Ahead of her Instagram live performance this Friday on shesaid.so’s Instagram, London-based artist, songwriter and producer, Sans Soucis, she tells us about honing production skills, authenticity and the value of a support network. Interview by Sorrel Salb
shesaid.so: How would you describe the evolution of your sound since you started releasing music in 2018?
At the very beginning of my career, my sound was definitely way more intimate, I would say shy but impactful and powerful. I started writing when I moved to London 6 years ago and my experience as an immigrant shaped my first steps into songwriting. When I started releasing music in 2018, I tried to exorcise the inability to tune into my real personality and identity because of a language barrier with the help of songwriting, which was the best form of therapy at that stage of my life.
The more I got back in touch with myself and got out of my shell, which was in a way a second traumatic childhood, I started feeling more confident about my songwriting and I finally stepped into the world of production in 2019.
Since then, my motto has always been: be authentic, be bold and be patient. My sound went from confessional songwriting with jazz infused moments to alternative pop with droplets of r&b, jazz orchestral textures and electronica.
I now see my sound as an ever-evolving universe that moves alongside the message I’m trying to deliver. I see my music as a movie and this vision helps my creativity thrive.
shesaid.so: All your music videos have such a beautiful aesthetic! You were involved in the directing or creative direction of some of them. Can you tell us a bit about your process when creating visuals to accompany your songs?
Thank you so much! I’m so grateful for the wonderful creatives with whom I had the pleasure to work for my music videos.
It’s definitely worth working with people that understand your long-term vision.
I usually would have a core idea and that would help me select the perfect partners for a project.
I see myself as a creative director and I love working alongside other creative directors and stylists in order to achieve an aesthetic that is refined, reflective of my work and experimental. Moodboards and briefs are key in this process.
shesaid.so: You’re playing your first headline show in September which is really exciting and you mentioned that your tribe has grown during the past year since you last performed live. What’s it been like seeing your audience grow during a time where you weren’t able to physically meet them?
Yes, I’m so excited to finally play live!! It’s been too long, honestly.
I am genuinely curious to see real people and perform for them, cause the support has been unreal. I feel like I haven’t had a chance to properly celebrate all of these milestones with the wonderful people who have been sharing my music.
Performing is my way to relive those moments of hard work that lead to a music release with a light heart and a way to get a tangible feel of how my music has impacted people, which is a moment of exchange really. Having been a little while now, I do feel some sort of pressure, which is good. That’s why I’m working really hard to make sure I get to that day with the most wonderful giving and receiving energy.
shesaid.so: What do you enjoy most about performing live?
I thoroughly enjoy those moments when it feels like there is no boundary between me and my audience. When it truly feels like we are one. I can’t really describe that feeling of oneness, it almost seems like we are rewriting the songs together, in the moment.
I find it really special the fact that a complete stranger could care so much about something I create in my own private time, and their willingness to make that creation theirs. It is empathy in motion.
shesaid.so: How did the ways in which you create change during the pandemic?
I definitely feel like the pandemic helped me hone my production skills.
I spent way more time than I used to on my computer, trying to experiment with sounds and ideas that I was holding back because the live aspect of my project used to be my priority.
I feel so much more confident and I believe I gained a lot more clarity around the kind of music I want to deliver. I’ve been working on details and on finishing projects, rather than obsessing over writing new material all the time. It’s nice to take breaks from that kind of mindset.
shesaid.so: Could you choose one word to sum up the first half of your 2021 and explain why you’ve chosen it?
Support-network — it was a really tough winter and to be completely honest, I was really unsure about the amount of support an independent artist of my size would get through such a tough time in history. Surprisingly, I received an overwhelming amount of nurturing from my management and so many generous organisations — Youth Music, Small Green Shoots and iluvlive more specifically — who never made me feel alone. Without them, I really don’t know how my mental health and career would be doing today. It is extremely difficult to make your voice heard when the diversification of outlets through which we share art have been reduced to a handful of digital platforms. It also feels quite isolating.
I am really grateful for the human resources I was offered and I can confidently say that they made a huge difference in my life.
shesaid.so: What’s your biggest goal for the second half of the year?
100% Completing the writing and production of my debut album :)
shesaid.so: Which personal value guides you most in the ways in which you approach your art and your career?
Authenticity, which for me means being true to who I am. That’s the only reality I truly know inside-out.
Generosity, which is the ability and the responsibility to share once I create. It forces me to exercise letting go of things in life. A very healthy practice for the ego and a way to fight self-indulgence.
Acceptance, which is the ability to embrace who I am at any given moment. It allows me to be more appreciative of my work and also more compassionate and patient, especially when confronting myself with ambitious masterplans.
shesaid.so: What would you say is the most valuable benefit of being part of the shesaid.so network, for artists specifically?
Growing up in this industry sometimes makes you feel like you’re just a drop in the ocean, especially if you’re part of a minority group. The chances of your personal experience being erased by misogyny, anti-blackness, systemic racism and anti-queerness are exceedingly high nowadays.
That’s why I believe that organisations such as Shesaid.so, by amplifying the voice of women and gender minorities in music, can definitely raise awareness around how diverse communities are and how much more representation we need at higher levels. Eventually resulting in opening more doors for people like me.
shesaid.so: We have a question for you from our last featured artist Dope Saint Jude: What part of the creative process brings you the most joy?
I’m the most happy when I know whatever I’m working on has reached the end of its journey and it is perfect just the way it is.
It’s like looking at yourself in the mirror and finally being able to love every single bit of your inside and outside without judgement. Enjoying that vision of yourself is an acknowledgement of our existence that makes us feel confident in who we are and present for ourselves, whichever stage we’re at.
It is a moment of profound acceptance. It tells you where you are, where you’ve been and it creates space for where you could be.
Catch Sans Soucis this Friday 18th live on shesaid.so Instagram