We’re back with another installation of our latest series, TuneCore Tuesdays, which aims to highlight artists and other music professionals who are writing, recording, and hustling on their own terms. By showcasing creatives doing it their way all over the globe, TuneCore Tuesdays aims to empower and inspire our diverse community of artists.
This week we caught up with TuneCore artist Skofee, whose poppy sounds, introspective lyrics, and R&B-inspired beats have paved the way for her independent music career.
Skofee, AKA Anna Marie Scholfield, began her songwriting journey in early high school while participating in school choirs and local musicals. She quickly began to find songwriting a liberating experience for her artistry.
“I found songwriting really freeing because I could write a song for my voice instead of trying to shape it to fit a song that was already written…I ultimately decided i wanted to pursue a career as a solo artist and songwriter,” Skofee shares.
Skofee began finding inspiration through collaborating with producers and other songwriters, during her time studying at USC.
“Going to USC was great for me because of the pool of students studying music and performing around campus. Being surrounded by people pursuing music careers made me think about what I wanted mine to look like,” she says.
Living in LA quickly began to new doors for the singer-songwriter as she continued to find inspiration for the music she wanted to create. “I get really struck by certain lyrics when I listen to songs so that’s something I always strive to deliver,” Skofee says. “I do think if you just focus on putting out good music you’re proud of, it will hit the right ears eventually.”
Being an independent artist also means being your own manager. Skofee has learned some key lessons that she continues to make use of throughout her career. She has found connecting with her fans whether just to chat or share new music has helped break down some invisible walls of self-doubt.
“It’s easy to hold back good content that people will like online by being too overly critical of yourself,” Skofee says. “I try to remind myself of that when I overthink how I’m building my image.”
Skofee released her debut EP, “Polished” with TuneCore last year and the release has been gaining traction while building up her following ever since.
“TuneCore made the process as seamless as possible. There are so many moving parts when it comes to releasing music, and it can feel like a lot if you don’t have the resources that a major label provides,” she shares. “TuneCore gives smaller artists the ability to get started with getting their music into the world.”
Performing live is at the top of the list for Skofee as things begin to go back to “normal” post-pandemic. “I haven’t had the chance to perform much as a solo artist,” she says. “Playing venues is a definite light at the end of the tunnel for me.”