Artist Spotlight #4: Viktoria Modesta

t the beginning of her career, Viktoria Modesta was championed as the world’s first amputee pop star. Since then, Viktoria’s multi-faceted talents have seen her shine in an array of different artistic pursuits. From starring in the paraolympics closing ceremony, to a run at Crazy Horse Paris and a Rolls Royce campaign; it’s a wonder Viktoria has found time for anything else, so we are so excited to speak to her about her most recent music release, MOKSHA, the artist’s first music release in five years. (Music production by Los Angeles based producer Madeaux and co-written by Viktoria and and Grammy-winning songwriter Janet Sewell (Alesha Keys, Empire State of Mind)). Even with just a glimpse in to Viktoria’s imagination, her curiosity opens up whole new worlds of creativity to be explored…

photo credit: Jora Frantzis

shesaid.so: Tell us more about your artist journey and how your sound has developed to where it is today?

Viktoria: My path has been quite the rollercoaster! My ambitions of performance, music, and extravagant design as a lil’ girl were definitely met with the message that I was too ambitious, unrealistic and that everything I was going to try to achieve had no real blueprint.

Following my sheltered hospital upbringing in post-soviet Latvia and a move to London I really threw myself into self-education and became kind of a subculture explorer, drawing parallels between Hollywood and art films with real-life characters and culture scenes.

I did everything from art direction, styling, modelling, clothing design, beauty work, and everything in-between. But Music has always been constant — and the hardest somehow. I would say in my late teens I had an appetite to develop my music skills. When I was six I enrolled in a music school for a bit. I remember singing was like the most natural skill — it felt so right.

As I got into my teens I had an overwhelming feeling that everything that I was born with was not good enough and that whatever fictional alter ego I was going to create was going to be superior. I guess that was the driving force behind achieving a lot of things in the initial stages of my career. Thankfully that whole vibe did come and end. But I do wonder sometimes how many people adopt that kind of survival strategy to just feel ok, and find a refuge to overcome societal rejection.

In my early twenties, I was having a significant rise of my profile on the alternative scene, which was kind of underwhelming as I realized that I hit the ceiling of where that can go. That’s pretty much when I started working on my first EP. Sound-wise, my first few memorable influences were Prodigy, 2Pac and Eurythmics. To be honest my taste stayed pretty consistent between electronic music, heavy bass hip hop & R&B and pop vocal melodies, although my first EP had some Tarantino-inspired guitars.

The only thing that changed through time was the degrees of these influences and how I was feeling to express ‘me’ fully with sound. During the most alternative period, my obsession with hip-hop-inspired heavy bass was hard to surface. There was a lot of a cultural divide in my influences and taste. So I would say it took many incarnations and experiences to get to the current sound & stripped back visual of my record.

I had a very wild time becoming the architect of my body, pushing my influences of Avant-garde fashion and art films to the extreme with Prototype video and work with Alternative Limb Project.

I guess eventually I carved out a space for myself, my own lane, my own combination of things.

Eventually, many things that seemed impossible became imprinted in the fabric of post-disability culture, I got to part the waves which has been both painful and fulfilling.

shesaid.so: This is your first music release in five years — how do you feel?!

Viktoria: Mixed feelings haha, the intensity and focus it took to execute this record for 2 years is definitely overwhelming. I am not a big fan of fast consumption culture. Although I do appreciate the intensity of audio and visual hooks and memorability, the way artists, especially musicians are expected to have a factory of content and energy to me feels unnatural.

I guess an example of what I mean is that I have started telling the artistic journey of my record before it came out with the ‘One With The Ray of Light’ art film and will continue releasing content and multimedia collabs throughout this whole next year. My intention with music was always to lay out the soundtrack and a lyrical anchor point to the emotional creative corners I’m trying to explore so I very much intend to take my time.

shesaid.so: You’ve said your new release MOKSHA is about reinventing yourself. Where did this inspiration come from?

Viktoria: This record is a container for pain, hopes and prayers and questions as well as some stories of the heart. A lot of my work including this record comes from a learning and unlearning process of becoming who I am meant to be, documentation of feelings and intentions.

I think that this elastic way of thinking about your time on earth, destiny and uncovering of your true being following the breadcrumbs to the liberation of your essence has been helpful.

