Photo Credit: Austin Dalgleish (@charles.austn)
By Alissa Arunarsirakul // September 14, 2020
Having studied the music industry at USC, Anna Scholfield decided to take matters into her own hands and make her grand debut under the memorable moniker: Skofee. This Kansas-bred newcomer crafts her own signature alternative pop that’s drenched in captivating sonics we really can’t get enough of. As she climbs to the top charts, Skofee is ready to unveil the gorgeous new visual for “Spiderman.”
Written about relatable post-breakup jealousy, “Spiderman” will have you reminiscing about that pesky ex that was impossible to get off your mind. Created by Louis Harboe, the “Spiderman” visual features a spider dangling on a fingertip that’s been doused in paint. Although the arachnid reminds us of Halloween, the soft-toned palette really does add an innocence and charm to Skofee’s “Spiderman.”
On “Spiderman,” Skofee exclusively shared with us,
“Spiders make a lot of people (including myself) squirm, so the spider imagery is meant to communicate how uncomfortable it feels to be overcome with jealousy—to be the one who never got over a breakup when the other party is happily in a new relationship. The lyrics explain it the best, ‘cuz you cut it off and I spun out high off the ground asking myself, ‘do you think about me?’”
The Hidden Hits has your first look at the “Spiderman” video below:
To celebrate the release of her new music, we recently chatted with Skofee about USC, Polished, and of course, “Spiderman.”
HH: What inspired you to pursue music in the first place?
S: Listening to and creating music was an escape for me throughout my teenage years. I honestly cared about little else in high school. As soon as I shifted my focus to songwriting, I knew it would be very hard for me to find anything else that I found as fulfilling and rewarding. The thought of making a career out of writing my own songs was heavenly to me. And then I saw other people actually doing it. It was empowering to realize that it was possible to pursue music beyond high school songwriting competitions and musicals and choirs, and that I had full control over my lyrics and melodies. My sound, songwriting style, and understanding of myself as an artist is constantly shifting, which is part of what keeps this career path interesting and new all the time. I love it.
HH: How did your experience at USC shape your outlook on the music industry?
S: My experience at USC was humbling, both as an artist and as someone with very little prior knowledge to how the music industry functions. I wasn’t admitted to the program I had hoped for popular music performance and instead studied PR and took music industry classes. I’m glad that I was given the chance to dig into the details of the industry before releasing music, though I still have plenty to learn. My professors were incredibly supportive and helpful. I think I also needed that time to learn from other students pursuing music. The musical talent at USC is wild, and opened my eyes to how hard I should be pushing myself to get better. Writing with new people and asking about their own goals and plans for pursuing music helped me nail down what I want for myself.
HH: Can you describe your creative process for “Spiderman?”
S: “Spiderman” really came out of nowhere, haha. Via Savage came over for a writing session, and we caught up for a little bit before I started doodling around on my keyboard. Once we nailed down the chords we wanted, we just started writing a song with spider imagery. I remember her saying what if it was, “but now it’s a fine line between wishing you were mine and wishing you were dead?” And I was like… yes. It was tons of fun to write, and once Jamison helped me with the bridge and got his hands on the production, the song just clicked into place. Recording vocals for the bridge was maybe my favorite part.
HH: We’ve all been jealous at one point… what are your tips for getting over someone?
S: Oh man. I want to say don’t distract yourself with someone new if you’re truly trying to get over someone, but that’s easier said than done. Definitely lean into your friends. Try to give the attention you used to give that person to yourself. It might sound corny, but it’s true! In the words of Lorde, “I light all the candles, cut flowers for all of my rooms. I care for myself the way I used to care about you.”
HH: What was the inspiration behind the visual for “Spiderman?”
S: Louis Harboe did the single artwork and I’m thrilled with how it turned out. He’s so talented it’s insane, he also filmed and animated the “Polished” video. I told him I wanted a gloved hand with a spider dangling from one of the fingers and he went so above and beyond. He got a hand model to dunk her hand in paint and used one of the drops as the spider’s thread. I was so pumped when I saw the final product. I feel really lucky to get to work with Louis on creative endeavors; he always takes it to the next level.
HH: How excited are you for Polished to finally be out in the world?!
S: I would say I’m at an 11/10. This EP has been years in the making so it’s a bit surreal to finally have it out. I’m not sure what I expected the response to the singles to be, but it’s definitely been exceeded. That being said, I’m proud of how they sit in the context of the five songs packaged together as well. I hope people like the final two tracks and feel that there is a song on the EP that speaks to them.
HH: If you could turn back time and write any hit song, which would it be?
S: What a hard question! I’ll go with Amy Winehouse’s “Back To Black.”
HH: What are your three hidden hits?
S: “Chaser” by Mei
“One Eye Open” by McCall
“You Gon See” by Kabwasa
The Hidden Hits 