British guitarist Sophie Burrell is a singer-songwriter and online personality, who has amassed a collective following of over 1.6 million. Embarking on her musical journey while still in single digits, she was participating in small local concerts before the age of ten. Recognizing her passion for performance early on, Sophie dedicated her teenage years to honing her craft and working to build a strong following. She found encouragement and inspiration within the online guitar community after she started uploading videos of her playing at age fourteen. Sophie has spent years creating and releasing content, showcasing both the ups and downs of her musical progression. Now twenty-three, and refocusing her attentions towards writing and performing, she recently unveiled her new band BXRRELL (pronounced buhRELL). Featuring Sped Spedding (guitarist), James Rookyard (bassist) and Simon Uselis (drummer), BXRRELL released their debut single “Dare to” on Feb 24, 2023.

“If you could go back to when I was 12 and tell me I’d be working with my favourite guitar gear brands, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. It’s beyond crazy to me. Being part of the PRS family was a life goal of mine. I’m so grateful to have such incredible support.” - Sophie Burrell

FIVE MINUTES WITH SOPHIE

PRS: Where did you initially discover PRS guitars, and how did your relationship with the brand begin?

Sophie: My first introduction to PRS guitars was through Alter Bridge! I saw the bird inlays on Mark & Myles’ fretboards and was instantly intrigued, I absolutely had to get one haha. I saved up my lunch money every day for about two years and finally, when I’d saved enough, I could get my first PRS! It was a Tremonti SE Signature, and it was my entire life through my teen years.

PRS: You recently unveiled your latest project BXRRELL, what can you tell us about the origins of the band?

Sophie: BXRRELL has been in the making for quite a while now, it’s been really hard to keep it a secret! Sped & I always knew that we wanted to work together from when we first connected online 7 years ago or so. At the time, projects and circumstances wouldn’t allow for it but we just held out. After a few years we found ourselves in the perfect position to start writing together….and then the pandemic hit hahaha. We didn’t waste a second though, from 2020 we’ve been slowly getting our tracks together! 2022 was the year we started putting things into motion. We recruited our rhythm section, James & Simon, hit the studio, made our first music video and here we are!

PRS: BXRRELL just released its debut single “Dare To,” can we anticipate the release of a full studio album later this year?

Sophie: We’ve got more tracks loaded and ready for release. The plan is to release single after single, so you can definitely expect to hear more from us this year!

PRS: Which PRS models have you been playing the most lately, and were any used during the recording of “Dare To”?

Sophie: My PRS Custom 24 Wood Library is my favorite guitar. I recorded almost everything heard on BXRRELL’s tracks with it! That being said, I actually ended up using an SE Custom 24 for the "Dare To" video, purely because it was pink and perfect for the aesthetics of the video haha.

PRS: Looking ahead, what are your plans for the future? Hitting the road with BXRRELL perhaps?

Sophie: For sure! I’m so eager to get back on stage. I think our songs are going to be so much fun to play live too, I really can’t wait. Aside from releasing our tracks and playing shows, we’ll be heading back into the studio to record the next “batch”…I already can’t wait for that too!