Sophie Pecora, courtesy.

Singer-songwriter Sophie Pecora moved to Los Angeles with her parents and older brother in March. The 18-year-old lifetime Danville resident and one-time “America’s Got Talent” quarterfinalist graduated from high school earlier in the year and is pursuing a music career full-time now.

Pecora’s family was also ready for a change. Her brother is interested in studying filmmaking and editing, and her parents—her dad is a businessman—are enjoying the move, too. Music was the driving factor, though.

“We were going back and forth for a few years to L.A. and back—like every month,” she said. “I went to the studio there all the time, and there’s a lot of opportunities.”

On one hand, Sophie Pecora is one of many independent music artists in L.A., trying to make a name for herself and grow a fanbase. On the other, she already has a massive following on social media—2 million followers on TikTok and 650,000 YouTube subscribers—thanks to more than a decade of sharing her music and her life online. Her dad helped her create and build the YouTube channel when she was 8 or 9, and she posted covers of songs online consistently for that entire time—and that 2019 run on “AGT.”

Pecora started playing guitar and writing songs when she was 8, later adding piano and drums. Her parents aren’t musicians, but she credits her mother, a published author, for inspiring her, as well as her grandmother, who plays the accordion and enjoys performing in front of people.

She was 15 at the time of her “AGT” appearance, winning the judges over with original songs “7th Grade,” about bullying, and “Misfits.” Her delicate and effective style of singing and rapping won over guest judge Brad Paisley, who awarded her the show’s “Golden Buzzer.” She didn’t win the competition but made an impression.

“It’s really amazing to have people that listen to all my songs,” she said. “I love being independent—right now. I love having the creative freedom. I have so many songs to release, so I love to release them very consistently, and you don’t always get to do that if you’re not in total control.”

Since 2020, Pecora has released three EPs of stripped-back, tender pop songs relatable to both listeners her age and those older who’ve also lived through her specific yet recognizable experiences. Her songs are uplifting, even as some are about the unpleasant experiences of growing up, such as “Keeping Everything Inside,” “Numb” and “Anxiety.”

She’s taken numerous opportunities to spotlight the importance of mental health and earlier this year participated in a suicide awareness PSA led by Carole King.

“I really feel that music is super powerful, and I know when I might be having a hard time or struggling with something, if I hear a song that explains how I feel in such a … melodic way, and music so relaxing; it’s just the most healing, comforting thing to me,” Pecora said. “So I find that really beautiful, and I love the idea of me doing that for people as well … to feel that comfort and like someone understands them.”

Last fall, “Anxiety” won the Unsigned Only Music Competition, beating out 10,000 entries from 120 countries for a prize valued at $50,000. Previous winners of the contest include Ingrid Andress and Faouzia.

Pecora has said that she faces anxiety herself, though for that song she turned to other people’s stories online to write about the condition. Most of her songs begin in a personal place, exploring her feelings and experiences before she explores the subjects more deeply.

“It’s rarely like every single lyric is 100 percent true to my experience because once I start writing, I add more stuff as I go along … and exaggerate a little,” she said.

Her latest EP is July’s To Save the World, with five tracks that she said were influenced by feeling overwhelmed with the headlines in the news about what’s happening around the world. But despite titles like “I’m in a Rut” and “Bring Me Down,” the songs are steeped with hope thanks to Pecora’s intonation and the arrangements.

She’s already finished work on her fifth EP, planned for a January release, and has shared the first track from that project, “Self Critical,” which fits perfectly with her existing catalog. She plans to continue releasing singles and EPs for the time being as she builds a following, giving each song a chance to grow on listeners. There will be an album someday, and she’s excited about touring anywhere her listeners are. For now, she’s just playing shows around L.A.

And she’s also working to find her friend group. She’s skipping college, at least for now, to focus completely on music.

“I love [that] anyone I meet is doing something really cool; creative people,” she said.

Her parents are fully on-board with her decisions and are throwing their support with her mom helping with the “legal stuff” and her dad teaching her about the business aspects.

Pecora is writing all the time and anticipates expanding what she writes about as she experiences more; maybe even a love song, eventually.

“I am a very creative person, so I’m open to trying new things all the time. I never put myself in a box, so I just write whatever I’m feeling authentically,” she said. “If one day I’m in love and I feel like writing a love song, I’ll definitely do that.”

Follow editor Roman Gokhman at Twitter.com/RomiTheWriter.