Creating is healing and that’s why creating isn’t always pleasant. Over the pandemic, I started working on my back tattoo which looks like a charge of energy, a metaphor for bringing the kind of charge that I experience from my early hospitalisation PTSD.

It was really important for me not to have much fashion or wear any prosthetics and be truly in my skin, the only accessories being organic shapes in artificial materials. The artwork for Moksha is still being released as an NFT project composed of animation, vfx still and 3D renders. I truly believe that the metaverse, the place where all of our digital traces exist, is a plane of existence somewhat linked to spirituality. The digital renaissance moment and the internal breakthroughs I was experiencing over the past year perfectly fitted the MOKSHA term which means ultimate liberation of the self.

shesaid.so: Can you tell us a bit about the writing process?

Viktoria: Setting the scene with the right collaborators for me is always key. I’m never that person who writes all the time, I enjoy writing and composing when I am working on a project and then I kind of tune into a different way of operating and different set of skills. I’m also someone that suffers from pretty bad dyslexia so I really love working with a songwriter that becomes an extension of me, finding words and rhymes that express what I’m feeling with impact. Words are definitely their own art form which is why for MOKSHA I worked with one of the most talented Grammy-winning songwriters, Janet Sewell. I knew she would connect with the visceral approach I’m in to. We gravitated towards each other in a very special way, like let’s guide the listener into the inner world and all hang out.

My most comfortable arrangement is when I focus on the melodies, key phrases and meaning and help shape the song as I visualize the narrative and who I am when I sing it. Sometimes it does lead to over-editing and I want it all to make sense right away... So having a caring and patient crew that is happy to come on the journey really helps. The other part is the music of course. It varies drastically how involved or not I am. With this record, I worked closely with my long-standing producer & friend Madeaux, who really knows my taste by now. I often go through his selection of beats, then we make additions and alternative arrangements.

Everything grows and evolves over the course of the song for sure, but I am excited to see what’s in store for me in the future as I move into more instant and digital expression and the metaverse and blend the traditional skills as a performer and art director with my digital manifestation.

photo credit: Jora Frantzis

shesaid.so: We know you also work with many other art forms. Tell us about your other art forms and how these connect with or feed into your music?

Viktoria: There aren’t many mediums I haven’t touched over the last decade. I really love expressing a multisensory story of a central character that informs other forms of creating, it has pushed me into developing many skills. I work at the front and behind the camera regularly. Physical performance through movement, singing is very close to me on a deep level.

I have enjoyed rehabilitating my body and pushing performance boundaries very much as someone who spent many years bed bound or unable to walk and exercise, doing extreme body training is invigorating. Like, look how far you have come, how you can master this biological entity haha. Art direction is my main other passion as I get to orchestrate a project or a story from a bird’s eye view. That ends up spilling over into many, many areas. I frequently curate a creative team, talent, work on marketing and branding, work on designs, styling and sometimes the production itself. But I also really love collaborating so these days I try to find like-minded people that are better than me and don’t mind me floating around the entire project and tweaking things as we go along.

I can’t ignore the more unspoken portion of my career of advancing post disability culture and social impact. It’s an odd place to be where on top of the obstacles you might face as a young amputee woman with no formal education everything you do ends up becoming a blueprint, or often analyzed by how it’s impacting the global landscape of what people think about disability.

I have had a lot of up and down feelings at times about becoming a representation for all people with disabilities, and while I fully love the fact that some of my work has been impactful on that level it is also a responsibility that comes with a lot of emotional baggage. I don’t believe in having heroes. I guess that’s what I’m trying to say. The less we put pressure on people to be perfect and idolize them, the more we can collectively view strengths and flaws in a more balanced way.

shesaid.so: Your bionic showgirl performance run at Crazy Horse Paris and your Rolls Royce campaign pre-pandemic: what do these moments mean to you as an artist then and now?

Viktoria: 2019 was iconic. All the skills I accumulated got to play at once like a symphony. I particularly loved these two projects because they are heritage brands that hold so much elegance and legacy, taking them on my trip to the future was a huge honor. Most importantly, that was a year where I truly got to be in charge, curating, designing, performing and steering big productions with a vision. It took so much trust and belief from those brands.

