Artist You Should Know: Saniye
Interview by Nick Yacovazzi
Talk to us about your writing process and environment, what are some of the factors and influences behind your instrumental and lyrical content.
Wow, where do I start…I mean writing music is one of, if not the biggest, pleasure for me in my life, minus a few other things of course and seeing family. For the longest time, I was a solo songwriter, and the idea of writing with someone else/trusting them, being completely open, unapologetic, myself and void of fear was very foreign and seemed scary to me. I would attend the ASCAP expo in Los Angeles and would be awe of the songwriters talking about collaboration and the creation of music as a team. It’s fascinated me, it scared me. And then I took the plunge! My very first co-write was a Christmas song I haven’t yet released with Blessing Offor and then Mikal Blue. I came to Los Angeles to start recording music for my second album. I also wanted to roll up my sleeves as a songwriter and co-writer, and luckily for me multi award-winning songwriter, producer, musician extraordinaire, Mikal Blue, got me started on that world. Our first co-write together was a song for YouTube sensation and artist Alex G, and that song we wrote together ended up playing on Disney radio.
I know I may not be answering the question directly, but I just get so excited about co-writing now, and I can’t help but talk about it. It’s certainly my process now! Lyrically and musically, it’s not the same every time and that’s what makes it so amazing and so much fun to write songs. One of my favorite collaborators in New York is David Andronico, and I love writing songs with him. One day I showed him a piano riff that I had mulling about on my phone for months and he loved it. He started producing tracks to my riff, we wrote the bridge together, and as he was recording the production side of the music for the track, I whipped up the lyrics, (including my first ever rap!) and surprised him with it. I brought our song to LA and polished it up with Mikal Blue and voila! That’s now a song on the new album called “Favorite Song.”
Do you write all your works? If so, talk to us about your relationship between songwriting and performing.
Yes, yes, yes! I couldn’t imagine singing someone else’s material! Unless I’m doing a special covers album or something for social media. I started writing music when I was 5 years old, and lyrics or poems when I was in high school, and then a bunch of songs my last year of high school and into college.
Performing on the other hand tapped into a completely different part of my brain. Songwriting is like wearing PJs and sipping hot cocoa under a blanket. Performing is getting all dressed up putting on heels and going out, trying to look the best you can be.
Songwriting I can do forever. Performing? Now that takes stamina!
What are some of the overarching themes for your upcoming album, Let’s Play?
Well, playing of course! Everything and anything. The overall theme is about being playful, loving games, and never letting go of your inner child. It’s about being mischievous, fun, silly, adventurous, and even branches out into playful adult themes like being sexually confident and outspoken, teasing, flirting, the games of love, and other matters of the heart. The biggest takeaway that I’d like is just that I want this to be a fun album for everyone and as fun to listen to as it was for me to make. Life is too short to be too serious. I love to play. Come join me. Let’s Play!
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned or advice you’ve been given about being an artist?
The hardest part about being an artist for me is sticking to a genre. I love so many different styles of music so much and love experimenting as a songwriter that it makes it more difficult as an artist and as a brand to choose and stay with one idea. You’ll notice that my first album, When I Don’t Sleep.. is world pop jazz with flavored of electronica production whereas Let’s Play is all pop music, littered with “radio friendly” indie pop songs. The truth is it all depends on what album I’m listening to at the time. When I was making my first album, all I was listening to was bossa nova, jazz, World music and a lot of Bebel Gilberto. After that, I switched it back up to pop music. The genre isn’t new to me. I’ve been watching MTV since I was a kid, and I absolutely love radio and top 40 music (well, some of it!) and so that’s a different side of me that I wanted to explore while I was in the mood. Who knows what the next album would be? I know right now I’m a major label’s worst nightmare, ha! That’s why all of this music is under my indie label right now, 6/8 Records.
If you could collaborate with any artist or group, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Oh my gosh, Jeff Buckley for sure. The Grace album is a classic. Sadly, he’s no longer with us. So let’s think more positive and realistic right now. From a pool of living artists, let’s see… (and for heaven’s sakes musicians, please stop dying! 2016 has just been brutal…) I’d say Johnny Depp because he was a musician before he was an actor, and because I really want to meet him for other reasons.
What has been the Highlight of your musical journey so far?
The highlight has been being able to share my awards and accomplishments with my mom. It makes her so happy. To see her happy makes me happy, so goal achieved. She’s a wonderful person because she supports me and pushes me, but she’s not a stage mom and she’s proud of me no matter what level of success I’m at. If I win a Grammy someday, of course she’d be happy, but if I don’t, that’s ok too. She’s proud of me and that’s the true highlight of my musical journey. Everything else is cherries on top of a cake. (A cake that’s still baking, mind you. Journey isn’t over!)
Tell us what artists/bands you’re listening to at this moment in time and why they appeal to you.
I’ve always been a Radiohead fan and am over the moon they have new music coming out. Radiohead appeals to me because they’ve been successfully malleable with their albums and genres yet still fit under their brand, and stay true to what it is that makes them, well, THEM. I also listen to a lot of my friends’ albums, who are amazing artists in their own right. Right now, Jenni Alpert’s new album Nothing Less and my friend Zak Trojano’s album Two Lines are spinning in my CD players. Yes, I still have those.
