We found out some more about Canadian singer-songwriter Sabrielle following the release of her powerful debut single ‘Wait I Can’t Bare’
With the release of her engrossing debut single ‘Wait I Can’t Bare’, emerging Canadian singer-songwriter Sabrielle has immediately showcased the thoughtful and engrossing nature of her emotional sound and the deeply personal and powerful edge that holds.
The track explores the moments after an argument with a loved one, anxious and fearing abandonment, fearing the worst due to unclosed wounds that you still possess from previous relationships. The gorgeous piano-driven nature of the sound and Sabrielle’s emotionally charged vocals keep you immersed on a musical level as well as an emotional one, and keep you hooked on a track that feels as raw and real as anything you’re likely to hear soon. We loved this debut single from the artist, and had a chat with Sabrielle to find out a bit more about her and her plans for the future.
How long have you been making music?
Honestly? For longer than I can remember. I have a very musical family, so some of my earliest memories are of us singing together around the kitchen table. But it wasn’t until a few years ago that I really started taking songwriting seriously, and performing original music.
Why do you make music?
I started songwriting when I was going through massive emotional upheaval. I was turning 30, I had just been diagnosed with ADHD, I was going through a divorce, and there was a lot of loss happening around me. I poured everything I was processing, all those messy, complex feelings, into songwriting. When I started, my songs were for me, but then I started sharing snippets of them with friends and on social media, and I realized how many people could relate to them. My experiences weren’t entirely my own.
I remember listening to the radio, Kelly Clarkson had just dropped her album “Chemistry”, and the radio host said “if there’s one thing divorce is good for, it’s making great music”. That’s always been the job of the artist, to take things that are difficult, or awful, or sad, and turn them into something beautiful.
What are your biggest influences?
I take a lot of inspiration from singer/songwriters like Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson, Adele, and Yebba and I love to flavour my songs with some R&B, jazz and Gospel influences, which is a lot of what I grew up singing and listening to. I used to listen to Ella Fitzgerald on repeat and try to memorize every inflection in her voice, even the parts she improvised. The best compliment my dad ever said to me was “my baby’s got soul”.
What would you say has been your best moment so far?
Releasing my first single felt like a really big moment. I know it might seem small to some, but if you had told me 4 years ago that I would be where I am now I would have thought it was a joke. It took a really long time for me to let go of my perfectionism, and to believe that my songs, my stories, were worthy of taking up space. To finally step into my own light and power, to share a song that is complex and vulnerable and beautiful, and to hear from so many others that it affected them, that is the BEST.
How would you describe your sound to somebody unfamiliar with it?
My sound singer/songwriter indie-pop layered with hints of gospel, jazz & RnB. Think Sara Bareilles or Adele with a little Alicia Keys thrown in.
What’s your dream “I’ve made it” moment?
When I close my eyes I can picture it – I’d be touring my original music in venues across North America, performing in listening rooms and theatres across the continent. I look out into the audience and I see and hear a group of people I’ve never met before singing along to my song… they know all the words!
We love your new single ‘Wait I Can’t Bare’, what more can you tell us about it?
‘Wait I Can’t Bare’ started as a poem and became a song. I wrote it after my partner and I had a fight, and he asked for some space. As someone with more of an anxious attachment style, I was feeling very activated by the fight, and I needed to get my fears of abandonment out of my head and onto the page.
In production, we really wanted to capture the raw, honest, emotional energy of the song, so every track we recorded was played acoustically, live mic’d, rather than using any synthesized sounds. Virtually all the sounds you hear are sounds we recorded in-studio – violin, viola, cello, grand piano, live drums, timpani. We added a few analog synth layers, and some live weather sfx like rain and rolling thunder.
The rain sounds made it into the song because it was pouring rain when we recorded vocals. During the mixing phase, my producer discovered the rain sounds in some of the intimate close-mic’d sections of the song. He loved how the soft rain sounds added to the atmosphere and storytelling of the song so much that we added more!
What else do you have planned for the near future?
My second single, “Human”, is coming out at the end of March. That song is all about self-love and forgiveness, letting go of your expectations of perfection and allowing yourself to just “be”.
I’m also working on a 6-song EP, set to be released later this year. The EP is titled “Prologue”, it includes most of the songs I wrote while I was going through my divorce, and incorporates a lot of storybook/fairytale imagery and themes. It’s called Prologue because even though that relationship came to an end, it’s only the beginning of my story.
And finally, who is your biggest fan right now?
Probably my previous roommate, Julian! We were both going through difficult breakups when we moved in together, and he was the first person to hear a lot of my songs. My room was on the top floor and his was on the bottom, and sometimes in the middle of the night I’d knock on his bedroom door and ask if he wanted to hear the first draft of a new song. He always said yes. Before “Wait I Can’t Bare” was released, he listened to the demo on repeat, and now that it’s out he’s sharing it everywhere.
Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t shout-out my grandad, nana, mom and my partner who pretty much never miss a show.