I genuinely believe those were historic moments in a fight for inclusivity.

shesaid.so: In your opinion, how could the music industry do better in terms of inclusivity and/or accessibility?

Viktoria: That’s a very tough question. Out of all creative industries, I find music is the most behind when it comes to accessibility and who gets to rise to the top. I genuinely hope that the huge wave of effort that’s taking place across the globe right now to make every voice visible and to hold people accountable for discriminating. But also the industry has been through hell and back. The way that music has been devalued, how a record that takes years and costs as much as a house can be expected to be out there for free. I think many people in the industry have a chip on their shoulder and working tactics seem pretty harsh in all of my experiences so far. I do however believe that the art of music will prevail and some form of regeneration will happen.

shesaid.so? We have a question for you from our previous featured artist: How do you feel as a citizen of the 21st century?

Viktoria: Honestly, I feel truly blessed. I look around and see so much good has been achieved since I was a kid; how many issues have been raised to the top. The opportunities, the knowledge at our fingertips and alternative ways of living, creating and making a living. The biggest thing now is for these micro-communities to keep the progress alive.

Visit Viktoria Modesta’s website

shesaid.so

Artist Spotlight #3: HER

Athens-based DJ’s Fo and VRGN come together to empower gender minorities in electronic music for World Pride. HER is the dual artist project from DJ’s Fo and VRGN, Fofi Tsesmeli and Virginia Vassilakou. Also doubling up as shesaid.so Athens chapter Directors, the DJ’s share dynamic B2B sets in the Greek dance and electronic scene. Regularly collaborating with Athens Pride, this year HER has been invited to participate in World Pride Malmö 2021. Here, the DJ’s share their love of and hope for the local and international music scene, what personal values guides their music, and more.

shesaid.so: Tell us about your artist journeys and how these came together as HER?

Fofi: I have been heavily involved in the music industry for the past 25+ years as a DJ, radio producer, consultant and music journalist in various media outlets, specializing in electronic music. I started DJing professionally when I was 16, so I experienced the difficulties that a girl had first hand, trying to make it in a (local) man-dominated industry, needless to say female DJs were a scarcity at the time — it was so difficult to find a role model to be inspired by, look up to, reassure in some way that there was a future, a possibility for a career out there for me. I had to work extremely hard, rely only on myself, constantly prove that I deserve to be there, belong there over and over (and maybe still do today), until I finally got to a point of being able to exclusively live by my profession.

Greece is quite behind in matters of equality, so at some point I decided that I had to give back, I did not want other people and especially girls having to go through what I went through to get somewhere. So, I created HER project. It was a very lonely ride at first, but luckily I met Virginia at a HER party. I detected her drive, our common values and ethos, which led me to decide to invite her on board. With HER project and our trajectory in music as starting points, we were more than excited to launch the Athenian chapter of shesaid.so in April 2020, elevating our initiatives and efforts on a wider and larger scale, belonging to a like-minded larger and international community.

Virginia: I started DJing and producing quite recently, my journey began in 2018 though I did listen to electronic music before that. One night I met Fofi at a HER party, where we discussed about the concept of HER as a female empowerment initiative in music. I immediately resonated with it, because I had experienced gender biased inequality and sexism from one of my mentors. HER felt like a safe outlet to me, and the fact that I am able to utilize my art to offer a safer space to minorities and do something good for our society is the utmost purpose. From then on I joined HER and along with Fofi we are trying to involve more and more women into it, and raise awareness locally. Until now there isn’t a similar initiative as HER in Greece, neither in electronic music nor in other genres. This is why we also initiated shesaid.so Athens, to reach out to the music industry cluster in general, including other genres and professionals beyond artists only.

shesaid.so: How did you get involved with World Pride this year and what are you looking forward to?

