FOR most people, Christmas is a time for peace, sharing and, perhaps most importantly, love.

And it is exactly these sentiments which have inspired singer/songwriter to release her first original single in time for the festive period.

A former pupil at Hexham’s Queen Elizabeth High School, Sophia Anderson (23) has released Love at Christmas which is available on all major music streaming sites.

Sophia, now living in Blanchland after three years in London studying at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, said: “Because I have lived away from home a lot, coming home at Christmas was such a magic moment for me.

“I know Christmas isn’t for everybody and it loses its sparkle as you get older, so this song is about never letting that go no matter what you are coming home for.

“I’ve always worked over Christmas, but there’s always that nice feeling when you come home, and there’s a bit in the song about everybody having that same exhausted and excited feeling.”

The release of the Christmas single follows Sophia’s version of Sam Fender’s Will We Talk from a female perspective.

On the back of the success of that track, there was a desire to get the follow-up song out as soon as possible.

Sophia said: “It’s really good to get the song out even if it’s kind of surreal because it all happened so quickly.

“I wrote it and then I worked with a lady called Lisa from Blast Recording Studios in Newcastle and she said let’s get it recorded, sent off and released.

“I’m very proud and happy with the single.”

Sophia’s music career is really starting to gain momentum after ramping up her efforts in the industry over the past 18 months.

After leaving Queen Elizabeth at 16, she studied singing at Newcastle College for two years ahead of her studies in the capital.

While she loved the variety of acting, dancing and singing during the course, it was music that captured her heart.

“I went there, and it made me realised that, while I love acting and I would never close the door to that, my real passion is writing and singing,” said Sophia.

The Christmas single is just the beginning of an exciting 12 months ahead for the singer who grew up in Hexham.

She was currently working towards producing a five-track EP for release early in 2020, with a single set for release in February.

While the process of selecting the tracks was an enjoyable one, it was also a tricky one.

Sophia said: “We are looking at five tracks, which is quite a lot for an EP but I would have 100 tracks if I could.

“It’s tricky because I’m terrible when it comes to deciding on things and then changing my mind.

“The plan is to go with the songs that go together. We’ll play them back-to-back and see if they work as I want them all to relate together as a story in a collective group.

“I just want to put songs out there that people can relate to and just get.”

The future looks bright for the young singer/songwriter who describes her music as ‘mellow pop with a twist’.

She expanded on the description: “I love a good harmony and layering within music, which weaves in and out of each other.

“I write a lot from personal experiences which have happened to me, and also other people I know like family and friends and I’m looking in.

“I want to make people feel positive and listen to my music and feel confident about themselves.”

On the back of the release of her EP, Sophia was planning to gig to help get her music out there.

She said: “I want to do intimate gigs with songs from the EP with my favourite covers thrown in. I want to sing my songs live and that’s my 100 per cent aim. I’m really optimistic for the future.”