Soccer Mommy (aka Sophie Allison) has shared a demo version of the song ‘Darkness Forever’, which she’s nodded to Taylor Swift by dubbing it ‘Sophie’s Version’.

The song initially appeared on Allison’s third album as Soccer Mommy, ‘Sometimes, Forever’. The version on that record is atmospheric and eerie, beginning with an air of ethereality before progressively getting heavier. The newly released demo, however, is much more consistently industrial, blending glitchy and abrasive synths with an intentionally rough vocal track. 

Released in anticipation of Halloween (October 31), Allison said of the drop in a press release: This version of ‘Darkness Forever’ is really exciting for me because it’s kind of what got me inspired to start working on the rest of the album. It felt new and fresh, and I had a lot of fun making the demo. When I was done with it, I felt very ready to work on more stuff for the record.”

Have a listen to ‘Sophie’s Version’ of ‘Darkness Forever’, then compare it to the version on ‘Sometimes, Forever’’:

‘Sometimes, Forever’ landed back in June via Loma Vista, and was supported by the singles ‘Shotgun’, ‘Unholy Affliction’, ‘Bones’ and ‘Newdemo’. Since releasing the album – which she’s said was inspired by The Jesus And Mary Chain and The Smashing Pumpkins – Allison has also shared a Simlish version of ‘Shotgun’ and a cover of R.E.M.’s ‘Losing My Religion’. 

In a four-star review of ‘Sometimes, Forever’, NME’s Mia Hughes wrote: “The reductive tags that may have previously been assigned to Soccer Mommy – sad, chill, nostalgic – have no foothold here. This is nuanced, purposeful songwriting from an artist growing.”