Sophie Simmons talks body positivity, why nepotism doesn't work in the music industry

Singer/songwriter Sophie Simmons recently spoke with Yahoo Entertainment about her new book of poems and lyrics, "Secrets I Would Never Say, but I Would Sing," body positivity and why - in her case at least - nepotism doesn't work in the music industry.

Simmons, daughter of KISS frontman Gene Simmons, said, "If [nepotism] really helped, I would be signed to a label. I'd be signed to a publisher. I would have number one singles. I don't. I'm a completely independent artist and songwriter."

Prior to concentrating on music fulltime, Simmons also modeled, and was frequently disheartened when stylists would arrive with nothing in her size.

"I'm completely comfortable with how I look and I'm very happy with my body," she said. "But what makes you doubt that is when people look at that, ignore it completely and then just bring a zero and expect you to fit into it."

Video Transcript

LYNDSEY PARKER: I'm very excited to speak with you. You have a new poetry book that just came out called "Secrets I Would Never Say, But I Would Sing." What makes you go, oh, I need to write that down?

SOPHIE SIMMONS: I think it's a personal form of therapy for me in a way to say things that I either wouldn't say to people's faces or feelings that I really have for someone that I would never say or thoughts on the world even that I feel like I can't share on social media. You know, it's just an outlet to get everything out so I can better understand what I'm feeling and what I really do want to say.

LYNDSEY PARKER: You mentioned the social media thing. As someone who grew up in the public eye, like you were on television starting at about 11 years old and even before that obviously from a famous family, you kind of came up just the social media was sort of starting to come up.

SOPHIE SIMMONS: Yeah, we--

LYNDSEY PARKER: Did you have to deal with a lot of trolls?

SOPHIE SIMMONS: Oh, definitely. We grew up at a time that was honestly the worst. Because not only did we have social media, but we still had, like, rampant tabloids. So that was definitely weird as a kid to feel and be a part of. And I think that's why maybe I really enjoy songwriting now is it's like a bit more of a private experience. So I think I found some solace there.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Is there anything that stuck with you?

SOPHIE SIMMONS: Definitely what stuck with me, or what I realized at a young age, was there was the standard of beauty that I didn't fit into at the time. Like I was not into makeup and fashion and going out and all those things. I was kind of a bit more nerdy. I played volleyball, and I liked computers.

I was chubbier as a kid, just a normal pre-teen. And that wasn't enough for the industry that I was born into. So it was really hard to find within myself, like, that space to be comfortable with who I am. And that definitely came later with age. But I mean, all thanks to my parents.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Did you feel, like, a certain pressure that you were like the daughter of these-- these people to-- to look a certain way or to live up to the standard of beauty that you're talking about?

SOPHIE SIMMONS: Yes and no. I-- I think when we went to family events or a premiere or something, there was always like a panic of, like, oh, my God what do I wear? And then we tried or when we were on the show, we had a stylist. And they would bring clothes that were in the sample size. And, like, God knows, I've never been a sample size. And so that was super hard to, like, continually try on clothes that I knew were not going to fit me.

Because you would think that stylists and makeup artists are there to help you feel comfortable. But really, a lot of them are just trying to fit you into this mold of what they know how to do. And so there's very few people, I think, in the industry who really take pride in their work and are willing to work with people on an individual basis based on what they're most comfortable with.

And we definitely see more of it now with designers designing not only just sample sizes and dressing stars on the red carpet that are fuller figure or just normal. I think that's so important for young girls to see. And I didn't really get to see a lot of that. Like I was on the tail end of the '90s supermodels. So everyone was like stick, stick thin. And that's just not how I felt.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Do you remember any specific incident? Someone comes to a photo shoot knowing you're the subject and brings size two, size zero clothes. Did you have moments, anything like that?

SOPHIE SIMMONS: I don't know a single photo shoot that that's not happened to me. It's not like they don't send your sizes ahead of time. I'm not lying when I say, like, hi, I'm an eight. Please don't bring a zero. I won't fit in it. I don't mind being an eight. I'm completely comfortable with how I look. And I'm very happy with my body. But what makes you doubt that is when people look at that, ignore it completely, and then just bring a zero and expect you to fit into it.

And then you start going like, oh, should I really be fitting into that? Like is it my fault? You start blaming yourself because you don't want to be-- especially on a shoot. Like and this is why I really don't model anymore. I would always feel, like, the burden for not fitting into the things that the stylist brought like I was ruining it. But really, now looking back being older with some more perspective, they knew who they were hiring for the shoot. Like they should have brought things that fit.

