“Dick happened to be listening to the radio and when he found out I didn’t win, he wanted to do me a favour.
“From there, we just decided to record a whole EP.”
Her first full studio experience went smoothly.
“It wasn’t overly hard, but it was definitely something different and new,” Sophie said.
“You have to get in the right mindset to do the songs over and over again.”
Those songs were Blown Away by Carrie Underwood, Mean and Breathe by Taylor Swift, and Believing from the Nashville TV series.
Sophie provided vocals and guitar, with Le Fort handling the rest of the backing tracks.
Her father, Ben Toyne, made an appearance on Believing.
“Originally, [the duet] was supposed to be with Brendan Duggan. Dad just sang the male parts as a guide,” Sophie said.
“We sent the song in and Dick just said, ‘Nah, your dad should do the full recording’.”
A full-length album, which will feature original songs, is the next project on the agenda.
“That will have 10-12 songs on it. My own songs will be on there and I might enter the Smokefree Rockquest this year as well,” Toyne said.
“I started to write my own stuff maybe two years ago and it was quite hard — just trying to work on something for ages and ages.
“You just have to have a break and when something comes to you, write it down or quickly record it. Then you can start building on to it.”
Sophie, who is in her first year at Whanganui High School, is the NZCMA youth ambassador for the North Island and an active member of the country music club in Whanganui.
Its events run every second and fourth Sunday of the month at St Andrew’s Hall, Bell St.
She said she hoped to see more young musicians getting involved.
“The showcase on the day kicks off at 1pm.
“If anyone wants to have a quick practice with the [house] band and go through their song, that starts at 10am.
“I guess it comes down to [having] the motivation and the confidence to get up there and do it. It definitely gets easier the more you do it.”
Country music remains her core business, but other genres are starting to make an appearance.
As well as performing as a solo artist, she is a member of a band, Too Much.
“When I was at Huntley [School] there was some musical theatre and a bit of classical as well, and with the Smokefree Rockquest you can basically do any genre you want,” Sophie said.
To get a copy of Believing, go to Sophie Toyne’s Facebook page or email tamtoyne@gmail.com.
Sophie will celebrate the release with a performance at The Barracks on May 27. The show begins at 7pm and entry is $10.