We regularly collaborate with Athens Pride, both as representatives of gender minorities, but also as members of the LGBTQI+ community. We are always on the lookout for new, inclusive collaborations. World Pride House in Malmo had an open call for proposals, and we decided to sent in a triptych, which included a livestreamed HER DJ set along with drag performances, a live HER DJ set with VRGN, and a very interesting panel discussion on gender equality in the music industry. We were extremely happy that all of them passed. At the discussion, we are hosting 3 brilliant speakers, event planner and curator, Mirca Lotz, from Germany, psychologist and gender equality advisor, Maria Rodriguez, from Spain and Dina Liberg of shesaid.so Sweden, all of whom gave us their own valuable perspectives on current issues and future actions we could all take.

shesaid.so: Can you describe the dance and electronic music scenes in Greece? How is the current representation of women, gender minorities and the LGBTQ+ community in this industry?

The Greek scene is buzzing — Athens is becoming a very interesting and intriguing art hub, which has been characterized as the “new Berlin”. However, the music ecosystem, as a whole, is light years away from the Berlin scene. Starting from the lack of basic state support and funds, legislations, unions, statistics, lack of professions such as artist managers, music marketers and communicators, label management, agencies, and more. Needless to say, the music industry is still not as equal and inclusive as it should be with minorities. It was only recently that the issue was even a matter of discussion — shesaid.so Athens organized the FIRST panel that addressed the subject in September 2020.

Representation of women is still not enough and the arguments range from “there aren’t enough women musicians to begin with”, “there is no equality problem, women are the ones who do not want a career in music”, to “currently the top DJs are women, so there is no need for gender equality initiatives” and more.

Greece lacks basic education on what gender stereotypes are, on what ways gender inequality appears, what actions, comments and behaviors spark inequality. It is really funny, until it was not anymore, there are many times that as HER project we have felt that we have to actually convince people here that there is a problem with equality in music.

At the same time, Greece is experiencing a huge societal crisis with a constant and very alarming rise in femicides and gender violence, especially during the pandemic, while the patriarchal system is still strong in our society. Therefore, gender initiatives are needed more than ever, and that does not apply only to music.

On a positive note, more and more people speak up, more women and minorities express their own experiences and there is less fear in sharing one’s own story. In In that sense and in order to shed light on the matter of equality in music, in early 2021 we started a video series called #HERwords, where we invite women DJs and producers to answer a few questions in a 5’ video, sharing their own experiences and advice.

Last but not least, in 2021 the #MeToo movement also made its “debut” in the country — it created a sense of shock in the general public, but at the same time it gave a tremendous feeling of strength, support and hope not only to the victims, who boldly went public with their stories, but also to women and gender minorities in general.

shesaid.so: In your opinion, how could the industry do better in any way for DJ’s and artists?

What we have noticed from our collaborations with international artists and professionals, as well as members of the shesaid.so community, is that even though the needs are the same, each country and region has a very different perspective in terms of equality in the music industry, and consequently the respective actions each one takes lead to different sets of milestones we need to reach, so as to achieve working in a safer scene.

Everything begins and ends with education in our opinion. Firstly, we need research and statistics — numbers to show what is really happening in each area and profession, to understand each society and then to set up a localized approach and a clear strategy based on local needs and current social situations.

Raising awareness is also a great starting point, by simply advocating for gender equality and sharing experiences. Digital outlets, like social media, have much power that we can all exploit in that sense. Storytelling has become so much easier now, and if one’s story can affect and change just one more person, then it can create a snowball effect. E.g. Rebekah’s #ForTheMusic campaign sparked discussions and gained followers ranging from artists, to promoters, to clubbers and more. This demonstrated a suppressed need, which surfaced and engaged several professionals in the industry, even though it was a bit strange that it took so long for it to happen — since it was a subject we were all discussing constantly behind the scenes -, but thank the Universe it finally did.

Taking this as a starting point and using the Morillo extremely sad incident as an example, we have to really think why it took so long for mouths to open, even though it was made clear that people knew, why we saw so many people standing by him and not the victims, in the first place, but also after his death. This has to change. We need to start talking more and on a wide scale about safe dancefloors and booths, we need more men allies. We know the problem, we need viable solutions.

Finally, actively supporting communities is also an action we can all take in our daily lives. It is not enough to remain impartial anymore. In order to improve the music industry we need to radically change our daily habits, behaviors, collaborations — we need to actively include minorities in shows, we need to actively protect them and support them, until there is no need to do so anymore.

shesaid.so: It’s exciting to think about the possibility of live gigs safely again. What do you enjoy most about performing live and what has been your absolutely favourite set to play during your career/s?

