I sat down with Sarah Catharine following the release of her debut single “That’s A Lie” back in February. In anticipation of her newest single, “i’d be dead too” releasing on May 7th here is a look back on our conversation.
Sarah Catharine, Canadian based singer and self taught music producer, released her debut single “That’s A Lie” after releasing music on Soundcloud and posting covers to TikTok.
The song details an ill-fated relationship with its style somewhat reminiscent of Billie Eilish’s work pre-”Happier Than Ever”.
“I wanted [the song] to be really jumpy and dark and with lots of synths,” Catharine said. “I always describe it to my friends that this is the type of music that makes you want to set things on fire… it's empowering in a dark way.”
The femme fatale illustration is not lost in translation. With lyrics like “So I guess I just don’t understand / That you don’t wish that he were dead / I bet you know exactly where I’m coming from too / I bet you know exactly who I’m talkin ‘bout too”
Catharine’s soft vocals, almost like a whisper, keeps you in a trance the entirety of the song and before you know it- it’s over. Keeping listeners engaged is no easy feat, however this amateur producer has worked hard to get the skills she needs to write, record, and produce her own records.
“Everything that I record is pretty much from in my car, Catharine said. “The reason is because being home in COVID and everyones at home… so really the only place I can record and really not annoy anyone and have a relatively quiet area is the car.”
Johnny Cash had his prison, The Black Keys had their abandoned General Tire factory, and Sarah Catharine has her car.
“I feel so comfortable in there now and I feel like being in there is inspiring when I write too because you’re completely alone and you’re in a small space- it’s like if I had a little studio or a little closet- same idea,” Catharine said.
Even after releasing two previous original songs on Soundcloud, Catharine found the actual process of singing and releasing a debut single is more complicated than pressing record and hoping for the best.
“You always hear songs but I never knew how detailed everything is,” Catharine said. “It was just so much fun playing around and learning about music production.”
The Canadian musician fell into songwriting in early 2020, but she has been writing all her life.
“When I was younger I was all about the lyrics,” Catharine said. “I could write poems all the time and I didn’t think of them as lyrics but I could never write a melody. Now I would say it’s pretty equal, I really appreciate a good melody.”
Apart from her mom, who Catharine said would sing all the time and they were known for the occasional duet, she credits powerful women in music for the development of her passion for music.
“A big influence of when I was young was Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift,” Catharine said. “I’ve heard from people that sometimes when I sing sometimes it sounds a little country, but it's not necessarily something I intend to do but that’s just how I learned how to sing- from them.”
Although Catharine is still green, her hunger to learn is what has already made her stand out in her own right. From writing poems, to learning to produce, she pours every ounce of herself into each verse.
“I would say a lot of my songs are really over dramatized,” Catharine said. “It’s something that happened to me but it's blown out of proportion, and there are some that are more honest and raw. [That’s a lie] was pretty raw and honest even in it I say the lyric ‘I bet you know exactly who I’m talking about too’- so it was a little bit scary [to put that out there] It’s funny for the people that do know me and they’re like oh yeah I know exactly what this is about.”
“That’s a Lie” shows an edgier, more confident Sarah. It will be a treat to see where she goes next.
Her new single “i'd be dead too” will be out on May 7th. In the meantime, check out “That’s a Lie” here.