Shredding Expectations: An In-Depth Chat with Guitar Virtuoso Sophie Lloyd

She took YouTube by storm, amassing over 1 million subscribers and well over 100 million views on her videos. Now guitarist for Machine Gun Kelly and traveling all over the world playing sold-out shows. When your music career skyrockets as quickly as Sophie Lloyd’s, it’s natural to question if you truly deserve your success. This is precisely the struggle the 28-year-old guitar virtuoso tackles on her debut solo album, “Imposter Syndrome.”

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! I know you have a busy schedule lately. To kick things off and set the vibe, I have a fun ice breaker: If you were the first person to make contact with aliens, what song would you choose to share with them first? 

Probably Bohemian Rhapsody, you can’t not think that song is incredible no matter what world you’re from.

Now, let's dive into the heart of things. You've been remarkably candid about your experiences with imposter syndrome, even naming your debut full-length album "Imposter Syndrome." What do you hope listeners will take away from your music?

There are lots of messages to be found in each song, from women empowerment in ‘Won’t You Come’ to having the strength to overcome adversities in ‘Hanging On’. I hope people can find whatever message they are looking for and interpret the songs in their own way to hear the message they need to hear. 

But in general, I hope people can see the story and not let their own mind and intrusive thoughts hold them back from their full potential. 

 Can you share the first time you truly felt the impact of imposter syndrome and how you overcome it?

There have been many times I’ve felt it in my life, one of the first was when I used to go to these week long music-camps as a kid called ‘Rockmasters’, it was the first time I’d ever played with people and I remember just feeling so out of place and like I didn’t belong their at all, I felt really uncomfortable playing, like everyone was judging me. I didn’t really overcome it until recently, I just dealt with the feeling back then and kept pushing through, with my eyes on the bigger picture. 

Could you walk us through your creative process for writing and recording new music?

This album was written during Covid, so it was all done in isolation and online. I sometimes prefer writing this way as it feels quite therapeutic being able to work at my own pace and I can really experiment and get into the theory of things. I’d start with a riff, and then Chris (my partner/drummer) would take it and add midi drums to it to give it a bit more feel. Then I’d flash it out and add some layers and harmony to make it more interesting. Once we had a glorified backing track we sent it out to the vocalists who wrote and recorded their vocals, we then adapted the backing track to fit this more, adding top lines, changing structure etc.. then we had a full song!

A devoted Sophie fan had this intriguing question: If MGK returned to rap and no longer needed the guitar, what would be your dream band to join?

I never really wanted to be a session musician, I don’t really enjoy long tours that much. So I’m not too sure on a band that I’d want to join, my dream would be to do my own stuff. But if I had to choose, then probably a band like Foo Fighters or RHCP.

Was there a song on the album that almost didn’t make the cut? 

'Lost' featuring Cole Rolland almost didn’t make the cut. I just couldn’t think of a good catchy lead line, I sent it over to him to see if maybe he could come up with something and he sent back this incredible melody, which we refined and created the awesome song that is, Lost. 

How significant is your Patreon community to you, and do you envision it playing a substantial role in your future career?

It’s instrumental in my career, it’s one of the main things that keeps me going, both financially and creatively. It allows me to really get to know my fan base and form meaningful connections with amazing people around the world. It really inspires me to be better and having the support of everyone there is just incredible.

Could you share your perspective on navigating the music industry as a successful woman?

Being a woman, you sometimes need to push to be heard, in a male dominated industry, it’s quite often you’re looked over and not listened to. But don’t let this deter you, just be loud and proud and show the world what you’ve got. Most of the women in the music industry have bigger balls than all the men!

It's well-known that your live performances often feature minimalist attire. How much of that wardrobe choice is deliberate on your part?

‘Minimalist attire’ is a very respectful way to put it, haha! It’s all deliberate, I love dressing in a rock and roll way with leather, fishnets, studs and hot pants, it makes me feel empowered and helps me step into a character and really perform on stage. If I came out in a hoodie and jeans, sure the music would be the same, but the theatrical energy of the performance would be lacking. Rock and Roll is all about great riffs and great tits.

Your debut solo show sold out in under five minutes, leading to a venue upgrade. What were your initial expectations as you planned the event?

I honestly had no idea, I always underestimate myself in those situations, I guess. As it was my first show, I had no idea if there was any live demand for my music at all. You might see the numbers on a screen, but it’s hard to know if that would translate to live performances as well. We hoped for the best but this really exceeded my expectations and I’m so grateful to everyone that bought tickets. 

With a huge social media following, a sold-out debut solo show, and your own signature guitar with Kiesel, how do you consistently find inspiration for new accomplishments and set fresh goals? 

I don’t think I’ll ever run out of inspiration, there’s an endless list of things I’d love to do and accomplish in all aspects of music. I surround myself with successful hard working people so I always have things to work towards and aspire to. The beauty of creativity is that it’s endless and there is always something new to explore. 

What exciting plans can we look forward to from Sophie Lloyd for the rest of the year? 

Definitely some more live shows! Rehearsing for the Underworld has been so much fun and really got me excited to do more. I’d also love to start writing again, maybe do some more singles and collabs, potentially some instrumental stuff again too. Lots of exciting things are on the horizon!

Sophie, thanks for taking a breather from shredding to chat with us. We can't wait to see what crazy adventures the rest of this year brings your way!