2. Can you walk us through a moment in your career where everything almost fell apart, and how did that moment reshape your artistry or direction?

There was a point when everything collapsed at once. I parted ways with an independent label, my band fell apart, and I was left without any real direction. It felt like I lost the structure I had built around my identity around, and for a moment, I was not sure how to keep going.

I had to figure out how to continue making music completely on my own. No team, no roadmap, just me. And honestly, there was a period where I almost lost my passion for it.

But rebuilding from that place forced something out of me. I had to rebrand, redefine my sound, and trust my own instincts in a way I never had before. That process gave me full creative control, and with that came a different kind of motivation. It was not about fitting into anything anymore; it was about creating from a place that felt real.

Over time, I started finding my footing again. I connected with new musicians, stepped into live performance more independently, and eventually took on contracts overseas that pushed me to grow fast. I learned everything, from creating and releasing music to understanding contracts and the business side, because I had no choice.

Looking back, that moment didn’t break me; it forced me to become self-sufficient. It gave me a level of confidence and ownership over my artistry that I wouldn’t have developed otherwise.

3. If someone could step inside your creative process for a day, what would surprise them most about how your music comes to life?

What would surprise people most is that some of my ideas come from my dreams. I have had moments when I wake up and there is a full song playing in my head, something I have never heard before.

I will catch whatever I can remember and record it into my voice notes as quickly as possible. From there, I start building, writing lyrics, shaping the melody, and developing the feeling of the track before it ever touches production.
Sometimes I’ll bring that rough vocal idea to a musician or lay it over a beat, and we build the music around it. But it always starts in a very raw, almost subconscious place.
That process is the most surprising part, it is not always planned. It is something I receive first, and then I bring it to life.

4. How do you balance authenticity with audience expectation in an industry that often rewards trends over individuality?

I always start with what feels true to me, how I want the music to sound and what I want it to say. That comes first, every time. Trends do not drive my process. If I incorporate something current, it is only because it genuinely resonates with me, not because I feel pressure to follow it.
The reality is, we are in a time where access is unlimited. Every kind of listener is out there, and the right audience will find you when what you are creating is real. Not everyone has to connect, and that is the point.
More than ever, there’s space to be fully yourself and still have a place in music. For me, it is about trusting that the people who are meant to connect with my sound, my voice, and my message will find it.

5. Outside of music, what life experiences or disciplines have had the greatest influence on your sound and storytelling?

Travel has been one of my greatest influences. I have moved through various parts of the world, experienced diverse cultures, and observed people closely—and what became undeniable is that we are far more alike than we are different.
No matter where you go, people want the same things: connection, love, to be seen and understood. That realization shifted how I create. I am not just telling my story—I am tapping into something universal.
That perspective shapes everything. Which is why my music is not confined to one place or one experience, it is meant to resonate across different lives, diverse backgrounds, different realities.
For me, storytelling is not just personal, it is human.

6. In today’s landscape where metrics (streams, followers) often define success, how do you personally measure whether you are truly succeeding?

My definition of success is rooted in impact. The moments that stay with me are the ones you cannot measure, someone reaching out to say a lyric resonated, or that a song inspired them.
But the most meaningful moments happen in person, after a show, when someone comes up to me and shares how a specific song touches them. That kind of connection is real.
I understand that numbers still matter; they reflect sustainability and the ability to make a living from what you do. But for me, the intention must come first. Without that, none of it feels meaningful.
That’s always been my foundation. I decided I wanted to pursue music at 13, after experiencing firsthand how deeply it carried me through a challenging time in my own life. So, for me, success is creating that same kind of impact for someone else.
If the music is moving people, shifting something in them, helping them believe in themselves, that is what true success feels like to me, and it’s why I have stayed committed to it for so long.

7. If you could collaborate with your past self at the very beginning of your journey, what conversation would unfold, and what would you want them to understand?

I’d tell her to be fully herself, even if certain people do not like it. Trying to make music that feels comfortable for everyone only pulls you away from who you really are. Not everyone is going to understand you, musically or visually, and that is okay.
I would remind her that making music is an opportunity to express yourself without holding back. That is where the real connection comes from, the kind of listeners who truly see you and resonate with what you are creating.
I’d also tell her to let go of perfection. It does not exist and chasing it only slows you down.
More than anything, I would want her to understand that the process will shape her—that she’ll discover parts of herself she did not even know were there. And eventually, she will fall in love with who she becomes.

8. Can you describe a live performance that changed you, either because everything went right, or did everything go wrong?

There was a performance a few years ago where I was headlining at a lounge, doing three full sets, around thirty-five songs, completely solo. I had been sicking all week and had lost a good part of my voice from coughing. The day of the show, I genuinely did not know if I was going to make it through.
I remember surrendering to it. I meditated, and instead of focusing on how my voice sounded, I shifted my energy into the feeling of each song.
What happened that night surprised me. The connection with the audience was stronger than most of the shows I had done before, not because everything sounded perfect, but because I was fully present. I leaned into the lyrics, the emotion, the body language. It became less about how seamless my voice sounded and more about connection.
That experience changed something for me. It made me realize that people do not respond to perfection; they respond to honesty, depth, and feeling.
At the same time, I do believe in taking care of yourself and knowing when to rest. I was still well enough to perform that night, but I had to approach it differently and that shift taught me more than any “perfect” performance ever could.

9. How do you read and respond to an audience in real time, especially when the energy in the room isn’t what you expected?

I do not let the room dictate how I show up. If the energy is not what I expected, I go inward, I close my eyes and get into the music. That is how I stay grounded in the performance.
At the same time, I will lock in on whoever is connecting in the room, even if it is just one person. That connection becomes an anchor, and from there, it naturally expands. When I close my eyes, I almost imagine that everyone is feeling it, even if they are not showing it outwardly.
That mindset helps me stay fully present, instead of reacting to what I think the room should be.
It takes practice, but I have learned that when I fully commit to the performance, regardless of the energy, which is often when the room starts to reciprocate.

10.What elements, musical, visual, or emotional, do you prioritize to turn a live set into a memorable experience rather than just a performance?

One thing I prioritize is creating a deeper emotional connection beyond the music itself. I will often say affirming messages in between songs, things I genuinely stand by, before going into a track that reflects that same energy.
It turns the set into more of a journey. Instead of just performing songs, I am inviting the audience into the meaning behind them, like weaving in moments of reflection or empowerment throughout the experience.
That personal layer makes it feel more inclusive. It is not just me on stage, it becomes something we are all part of together. And I have found that is what people really connect with and remember.

11.To close, how would you describe your latest album project and what it represents for you at this stage in your journey?

I am currently recording my second studio album, Queen Consciousness. It is the embodiment of who I have become, as an artist, as a woman, and as a person. It is rooted in self-worth, awareness, and stepping fully into your identity without apology. Each song reflects a different part of that evolution, learning to trust yourself, set boundaries, embrace growth, and choose to rise, even though challenges. It is not surface-level empowerment, it is about doing the inner work that gets you there. The latest single release from the album, Living for That High, captures a feeling we are all chasing. Whether it comes from a shared connection, a meaningful experience, or a nostalgic moment that sparked joy and passion, it is that elevated state that stays with you, and in many ways, drives so much of what we do in our everyday lives. At its core, which feeling speaks to something deeply human, the desire to feel alive, connected, and fully present. This project feels intentional in a way that is different from anything I have done before. I am no longer creating from a place of searching, I am creating from a place of knowing. Queen Consciousness is about owning your voice, your presence, and your path. For me, it marks a breakthrough, not just in my music, but in how I move through everything.

Reach out to Sarah Eské