IN CONVERSATION WITH SOPHIE STRAAT
interview JANA LETONJA
Protest singer Sophie Straat has become the unmistakable voice of a socially engaged generation. Bursting onto the scene with her Edison-winning debut in 2020, she’s since filled clubs, headlined festivals like Lowlands and Pukkelpop, and created her own sold-out Protestfest at Paradiso. Known for fearless lyrics and a sharp critique of inequality, Sophie now takes her message global with her first English-language single, 'Let Me Tell You Something ’Bout My Country', which is coming out on 29th August.. With a new album arriving this October, and a fall tour across The Netherlands and Belgium, Sophie continues to prove that music and activism can march hand in hand.
‘Let Me Tell You Something ’Bout My Country’; is your first song in English. What made you decide now was the time to write beyond Dutch?
'Let me tell you something about my country’ is the only track on the album fully in English because everyone should know the ugly truth about the Netherlands. A country embellished with some kind of fake “civilization”, but in reality driven by capitalism, institutional racism, and systems of exploitation. The Netherlands sells itself as progressive, but in reality it is a country where the government openly supports genocide, police violence is downplayed, refugees are treated as second-class citizens, people of color still have to fight every day for their right to exist, and men can't keep their fucking hands off women.
The track takes aim at racism, inequality, and hollow tolerance in The Netherlands. What message do you hope international listeners will take away from it?
I hope international listeners understand that the Netherlands is not the flawless, tolerant paradise it’s often portrayed as. I want to break the polished image that people have of it and show how systemic racism, sexism, and inequality effect people every day. Also, perhaps the message can also be a call to recognise the injustices in your own global western country and to stand in solidarity with those who fight against them.
How does this single set the tone for your upcoming album, which will be released in October?
I’m not sure it really sets the tone for the album. It does set a tone for me politically - outspoken, realistic, angry, etc. The rest of the album shows other sides of me, a more emotional side, insecure, impatient, but also combative.
Do you feel writing in English changes your songwriting process, or even your identity as a protest singer?
Not really, but I’m not sure why it would. My first language was English, since my mom is British and my dad is from the States. Still, Dutch is the language I feel most comfortable with. Writing in English isn’t such a big deal for me, I suppose.
Protest is central to your work. What does “protest music” mean to you in 2025?
Everything is political, whether you speak up or stay silent. We as people are part of a greater good, we are a group, we are one, if we truly believe that we can act like that. We wouldn’t be living in a world smothered in social injustice where we see ourselves as individuals. With music we can reflects to what’s happening, and it demands that we see ourselves as connected, responsible, and capable of change.
You’ve organized three editions of Protestfest, with a fourth already announced. How did the idea start, and how do you see it evolving?
It all started when I had my first big show planned in the big pop venue Paradiso in Amsterdam. Being an ‘artist’, or whatever that means, often makes me feel overwhelmed. There’s plenty of music, endless knowledge, and certainly plenty of opinions. Why would I want people to listen to me? There are times when I feel sorry. It really isn’t necessary, and now you’re here, listening to me. I invite my very cool friends and artists that I look up to. I do have a great taste and amazing inspiring people around me, and I feel honoured and proud to share them.
You often donate proceeds to causes like Plant een Olijfboom. How do you choose which issues or movements to support?
I like being able to see the direct, tangible impact. With Plant een Olijfboom, you know exactly what’s being done with your contribution. Olive trees are planted, families are supported, and land is protected. That transparency creates a real sense of action and connection.
Your rise since 2020 has been called “meteoric.” When you look back, what’s been the biggest turning point so far?
I hope what I’m building now is sustainable rather than just hype. The biggest turning point for me was realising that I needed to make music I genuinely love, music I want to listen to myself, both in terms of sound and message. I’m really proud of how it turned out, and especially proud that I didn’t compromise by making it more pop or more experimental just to fit in. It feels exactly right. Maybe in a year, I’ll feel differently, but for now, this is the most honest place I’ve ever been in my work.
You’ve gone from intimate club tours to festivals like Lowlands and Pukkelpop. Which performance felt like a true breakthrough moment?
I don’t think I’ve had that one big “breakthrough moment” yet. As I said, the breakthrough has been making an album with a sound that feels completely true to who I am. Now I’m about to do two tours, one in small punk venues that I love personally, and one in the bigger pop venues. I specifically wanted to play the smaller rooms because I skipped that step earlier in my career, and it always felt a bit untrue to me. Now that my music leans more in that direction, it feels right to finally bring it to those spaces. At the same time, I’m still really excited about the pop venues too.
Beyond music, you make visual art and film, like Mooier Als Je Lacht. How do these mediums connect to your activism?
I really miss making visual art, and I’m picking it up again by making a zine, dusting off my camera, and slowly rolling back into creating visually. I used to say my brain didn’t have the capacity for visual and musical arts at the same time. Now I feel like they coexist and are connected. I don’t see a difference in the process or outcome.
Touring the Netherlands and Belgium this fall, what do you hope the live shows will communicate that the recordings can’t?
My band is just as great. They’re all amazing musicians, and I can’t wait to translate the electronic sounds into punk rock on stage.
CREDITS
photography LOIS COHEN
