Hey Sabrina Adair! Welcome to BuzzMusic! It’s such a pleasure to be chatting with you. You seem to be an artist that puts a substantial amount of thought into your lyrics! Who/what has inspired you to be the artist you are today?
Thank you, that’s very kind of you to say! I am very much a product of my parents when it comes to music. I remember we had this 'Eric Clapton unplugged' CD that just stayed in the car and played on repeat whenever we went anywhere. So 7 year old me was very into soulful acoustic songs like “tears in heaven”, I remember it being my favourite song for the majority of my childhood. And then when it came to the house, we rotated between a Feist CD I had gotten my dad, and a Madeleine Peyroux CD, both very similar soulful and almost jazz-like sounds. So when it came to writing, the guitar was where I started. Nowadays I listen to a lot of acoustic-pop and dance music too, so you can find elements of everything in my music.
My mom is also an incredible singer, and can often be found humming around the house. So I don’t think there was ever a time in my life where I wasn’t singing or humming something, even if I didn’t think music would become a passion of mine later on.
"Lay It on Me" seems like a deeply personal track. Is vulnerability something your fans can always expect from your music? Can you tell us more about this particular song?
Yes, definitely. I find it a lot easier to write something vulnerable and real than trying to find meaning where there isn’t any in the first place. That being said, the true meaning of a song, isn’t necessarily literal. Lay it on me for instance, I wrote because I had this idea of someone being in a standstill. They can feel something important to them slipping away, but can also appreciate that it’s okay for that to happen. So it's these feelings of turmoil, but also recognition. The verses reflect the desires of this person contrasted to the reality of their situation. And the chorus progresses to conclude that in order for resolution, there has to be a willingness or acceptance of either outcome. So the song itself is not necessarily reflecting a relationship. I decided to write it this way in order for people to relate to and understand it. For me personally, it reflects a bit the way in which I tackle adversity.
It's so incredible that you're self-taught on guitar and songwriting! You're a truly independent artist! What would you say is your greatest accomplishment as an artist so far? What is your ultimate goal as an artist?
I have so much music that has not been released that I really love and am proud of. I think learning to trust myself and my instincts has been really important for allowing myself to discover what makes me unique as an artist. My ultimate goal is definitely to have fun. I can get very caught up in making things perfect on stage, but I’ve come to realize that the reason people enjoy live performances is because of the passion that person has for what they are performing. So my ultimate goal is to have someone watch me on stage and feel what I am feeling in that moment.
How has living in Toronto influenced you as an artist? What has been the biggest challenge you've overcome?
That's a hard question to answer. I think a person is the product of the people they meet. So it's not so much the place, but the people. The people I've met, and my parents, have shaped my values and the way I think and problem solve. If it weren’t for them, my perspective of my life might be completely different. So I think lyrically, they have had a major influence for sure. And Toronto is a very busy place with a lot of different people, so theres a lot to be inspired by.
For a long time, since I am self-taught, I’ve found it difficult to measure my work on some type of scale. Since no one has told me how I am supposed to write, I write whatever comes naturally, but also tend to neglect what doesn’t. And thats where having a music education would allow me to expand what tools I have available to me. So throughout my life I have constantly been overcoming this almost ‘deficit’ in music knowledge if you will! But that's part of the fun!
Thank you so much for chatting with us. What's the next move for you artistically? Are you playing any shows in the near future?
Next move for me is to release more music and build my repertoire. I have a fully written album that I am dying to record and release. I’m really proud of it. All of my upcoming shows can be found on my Facebook page, such as a one hour acoustic session happening November 4th from 12-1 pm at the Bullring Café, Guelph, ON!
Check out Sabrina Adair's new music here and keep up with the artist through Instagram and Facebook!