Interview: Sabreen

How did this all start, did you grow up loving music, singing. Was this always a dream for you?
‍I grew up loving music, in fact, I sang before I spoke! My dad got us all into playing musical instruments from a young age, so it’s always been a part of my life. I started writing songs at 10 years old and never looked back. Making music a career has always been a dream and I feel very lucky to be building that dream day by day.

Your new song Therapy has just come out, what can you tell us about it?
‍‘Therapy’ is such a fun song to me because it talks about the vulnerability of opening up while also poking fun at the dramatic turn our inner thoughts and insecurities can sometimes take. I love pairing vulnerable subject matters with upbeat instrumentation to make listeners think twice about what they’re listening to, and to reflect how we act like everything is fine on the outside while we might be quietly struggling on the inside.

You described the song as your "inner monologue in song form." Was writing it a cathartic experience?
‍Writing ‘Therapy’ was an incredibly cathartic experience. It helped me to articulate how and why I was feeling this sense of impostor syndrome when trying to forge new relationships, but also to remind myself that it wasn’t the end of the world and I would get through it.

You've described "Therapy" as an ode to the 2000s pop-rock era. What was it about that period of music that inspired this song?
‍I grew up in the early 2000s where it felt like electric guitars were integral to every song on the radio. I really miss that in pop music these days! I love how unabashed and messy that era of music was; it felt unpolished in a way that felt relatable, raw and real. I wanted to inject that energy into ‘Therapy’ as I felt it really suited the themes of the song; messy inner monologues, hard truths and mental struggles. I wanted to encapsulate the vibes of all the songs I still have on my iPod Nano.  

Were there specific artists or albums you found yourself revisiting while making the track?
Gracie Abrams and The Beths were two pivotal artists I was inspired by while making ‘Therapy.’ The Beths are such rockstars and I absolutely love their style, which I really find myself gravitating towards when making more upbeat songs. Gracie Abrams’ first album ‘Good Riddance’ was on repeat around the time I wrote ‘Therapy’, so her confessional lyrics and raw songwriting were a keen influence as well.

Pop-rock is having a resurgence right now. Why do you think audiences are reconnecting with that sound?
‍I think people really miss authenticity in music. Nowadays, maybe because of social media, culture shifting, technology or something else, I feel like the presentation of music has overtaken the music itself. Pop-rock allows people to get messy and dance and not care so much about being perceived; I think it harkens back to a time when technology was a part of our lives but didn’t rule us yet. I could be talking nonsense but I think that’s something audiences these days have been starved of, which is why pop-rock is having a resurgence.

Your songwriting often feels deeply personal. Do you write primarily from your own experiences, or do you also draw from the stories of people around you?
‍A bit of both! I definitely draw from my own personal experiences. For songs like ‘Therapy’, songwriting is a tool for me to articulate my own feelings and a safe space to let them out. For other songs, such as ‘Countryman’ or ‘The End’, I really enjoyed writing from other perspectives or narrating someone else’s story. It’s something I picked up from my love of folk music and it’s a nice exercise as a songwriter to get out of my own head and use my skills to tell a story I believe needs to be told.

Your previous release, "The End" (Arabic Version), blended music with activism and cultural collaboration. What did that project teach you?
‍I learned so much from creating ‘The End (Arabic Version)’. The biggest thing I learned is to let go of control and invite others into the songwriting process. Since the song spanned across three different musical cultures and styles, I stepped back as a songwriter and a producer and instead let the wonderful instrumentalists and Rana lead the way and craft their parts for the song. They are experts at what they do and so letting them take the reins was absolutely the right choice, and a new way of creating music for me. When you’re using a song to tell someone else’s story, or showcase a culture that’s not yours, it’s an enormous privilege to be able to sit back and absorb their unique perspectives of the world.

At just 23, you've already released an EP and have another on the way. Looking back, how do you feel you've evolved as an artist?
‍I feel so much more settled as an artist these days in terms of both my music and who I am as an artist. Being deliberate about my worldbuilding, boundaries and collaborations has really helped me to refine my craft without feeling so torn between the different sides of myself. So often as artists we’re told to categorise ourselves into neat little marketable boxes. But for me, rejecting that and embracing every part of me as part of my artistry has given me so much more confidence to do what I love to do so much.

Check out Sabreen's new single, Therapy HERE, and keep up to date with her HERE.