Fofi: I am an introvert, but very skilled at socializing. Music has always been the means to express my feelings through sound, vibrations and words. I have been doing this since I can remember myself, so it was extremely difficult for me to accept that new “normality”. I hold the longest-living residency at a club in the country, being the resident of Sodade2 for the past 21 years, so I did not only lose my outlet for communication, but also my coexistence with my friends and chosen family. I cannot pick one set as my favourite, I am blessed to have had so many. My latest favourite ones are the b2b sets by me and Virginia at Sodade, when after 4 am we usually set the club on fire, but also our performance as HER project at the first Sonar Athens.

Virginia: What I love about performing live is this non-verbal vibe exchange with the crowd, a give and take, while they are trusting us and letting loose to our music. We have had some of our best nights at a local club where Fofi resides, called Sodade, where we play for hours and experiment with house, electro and techno tracks, mixing genres and classic tracks, too. Also, our set at Sonar Athens is one that I will never forget! The stage, the people, the music, the honor of being part of Sonar, it was truly a night I will never forget.

Fo and VRGN, Sonar Festival

shesaid.so: Which personal value guides you most in the ways in which you approach your music and your career?

Virginia: I simply won’t do anything that makes me feel uncomfortable, disrespected, insulted, dehumanized. There is an inner voice, I believe we all have, that reminds us of who we are and warns us when we are about to compromise that. I lately listen to this voice more and more, and it tells me that I am enough for those who respect and enjoy what I have to give, and I would never compromise my values and dignity for anything further.

Fofi: Music is my life, so the way I approach music and my career is actually the way I carry myself in this world: with the utmost care and respect.

shesaid.so: What would you say is the most valuable benefit of being part of the shesaid.so network, for artists and DJ’s specifically?

The fact that we belong to this amazing global network that consists of exceptional people changing the game in the music industry, coexisting with extraordinary, talented, vigorous, dynamic and driven people, sharing the same mindset and ethos is actually a pure privilege and gift. shesaid.so is shaping the future that transcends the music industry and we want to help in that with all our being.

shesaid.so: We have a question for you from our last featured artist Sans Soucis: What is the album you would have loved to have contributed to/been involved with and why?

Virginia: I would pick “Rub” by Peaches. Peaches has been one of my favorite artists since I was young. As a woman, listening to an artist like Peaches, her strength, her expression, her I-dont-give-a-f*ckness, has been truly inspirational. Rub specifically, was published in 2015. It has brilliant lyrics, which are an ode to what is (still) happening today. I would absolutely love to have contributed with techno versions, distortions and beats.

Fofi: “Lifeforms” by Future Sound Of London. I consider it a pure piece of art, a pivotal moment in the electronic music history that shaped the things to come. I think that listening to it, when it was released, I could actually feel my brain being reprogrammed to another dimension. The way they stretched genres and combined ambient with techno is phenomenal. Plus, if I was a part of it, I would actually be in the studio with Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins and then die of awe silently and peacefully at the corner.

Fofi aka Fo is a leading figure in the Greek dance music scene. She has played at all major clubs in the country, shared the decks with several international DJs and she holds the longest living residency at a club in the country, being a resident of Sodade2 BackStage for the past 20 years.

Brimming with curiosity and passion for electronic music, Virginia aka VRGN is an upcoming talent to watch. Within 2 years she has already played in some of the biggest venues in the Greek scene, sharing the decks with both Greek DJs and international ones such and also performed at the first edition of Sónar festival in Athens, in a B2B session with Fo.

Shesaidso

Athens

Music Industry

Artist Spotlight #2: Sans Soucis

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

Sans Soucis Instagram

Artist Spotlight Series #1: Dope Saint Jude

The shesaid.so Artist Spotlight is a brand new monthly series highlighting exciting artists from the shesaid.so community. To kick things off, we chatted to Dope Saint Jude about her artistic journey, the value of the shesaid.so community, and why she thinks artists need access to more information about the business side of the industry to help them progress their careers. The first in a new interview series, shesaid.so speaks to South-African artist, rapper and producer, Dope Saint Jude. Interview by Sorrel Salb

Hailing from Cape Town, rapper and producer Dope Saint Jude has crafted a distinctive sound and is known for her defiant, life-affirming perspective. Her powerful lyrics speak to audiences interested in the intersection of hip hop, queerness, and feminism. Since making her debut in 2016, she has toured Europe, the USA, and Africa, as well as having her music synced in a number of popular series and films. She spent 2020 working on new music in London so keep your eyes peeled for some fresh Dope Saint Jude tunes this year.

