ENTERTAINMENT
DORSTEN
BROTHER & SISTER DUO
“There's no better way to learn how to play on a stage in
front of family and friends and the local community than
to play local shows.” Sophie Dorsten
THE INTERVIEW
JEN GAULT:
Where did you grow up, and how did your hometown shape you as a musician?
SOPHIE DORSTEN:
I grew up in Gilbert, Arizona, which is in the Phoenix metro area. Gilbert and the surrounding towns of Phoenix have really shaped me as a musician because there are always so many opportunities to play locally. I started playing local shows at age 9, and it has definitely shaped who I am as a musician. There’s no better way to learn how to play on a stage in front of family and friends and the local community than to play local shows.
JEN GAULT:
When did you first realize music was more than just a hobby?
SOPHIE DORSTEN:
I realized that music was more than a hobby when I first started writing songs. I was 13 when I wrote my first song and stepped into the studio for the first time at that age as well. I knew that this was the path I wanted to go down from then on. Since then, I’ve never thought of anything else I’d rather do.
JEN GAULT:
Who inspired you the most when you were growing up?
SOPHIE DORSTEN:
My non-musical influences in my life growing up are my parents. They are the sweetest people and would always encourage and support me with my dream of music, even still to this day. They are the most loving parents, and I am so blessed to have them. Musically, growing up, I would say Adele and Selena Gomez were the two biggest influences I had. I wanted Selena’s pop star look and vibe, with Adele’s voice and emotional ballads.
JEN GAULT:
Was there ever a moment when you questioned whether music was the right path?
SOPHIE DORSTEN:
Every year with this career in music, there’s always something to learn or a big win. I do feel like a big shift happened when Alex and I went on tour and opened for someone for the first time. We got to open for Mark Ambor on his North American and European tour. It was weeks of touring that taught us so much and opened our eyes to how it is possible to be an independent duo and tour the world.
“There have been times when I’ve felt lost and down about how we haven’t “made it” or not having a viral video to take off our careers, but with the love and support that my family, my fiancé, and friends give me, it truly makes me realize how fortunate we are to be doing what we love and have support.”
JEN GAULT:
What’s one lesson you’ve learned that no one could have taught you except experience?
SOPHIE DORSTEN:
A lesson that I have learned fairly recently is that consistency and practice are everything. I feel like I can pick up creative projects within music easily and feel like a pro, but it’s nothing without practice and being consistent. Basically, the quote I think of daily is: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” Because it’s true.
JEN GAULT:
Was there ever a moment when you questioned whether music was the right path?
SOPHIE DORSTEN:
There are ups and downs to everything in life, and something personally that I go through and write songs about is the self-doubt that I get about trying to “make it” in music. There have been times when I’ve felt lost and down about how we haven’t “made it” or not having a viral video to take off our careers, but with the love and support that my family, my fiancé, and friends give me, it truly makes me realize how fortunate we are to be doing what we love and have support. It puts me in check and makes me understand that the only person in the way of me getting to where I want to be is myself.
Part 2 of Sophie’s Interview Coming Wednesday, October 14, 2026