Von Dodds

Trypophilia

The debut single from Edinburgh-based singer, songwriter and guitarist Sophie Dodds is out today, 2 October, via Abandoned Love Records. Previously the frontwoman of baroque pop band Storm the Palace, Dodds is now stepping out on her own with a darker, stranger take on alternative rock.

The song took shape slowly, away from studios and rehearsals, before Dodds and Gordon Webster took it into the studio with producer Stephen Watkins.

“The writing was slow. I do all my writing on my own at home, in my living room with an acoustic guitar. Trypophilia came together gradually over 2025-26.”

“The recording was really fast by contrast - we did it all in one weekend back in May. It came together really naturally. Gordon on drums and me on everything else. The producer, Stephen Watkins, did his mixing magic a few days later and voila!”

Webster is hardly a new collaborator. Dodds has been making music with him since high school, while Watkins is another familiar name from her musical history. The pair previously worked together in 2006 before reconnecting by chance in Aberfeldy. Watkins has since worked with artists including Honeyblood, Carla J Easton and Amanda Palmer.

Listen or watch Von Dodds — Trypophilia on Spotify on Spotify

A darker direction

Musically, Dodds draws heavily on the alternative rock she grew up with, particularly its female voices.

“90s/00s alt rock women are a big one - especially Liz Phair, Sleater Kinney and PJ Harvey. This is what I grew up on! I love Liz Phair’s idiosyncratic, oddball lyrics.”

But Trypophilia isn’t built from one influence alone. Jazz has also played a significant role, particularly in the darker and more playful qualities Dodds wanted to bring into the project.

“But I’ve also spent a lot of time listening to the great divas of jazz. I became obsessed with Nina Simone for a while. I’m not sure if you’d hear the influence but it’s in there. I wanted to draw darkness and wry humour from jazz and blues.”Von Dodds

There is a contemporary influence in there too.

“Another big, contemporary influence is Mariam the Believer. She’s an incredible vocalist.”

Taken together, those influences give Von Dodds a sound that doesn’t sit neatly in one place. There is the grit of 90s alternative rock, the vocal influence of jazz and a sense of humour running underneath the darker material.

For Dodds, though, the biggest change is personal. Moving from Storm the Palace into a solo project meant stepping into something that sounded markedly different from her previous band.

“It’s early days but it’s been lovely so far! Because this track is so different from everything I did in my last band (Storm the Palace) I was nervous that people would hate it. But turns out I was over-thinking it. It’s just a big, fun rock song and everyone seems to get it.”

That sense of not taking everything too seriously runs through Trypophilia, including its title. The word plays on trypophobia, the fear of small holes, but Dodds uses it to turn the idea towards something more personal: the habit of looking for flaws and picking things apart.

The video

The visual world around the song takes a similarly unconventional route. The video was created by Borders-based film artist Kris Boyle, using early cinema footage as its starting point.

“To be honest you’d have to ask the video artist Kris Boyle for the specifics, but he doesn’t like to say too much about his work! We decided to work with early cinema footage because that era’s a big inspiration for me generally.”

There are other cinematic references in the mix, including Wim Wenders’ Paris, Texas, but Dodds was drawn to Boyle’s work for a more fundamental reason.

“I asked Kris to do the video because I’ve always loved his impressionistic style and his dedication to analogue. His work reminds me a lot of the photographer William Eggleston.”

For a debut, there is something deliberate about leaving some of it unexplained.

“Because this is my debut single, I wanted people to be intrigued by the video, and feel a bit of the darkness and weirdness I’m bringing with this new project.”Von Dodds

Listen or watch Von Dodds — Trypophilia official video on YouTube

What comes next

The live side of Von Dodds is also beginning to take shape. More Edinburgh dates are coming up, while Dodds is preparing to take the project further afield. A bassist has recently joined, giving her a full backing band, but the solo shows will remain part of the picture.

“I’ve got a few more Edinburgh gigs lined up, and I’m going to start playing out of town too. I’ve found a bassist recently so I’ve now got a backing band and we’re sounding pretty sweet. But I’ll still keep playing solo too, cos that has its charms.”

And there is no shortage of material waiting behind the debut.

“Then fingers crossed next spring we’ll be heading back to Stephen’s studio in Selkirk to do a full album. I’ve got all the songs written already!”Von Dodds

With Trypophilia now out in the world, Von Dodds has plenty to build on. The song is dark without taking itself too seriously, strange without becoming inaccessible, and catchy enough to stick around after the first listen. It makes for a pretty compelling introduction to an artist who clearly isn’t interested in spelling everything out.

Von Dodds’ ‘Trypophilia’ is out today, 2 October 2026, via Abandoned Love Records.

Upcoming Dates

• 2026-10-05 · Leith Depot · Edinburgh, UK · Tickets