"
- "I've been alone for too long"
These songs at the moment can be found on YouTube