Sophie B. Hawkins

About

Sophie Ballantine Hawkins is an American singer-songwriter born in New York City who studied percussion at the Manhattan School of Music before pursuing her passion for music professionally. Her breakthrough arrived in the early 1990s when she achieved both critical and commercial success that would define a generation of listeners. With her distinctive voice and emotionally resonant songwriting, Hawkins established herself as a compelling presence in rock music, crafting songs that spoke to the human experience with remarkable intimacy and artistry.

Throughout the early-to-mid 1990s, Hawkins delivered a series of memorable hits including "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover," "Right Beside You," and "As I Lay Me Down," showcasing her talent across her first two albums, Tongues and Tails and Whaler. When a dispute with Sony Music arose over her third album, Timbre, Hawkins demonstrated her independent spirit by establishing her own label, Trumpet Swan Productions. This bold move allowed her to maintain creative control over her subsequent recordings, including Wilderness, The Crossing, and Free Myself, cementing her legacy as both an innovative artist and a trailblazer for musical independence.