Sabrina is an emerging artist who at just 20 years old has power house vocals dripping with soul and emotion. If you’ve been waiting for an Adele and Avicii collaboration, Sabrina’s first single, ‘I’m All In,’ is for you. Her lustrous voice backed by an energetic and addictive dance music inspired track is sure to be this summers theme song. A classically trained mezzo-soprano influenced by early pop and the grittiness of classic rock, Sabrina has taken full control of her voice to create her unique sound.
In this interview spotlight, we speak with Sabrina Salice about her influences, her new project, and more.
Full Q&A, links, and a stream of her video can be found below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
I am originally from Long Island, NY, but my family relocated to Mooresville, NC when I was ten. So I lived in both states for ten years. I would say the style of music I create is like a classic pop. I have a richness and raw sound to my voice and “an old soul” personality, but I’ve taken those things and incorporated them with what people listen to today. I love the sound of real instruments, so we took all real instruments and programmed with them.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to stay the course?
The feeling I get when I sing has led me to this path I am on. When I sing I feel like I can have any dream or wish I ever wanted because a song can take me to a different place and can bring me those things. I think most people have the goal in life to “be happy” or “do something that matters”: My voice is my one thing that can bring me both.
My family motivates me most to stay on this course. No matter how my career turns out, my parents are always going to be proud of me because I’m there daughter, but that’s not what I want. I stay on this course because one day I want my parents to look at me and not just be proud of their daughter, but be inspired by the girl they see, and be proud of themselves for raising her and teaching her to dream because she made it. All they risked and sacrificed was worth it.
Who or what are your biggest influences when it comes to your creativity?
My biggest influences when it comes to my creativity as a singer and performer would be Celine Dion, Katy Perry and Billy Joel.
My biggest influence when it comes to my creativity as a songwriter is my life and my family. Things that I wish up in my head, things that I’ve witnessed or people close to me have witnessed. Recently Lukas Graham has actually been an influence in my writing because his songs are so descriptive and different because they are more like stories than anything else. Each one paints a different and clear picture of what he wants to share with his audience, and that’s exactly what I want to do with my music.
How is your new release different than previous ones? Did you set out to accomplish anything specific?
My new release, “I’m Sorry” is different from my other songs because it is the most raw song I’ve written. I honestly don’t have experience with heartbreak and all that, but I really wanted to write about what I have gone through with relationships and I feel like many people have gone through. All the games and nonsense that people think is necessary and most of the time it just messes up anything good that could’ve been. I wanted real instruments and a raw sound, to really mix the “pop world” with a rich classic sound of music that, today, is being taken over by so much programming and effects.
Do you face any challenges as an indie musician in a digital age? On the flip side, how has technology helped you (if it has)?
I do face challenges as an indie musician in a digital age. Having a good look, voice, production, image and songs isn’t really good enough anymore. Now you need most or all of those things plus you need a huge following or you need to go viral before most people will even take you seriously. And It’s hard to get people to follow someone who doesn’t have a big name or following already.
How do you feel about streaming services? Any romantic attachments to the physical formats: vinyl, 8-track, cassettes, CDs?
Personally, as a consumer, I love streaming services. It makes it so easy to play all the songs I love wherever I am, and I also get to hear a lot of music that I wouldn’t have it I was only playing music that I bought. I do though love the idea of CD’s. Just because it is personal like you and your best friend have a favorite CD that you grow up listening to. Or the boy you like makes you a mix tape of all of your favorite songs; tangible things are more personal and make for more memories. Now its like “hey babe I put together a playlist for us on spotify, go listen to it.”
Where can we follow you online and hear more music?
SoundCloud, Youtube, my facebook fanpage (Sabrina), instagram, or twitter. All are under the name Sabrina or Sabrina Salice (I also attached all the links for you).
Or you can find all the links to my social media and any upcoming news on my website: sabrinasalice.com
