The Sophs have returned with their take Mac DeMarco’s “For The First Time.” The track arrives ahead of the band’s New York City debut tonight at Berlin and tomorrow at Union Pool, and ahead of UK and EU shows this August/September.  The track features the band’s previous single “Sweat“.

Ethan of The Sophs explains their thinking behind the cover, “When I first heard “For the First Time” by Mac DeMarco, it felt fragile in the best way. My band, The Sophs, loves that kind of emotional rawness, but we usually filter it through something rougher, more chaotic. So we decided to cover it, but not delicately.

We kept the heart of the song intact, that wistful sense of love just out of reach, but pushed the tempo and dirtied the edges. It’s Mac through a surf punk lens, with sharper guitars, a driving rhythm section, and a vocal delivery that sounds closer to frustration than resignation.

It’s a love song you can scream along to. Nervous, nostalgic, and just slightly unhinged. Hopefully Mac wouldn’t hate it. Either way, it’s The Sophs doing what we do best: taking something pretty and making it loud.”

The Sophs’ caught the attention of Rough Trade label heads Geoff Travis and Jeannette Lee immediately when they received a demo from Ramon. The Sophs — including frontman Ethan Ramon, Sam Yuh (keyboards), Austin Parker Jones (electric guitar), Seth Smades (acoustic guitar), Devin Russ (drums), and Cole Bobbitt (bass) — a slot on nearly any stage. “It’s rare that a demo that arrives in the post sets your heart racing and sends you off on a quest to track down its sender. But that’s what happened when we listened to the music sent to us by Ethan Ramon,” Travis and Lee explain.

The Sophs play two free shows in NYC in August before travelling to perform in the UK and EU for the first time, including a spot at the UK’s End of the Road Festival in August.

The Sophs 2025 Tour Dates

Tuesday August 26 –New York, NY @ Berlin Under A – FREE SHOW
Wednesday August 27 – Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool – FREE SHOW
Saturday August 30 – UK – Larmer Tree, End of the Road Festival
Monday September 1 – UK – Bristol, The Lanes
Tuesday September 2 – UK – Bournemouth – So Young Presents: Who Are You? At Bear Cave
Wednesday September 3 – UK – London, The Windmill
Saturday September 6 – NL – Asten, Misty Fields Festival
Sunday September 7 – DE – Haldern, Haldern Pop Bar
Monday September 8 – FR – Paris, Supersonic Records
Friday September 12 – NO – Oslo, by:Larm Festival
Tuesday October 28 – US – San Francisco @ Bottom Of The Hill w/ Otoliths + Crop Top
Friday October 31 – Portland, OR @ Swan Dive – FREE SHOW
Saturday November 1 – Seattle @ Baba Yaga
Monday November 3 – Chicago, IL @ The Hideout
Wednesday November 5 – Toronto @ The Sound Garage
Friday November 7 – Somerville, MA @ Warehouse XI
Saturday November 8 – New York, NY @ Night Club 101
Thursday November 20 – San Diego @ Soda Bar
Friday November 21 – Los Angeles @ Gold Diggers
Saturday November 22 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar

Order tickets for The Sophs HERE