And I hope now things like that aren't happening as often. And I mean, even just for girls that are not in the entertainment industry or boys as well. Like when we go into stores, like, we want to see sizes that are inclusive and that fit us. And we're the ones buying the product. It's like they don't want to take our money. Like we want to buy the clothes.

LYNDSEY PARKER: You're like, just take my money.

SOPHIE SIMMONS: Yeah.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Did your mother-- I imagine, you know, she went through her own crap as a model. What advice did she give you particularly when you were pursuing modeling about how to not let that get to your head and mess with you, basically?

SOPHIE SIMMONS: The only things that I could model was, like, swimwear and lingerie because that's where they kind of accept a bit more of a bustier person. Like I was never doing high fashion stuff. I was always doing something like a little bit more on the sexy side.

And I was really young and, like, not necessarily wanting to do that. But I felt like, OK, this is what people do when they're in my situation. We go, and we model, or we become socialites or whatever. Like I thought that's what I had to do.

My mom was very clear when she said that I didn't have to do it. And I could quit it any time. I found that it wasn't something I wanted to do. But I think if I didn't experience it, I would still think that I had to, like, live up to those beauty standards. You kind of have to go through it and be like this is some bull crap.

LYNDSEY PARKER: I know obviously you're focusing on music and the poetry book and stuff. But is that something you're still wanting to do more of, more fashion stuff?

SOPHIE SIMMONS: I don't think so. I think I avoided music and songwriting for a long time because I just didn't want to do what my family did. But I knew deep down this was always what I wanted to do. Also, that was a struggle just purposefully not doing what your passion is. That was definitely something I struggled with.

LYNDSEY PARKER: I've talked about this with Louise Goffin, who obviously is Carole King's daughter, Dhani Harrison, who is George Harrison's son, Aimee Osbourne. All of them have said at some point, their parents kind of sat them down and said, are you sure you want to do this?

Because first of all, music in general is hard no matter what. But if you-- although, of course, there will be opportunities that maybe a second generation musician will get that someone who isn't wouldn't get. At the same time, there's another layer of difficulty. And it's that the comparisons, people will make accusations of nepotism.

SOPHIE SIMMONS: I actually think mostly people don't give the chance. Like if nepotism really worked in this sense, do you not think like me and Aimee would be, like, already the biggest pop stars in the world? Like it just makes no sense.

If it really helped, I would be signed to a label. I'd be signed to a publisher. I would have number one singles. I don't. I'm a completely independent artist and songwriter. I write for people based on recommendations of artists who liked working with me who then refer me to their friends. It's a grind, but it's something I really enjoy.

And unfortunately, the era of those big rock stars is just not helpful now with streaming. They have no experience with it. My dad has zero idea how Spotify works. He doesn't understand how people make money now. And that was a big conversation we had where he said, hey, I really don't think you should do this, not that-- nothing to do with my talent.

He was just concerned about me being able to make a living off songwriting. But I can't avoid that it's what I want to do with my life. So if that means I'm not living the most lavish of lives, like, I'm cool with that because I get to do what I love every day.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Did you ever feel any pressure, whether external or internal, to sort of do something more metal or more hard rock given the fact that, you know, at least--

SOPHIE SIMMONS: No.

LYNDSEY PARKER: --hypothetically, there would be a ready-made audience for that, as you point out? You made a very salient point just now about the nepotism. Because you obviously have gone in more of a dance direction with your latest.

SOPHIE SIMMONS: I'm not so much an artist. I'm way more a songwriter. But if I had done something rock, or if my brother had gone into rock or something, I'm sure there would be some crossover. But still, the age difference is 40, 50 years from an original KISS fan to now. And music and streaming and even radio has changed so much. So a lot of the music that I make is never going to reach the ears of those people.

And a lot of stuff that I get on social media from KISS fans is like, ew, we don't like this music. It's too pop. It's too dance. You know, they're die-hard rock people. They don't get it, what the music that I write, which is fine.

LYNDSEY PARKER: You really get crap from KISS fans who basically want you to sound like a female-fronted KISS? Like do--

SOPHIE SIMMONS: Yeah.

LYNDSEY PARKER: --they want you to spit blood or something?

SOPHIE SIMMONS: I don't really know what the expectation is. But I just know that no matter what you do, you can't make everyone happy. So you just have to make yourself happy.

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