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shesaid.so: You performed at shesaid.so’s first ever MEETSSS conference in 2019: the energy during your set was so powerful! Can you tell us about your artistic journey and development up until your 2018 EP ‘Resilient’ and since then?

I started making music in 2016 and released my first EP to Soundcloud that year. As things progressed for me, I realised that the majority of my audience and opportunities were coming from overseas. I started moving between the UK and SA in 2018 and released my Resilient EP supported by Apple Music. I spent 2019 touring and obviously 2020 was the pandemic, so I have been recording new music and plan to release this year. I have also been lucky to have a lot of syncs happen in this time, which supported me financially and took my project to the next level.

shesaid.so: There have been a lot of restrictions in London because of the pandemic. I have seen your #powerpoetry project through which you express your thoughts and feelings whilst under lockdown and I’m sure a lot of readers can relate to the topics you touch on. Can you tell us a bit more about that?

Being away from home during such a difficult time is challenging, so I relied on my creativity to get me through it. I did #powerpoetry to let off some steam while under lockdown. It was honestly just me going back to my roots of artistic expression, outside of trying to make a living, no motive other than to say what I feel. It’s a pure expression of what I was feeling at the height of the pandemic. I reflected on my family, my mother and grandmother.

shesaid.so: Last year you were involved in mentoring other female artists as part of a peer mentorship program. What was your experience of the process and how would you describe the importance of mentorship within the music industry?

I did a mentorship programme with Hypertribe and I mentored a talented young artist named Jenomé.

The experience was extremely fulfilling as I believe that we are at our best when we are in service to our community.

Working with a young artist who is where I was not so long ago reconnected me to my beginnings and made me feel extreme gratitude for how far I have come. I am confident that with persistence, self belief and resilience, one can achieve one’s goals.

shesaid.so: Which personal value guides you most in the music you create and the outlets where you direct your energy?

Honesty. I believe it is so important to be authentic when I create. I can’t lie in my music. I am guided by the need to find my truth. Music is like therapy to me. I keep digging beyond the surface until I find my truth.

shesaid.so: What is one issue within the music industry which you hope to see change in the future?

I would like to see information about the business side of things being more accessible to artists. I was lucky to attend a seminar [through Apple Music and Platoon] where a lot of topics such as licensing and publishing were explained. I am also lucky to have a manager who is transparent about these things. However, this information is not easily accessible to artists and it makes artists vulnerable to exploitation.

The responsibility lies with both the artist and the industry to change this. Businesses and organisations should offer more information about what deals look like and artists should make an effort to really educate themselves on the business basics.

shesaid.so: What is the biggest lesson you learned in 2020?

I learned that comparison is the thief of joy. During the pandemic, I took a break from social media to focus on myself. I realised that I had been comparing myself to my contemporaries and this often made me feel inferior. I have learned that I am running my own race, crafting my own narrative and building my own journey that has nothing to do with any one else. This realisation has brought me a sense of freedom and joy.

shesaid.so: What’s your biggest goal for this year?

My goal for this year is to increase my revenue streams. As a music artist, I did not initially realise all the opportunities that existed to make an income beyond live shows. I have been earning money from sync, streams and royalties. I would like to build my business beyond this while staying true to my creativity.

shesaid.so: Who is an artist you’d love to shout out as a one-to-watch for 2021?

The artist I mentored- Jenomé

shesaid.so: How has being involved with the shesaid.so network helped you, either in your career or personally?

I have met a lot of women in the industry through shesaid.so and also made use of the resources the network provides. I have been able to network with other artists, curators and producers because of the network. Most importantly, I feel I have a support base of like-minded women [whom] I can count on who quietly support each other and who walk the walk.

Instagram: @dopesaintjude

Website: https://dopesaintjude.com/

Listen to Dope Saint Jude’s latest single Go High Go Low.