Here She Is, With A Little Help From Her Eau Claire Friends
Sophia Ammann, the singer-songwriter of Belgium and Canada, partners with Chippewa Valley instrumentalists in debut record 'Here I Am'
The story begins in a cabin along Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. Days packed full of concerts, workshops, open music jams, visual art making, creative writing and the burgeoning friendship of instrumentalists all over the world.
This sanctuary known as “Miles of Music,” is where Sophia Ammann, the Canadian and Belgian singer-songwriter, met Shane Leonard and Sarah Elstran – two Eau Claire musicians who would become close collaborators and shape her debut record, Here I Am.
“At camp, I met all these wonderful people and it was this very overwhelming, profound, (and) special experience,” Ammann said. “I found it quite exceptional – what are the chances that the two people that I connect so deeply with are from the same place?”
Released with Polymoon Music today, March 13, Here I Am breaks new ground for Ammann, whose vocals and instrumentals were once known from the international Leonard Cohen tribute ensemble, The Little Dots – among other collaborations.
Today, Ammann takes center stage and offers listeners a collection of ten cinematic tracks which unveil her journey to the self through emotive, dreamy indie-folk soundscapes.
Amidst the beginnings of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – coupled with her own changing relationships – she describes this period as a time where she was forced to look inward for answers, rather than seeking them externally.
“We were just trying to capture something that was passing by – capture it before it fades.”
sarah elstran
multi-instrumentalist, the nunnery
In this chapter of her story, something “cracked”; Ammann began to consciously think of her own values and where she fits within the world. This process of self-embrace became interlocked with the creation of her songs on Here I Am.
“I was going through this awakening, really looking at myself and going through that darkness; we have this good saying in Flemish, it’s like being thrown back to yourself,” Ammann said. “I was able to give form to these songs; at the same time, that was necessary for me to take more form of my own identity.”
Ammann characterized her songwriting process by honesty and discovery, “being open to what the song is there to tell you,” she reflected. Over time, Ammann said her writing became unconsciously linked to connection; connecting to herself through the creative process – and then connecting with others.
The 2023 Miles of Music “island camp” brought Ammann closer to multi-instrumentalists Sarah Elstran (The Nunnery) and Shane Leonard (Humbird, Field Report, among others). These two Eau Clairians ultimately influenced Ammann’s arrival to the Chippewa Valley and the recording of her debut album.
“Immediately, it felt like Sophia and I had known each other for a long time,” Elstran said of their meeting three summers ago. “That was a really magical feeling, but also musically, it coincided. It was really easy to harmonize and we just had really similar flows (for) how to enter into a song.”
In total, Ammann came to Eau Claire to record and unfold Here I Am – with production support from Leonard – three times. Through each recurring visit, the tracks became refined, purposeful, at times comedic and effectively amplified her story of emotional charge and acceptance.
“Sophia’s songs, they have everything that they need,” Leonard said. “She has that quality that not very many people have; when they perform there is a presence that kind of emanates from them – that just draws people in.”
“Her art making process is very much focused on the humanness of what she is doing and what we are doing together,” he continued.
Nearly all of the songs on her debut record were already written or documented in some form prior to Ammann’s arrival in the Chippewa Valley. Yet, track six, “Forest Road,” holds a special place in the hearts of both Leonard and Ammann, as the two co-wrote the piece.
“I’m so proud of my friend for finishing her record and I have such fond memories of writing that song together,” Leonard said of “Forest Road.” “I would get home from The Joynt, or get home from a gig, and I would just put that (song) on in my car because I just wanted to hear it.”
As a producer, Leonard’s role shifts based on the artist; the core components of his work involve active listening to the musicians’ vision. For Elstran, her role in this collaboration served as a documenter through video visuals – a facet of her creative work which continues to grow.
Whether it be in the recording sessions at Leonard’s “Bungaleau” studio, a friend’s home in Shawtown – where the music video for track four, “Dinner On The Kitchen Floor” was filmed – or at sunset surrounded by a bloom of flowers, Elstran sought to capture exactly how fun and playful Sophia is as a person.
“We were just trying to capture something that was passing by – capture it before it fades,” Elstran said. “It was also the most vulnerable, honest, beautiful thing.”
“It just felt so much like coming home,” Ammann said of her growth as a human and artist in Eau Claire. “I felt the difference in what it feels like to be really in exchanges with other people, where you both really value each other.”
“A lot of the people I met (in Eau Claire) just brought out the best in me – things that I forgot were there, or were wanting to be here,” she continued.
Here I Am, in both its title track and the entire collection, centers on these themes of intuition, nurturing one’s inner voice calling out and the act of showing up with complete authenticity. And, in Ammann’s case, the friends you meet and cherish along the way.
“Here I am. I am not waiting for permission. I am stepping into this world.”
Here I Am by Sophia Ammann and Polymoon Music features piano, drums and percussion by Shane Leonard; backing vocals and video visuals by Sarah Elstran; additional instrumentals and engineering from artists across the United States and Belgium. Ammann's debut record is available to listen on Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, YouTube and other major streaming platforms.
