Sarah Hackett
Sarah Hackett is one of the artists that you should be looking out for this year as she is set to release a new single ahead of her debut album.
We caught up with the Canadian singer/songwriter to chat about the single, the album and what lies ahead.
- You are about to release your track The Greatest Show here in the UK so what can we expect from the new song? And what is it about?
It is a very upbeat song and it is one of my favourite tracks off the new album that I am releasing. It has got a little bit of everything as is a pop/rock track with a country vibe to it as well. It is very fun and upbeat.
The theme of the song is very exciting for me as it has got that circus theme to it - I am excited to shoot the video for it as we will probably incorporate that theme.
It is a break-up song but what I love about it is, despite the fact that it is a break-up song, it is very upbeat and fun.
- This track will very much introduce us to you as an artist so how would you describe the overall sound of your music?
Each track on my album has a very pop/rock vibe to it - there is a little bit of country in there as well but for the most part it has a pop/rock vibe.
- How have you found the response to the track so far?
It has been great and everyone seems to really like it a lot. It is very different from my first single You Got Me, it is completely different, but this is definitely the direction that I want to be going with my music.
- Well you have slightly touched on my next question really, as you say this track is completely different to previous tracks that you have released so why did you go down a different path in terms of your sound?
As an artist and as a person… I am very young and I change my mind a lot but I think it was just a matter of finding my sound.
I have been doing this for almost two years and when I started out at fifteen or sixteen I wanted to have a very mainstream vibe to my stuff.
But as I have developed as an artist I realised that I wanted a different sound and this is definitely more up my alley.
- You are currently in the studio working on your album so how is that going?
It is going great as I have just finished my part (laughs). We have just finished recording all of the songs and we are waiting on the last two to be mixed.
Then we will probably have a listen to them and then start to move forward with the release - it is very exciting.
- How does The Greatest Show introduce us to the rest of the record - will you be going down a similar path in terms of its sound?
The Greatest Show really does introduce the sound in a great way. The sound is very upbeat but I do have quite a few ballads, which are awesome.
The track definitely showcases the rest of the album before it comes out.
- And who is producing the album?
There are a bunch of different producers on the record and each song has a different producer - or the same producer does two songs kind of thing.
I have a lot of people working on this and everyone is working really hard I cannot wait to hear the finished record.
- How have you found working with different producers on individual songs rather than working with one person throughout the whole record?
It has been a different experience. It has been great though as it has allowed me to learn a lot that way.
It is very different working from working with just one as you learn something new from each producer and that is really great. It was a really good experience.
- Canada have produced some very successful music artists in recent years so what is it like being part of all that? And how inspired have you been by the success of Justin Bieber and Carly Rae Jepsen?
I think it is really great. Canada has an incredible amount of talent and the fact that they get to showcase their work and they have become such big stars in the industry today is so inspirational.
It is inspirational for people who come from Canada and small towns that you can follow your dreams and be successful - it really is great.
- You have mentioned already that you have been doing this for a couple of years and in those two years you have been trying to find your way and find your sound. So how easy or difficult a process has that been for you?
It hasn’t necessary been difficult it has just been a different way of growing up, I guess. It has been my artist way of growing up.
It has been good but it has also been bad; it has been a double edged sword because I was so focused on doing a different sound. But then I realised where my passion lies. It has been a great growing experience and I am definitely where I want to be right now.
- So where did your love and interest in music start? And who would you credit as being the major musical influences?
I just started taking little music classes when I was four years old before going on to learn how to play the violin when I was in the first grade.
I did that for almost eleven years and I now have a love of strings in my music which I credit to that. I started taking vocal classes about five years before I came out to L.A. and when I was out here I started playing piano and guitar.
I could never play sports and I was never athletic at all and so I was forced to find another hobby - I just fell in love with this one. Now it is not really a hobby it is more my job but I really do love what I do.
I really credit the Jonas Brothers a lot as they were one of the first concerts that I went to and after that show I was like ‘oh my god I want to do that’. I love their music and I am so excited about their new album as it is going to be amazing.
I really credit Demi Lovato as well as she is incredibly talented. I have also seen her in concert a couple of times and she is incredible. For sure those two are my main influences.
- You started with music very early and you play a range of instruments so when did you start incorporating song writing? And what is you major inspiration when you are putting pen to paper?
When I was younger I journaled a lot and that was where I really started writing. I just loved English and at school I was really good at it.
But I only really started song writing about three or four years ago after I heard that a lot of artists were beginning to song write. So I took it upon myself to try it and it is really neat to be that involved in the creative process.
I honestly pull from everywhere when it comes to my inspiration but the fact that I am a seventeen year old girl really helps (laughs).
- You were born in Canada but you have made the move to L.A. to pursue your music career so how have you found the move? And how necessary was the move for you?
It was definitely necessary. For a year and a half I was travelling back and forth while I was going to school in Canada and that was a great experience but it was very stressful; I was missing school and having to catch up and then when I was in L.A. I was working and so I had no time to catch up.
So I found myself doing homework from the time I got home from school right up until I was going to bed - It was just crazy. I loved it because I am a workaholic but it was tough.
There are more opportunities when you are located here in L.A. as many things are last minute and it is definitely something that you need to be here for. It has been a good move and I am very happy that I am here right now but I do miss home and family and friends
- Finally what is next for you?
The release of the album is what is next for me and then hopefully I will then go on to tour and do some shows, which will be great.
I just want to continue making music and touring. I would also like to get into fashion and dabble in other areas but music is my main thing.