At just 16, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Sloan Treacy is already asking the kind of questions that make adulthood feel like a mirage. Her sophomore EP, was any of it real?—out now—follows a trail of uncertainty, longing, and self-discovery that winds through six tracks of intimate yet polished indie-pop, led by the shimmering new single “Pavement.”

Written partly in Los Angeles and finished in Sloan’s new hometown of Nashville, the EP marks a step forward from her 2024 debut Stuck. With production by Don Miggs (Cowboy Mouth, Dolly Parton) and mixing by Grammy-nominated Mark Needham (The Killers, Imagine Dragons), Sloan’s delicate lyricism meets a newfound clarity, allowing her confessional storytelling to stretch and glow.

“Pavement,” she explains, began with a single word and spiraled into a revelation. “I originally wrote it because I really liked the word ‘pavement,’” she says, “but halfway through, I realized it was about being a people pleaser—doing whatever it takes to make others happy, even to your own detriment.” That self-awareness runs like a silver thread through the EP, catching moments of fear, hope, and resignation in its weave.

The project unravels a series of emotional snapshots. On “The Good Part,” Sloan leans into denial and longing, tracing the contours of promises she knows won’t be kept. “Optimist,” the lead single, pokes at the blurry line between hope and carelessness, lifting from a quiet acoustic sketch to a full-band spark. “Mirage,” true to its title, questions the reliability of memory and perception, while “Fever” captures the dizzying frustration of circular arguments—where words become weapons and clarity feels just out of reach. The EP closes on “The Edge,” born as a school production assignment and blossoming into a meditation on cautious desire: the thrill of wanting something shadowed by the fear of falling into old patterns.

Across was any of it real?, Sloan doesn’t shy away from vulnerability. Instead, she builds a reflective world out of fleeting thoughts and hard-won self-recognition, landing her in the lineage of artists like Lizzy McAlpine and Gracie Abrams—songwriters who turn inner monologues into communal echoes.

Outside the studio, Sloan’s world is refreshingly grounded: she bakes, runs track, and spends as much time as possible seeing live music around Franklin and Nashville. “I can’t wait to tour and share my music with as many people that resonate with it as I can,” she says. For now, fans can catch her celebrating the EP release on July 18 at Anastasia’s in Antioch, IL, with more dates to follow.

With was any of it real?, Sloan Treacy doesn’t just offer songs—she offers a journal cracked open to the light, inviting listeners to find themselves in the margins.

Let’s start with “Pavement.” You’ve said the song started with just a word. How often do lyrics come to you like that—through a single word that pulls everything else out of you?

At the time it was a first… but recently I’ve noticed it’s been happening more and more. Usually it’s a phrase that I like or something a little more complete, but I thought it would be a fun exercise and it worked out!

Your EP’s called was any of it real? which feels like the kind of question you ask in the dark, not the daylight. What moment made that title feel like the right one?

I love when an EP or an album is named after a lyric from one of the songs. I was looking through all the lyrics and couldn’t find something that really felt like it fit. I was listening to Mirage and got to the bridge which has the line “is it a mirage or is it real?” which stuck to me because so much of the EP is about trying to understand things and figure out the truth. But I wanted it to apply to all the songs and every scenario so I tweaked it a bit!

You’ve got a song that was written as a school assignment (“The Edge”) and one you wrote minutes before hitting the studio (“The Good Part”). Do you ever feel like your best songs come from pressure, or from total freedom?

I usually find that I work better under pressure in most things but for songwriting it really depends. I feel like sometimes when I am determined to write something good and im forcing it the lyrics reflect that, but having a deadline can also motivate me to get things done and to think a lot quicker. On the other hand, when I am not focusing on trying to write something or just going about my day, an idea will come to me.

A lot of your lyrics feel older than sixteen — not just emotionally, but structurally too. Who taught you how to write like that, or did you figure it out by trial and heartbreak?

I have definitely practiced a lot with song structure because I would usually have so much to say and try to squeeze it all in. My producer Don Miggs would laugh because I would write such long phrases and leave no room to breathe.  I write a lot of my songs about things that I read or see from other people’s experiences. Especially because I was 12 and 13 when I wrote some of the first songs I put out, and I had never been heartbroken. I would hear about someone else’s experience and write about how I imagine that would feel.

“Optimist” is such an interesting take on hopefulness… almost like you’re side-eyeing it. Where do you stand now on being the one who always sees the good in people?

I try my best to see the good in people even though it can be difficult because I feel like most people are good but they do bad things because they don’t see another way. However, I also feel like it gets to a point where you can be hopelessly optimistic and it can be more of a disservice.

You live in Franklin, but your EP was made between Nashville and LA. What do those two cities bring out in you creatively? Are they different versions of Sloan?

I loved taking trips out to Nashville to be in the studio because it is such a cool city. I love that you are surrounded by music and I got to meet so many talented people. I love being in the studio in general but when I came to Nashville and got to record with a band for the first time it was such an amazing experience. All the songs were written in LA but I feel like they really came to life in Nashville with the help of my producer Don.

You write about people-pleasing, gaslighting, longing, denial — all stuff that feels super real, especially for teen girls. Do you ever feel pressure to filter that, or does songwriting let you say the things you can’t say out loud?

Songwriting is definitely a way for me to say the things I don’t really know how to and it’s always been a way for me to process things. I never really filter my music because I think if im feeling it someone else must be too, and being able to relate to a song is the best feeling.

You’ve compared “Fever” to arguing with someone who talks in circles — did writing that one help you get out of that loop? Or do some songs just let you sit in it?

A lot of my songs are written after the fact when I am reflecting on a situation because sometimes it can feel hard to see things clearly in the moment. Fever was one of those.

Your music gets compared to Gracie Abrams and Lizzy McAlpine, but what’s something you’re doing that you feel is completely your own? What space are you carving that doesn’t sound like anyone else?

They are amazing artists that I definitely look up to, so to be compared to them is an honor. We all write about our own experiences and offer a unique perspective because we all view life through our own personal lens. I am doing my best to represent my experiences through my music and share my perspective.

What would surprise people the most about who you are when you’re not writing songs? Like… Sloan at track practice vs. Sloan writing “Mirage” in her bedroom?

When I am writing songs I feel like I have a very clear vision and know what I want to say, but in day to day life I can be pretty indecisive.