Sofia Bolt is the indie rock project of French-born, LA-based artist Amélie Rousseaux, who also performs with Pavo Pavo. Her voice has a deep, mature quality to it that distinguishes her from many of her contemporaries. The live version of Sofia Bolt includes Marian Li Pino of La Luz on drums and Emily Elhaj from Angel Olsen’s band on bass.

Rousseaux is gearing up to release her debut album Waves this year. Today she shares its title track, a chamber pop beauty featuring string arrangements by Van Dyke Parks. Rousseaux’s dulcet tones perfectly blend with Parks’ baroque strings on “Waves.” On the song, she addresses the monotonies of daily existence. “You eat, I eat/ Same story everyday,” she sings. “You’re bored, I die/ The sand is swept away/ I’m gonna surf that wave.”

Parks, the legendary arranger known for his work with artists ranging from the Beach Boys to Joanna Newsom, had this to say about Rousseaux:

Amélie: Dazzling French talent arrived in L.A. in a bolt outta the blue. Brimming with music, and a promise of cross-cultural collisions—ready to take back what Lafayette left behind.

I arranged “Waves” — her mystical song of love for the Pacific Rim. (She rides the boards when Surf’s Up).

To play for Amélie at a local boite — serving up a rear-view romantic menu of la belle France, turns out to be a reality-check of So-Cal future-shock. Outta the rock-vox box.

Amélie…bigger than the movie.
Reinvented….a Venus on the half-shell, emerging ashore—
Beyond just Alternative.
But – def Essential!

Listen to “Waves” below, and stick around for prior single “Get Out Of My Head.”

TRACKLIST:
01 “London 2009″
02 “Interlude I”
03 “Get Out Of My Head”
04 “Closing Time”
05 “Waves”
06 “Ojai”
07 “Interlude II”
08 “Losing Control”
09 “Waves (Van Dyke Parks Arrangement)”

Waves is out 6/28 on Loantaka Records.

CREDIT: Kate Kornberg