In the end, recording this album helped me make peace with a lot of things - An Interview with Satya
I sit down with artist Satya to discuss her upcoming album ‘Yellow House’(pre-save here), her production process, how she would love to get into glasswork like her grandma, what music she loves, how channelling a very hard experience into a creative project can be both healing and painful, and more.
When I heard the song ‘Yellow House’ for the first time, I was blown away by the eerily haunting imagery of the lyrics (it made me think of an empty wooden dollhouse surrounded by lemon trees) and how it managed to emanate the warm colors you associate with home and familiarity, while also portraying the earth-shattering devastation of leaving all that familiarity behind.
On this, the artist says, “I left home under really hard circumstances. This song is about the anger I carried, the fear I lived with, and the strength I had to build for myself when no one else could do it for me. To believe you deserve something better even when you don’t fully know what you’re letting go of, or what better looks like for yourself.”
Eimear O Sullivan, Musicngear: What art influenced the songwriting on your song ‘Yellow House’? The lyrics are so visual and conjure up such enchanting, yet eerie imagery: "yellow house/lemon trees/wooden floors/she lay face down."
I've always been drawn to stories, films, and visual art that feel so raw, almost disturbing, but still beautiful in a way that makes it hard to look away. Adrianne Lenker, Cleo Sol, and Feist all played a big part in shaping the inspiration for this song. Cleo Sol's album 'Mother' came out around the time I began writing "Yellow House." I was drawn to how brutally honest she was in her lyrics.
Around then, I was also inspired by Faye Webster's song 'Hurts Me Too'. The line, "I just don't care if it hurts, cause it hurts me too," made me think on the importance of exposing raw emotion, and not sugarcoating words or experiences for others. When I write lyrics, I try to ground them in the imagery I see in my head. If I'm writing about a memory, I focus on the setting and describe what it looked like / how it felt, especially for this song. I tied in images I saw from my childhood home.
Musicngear: What is your songwriting process?
Whether I start with either the instrumental or lyrics, I treat that initial idea as the foundation and build everything else around it. I find myself writing a lot about complex or contradictory emotions. especially love. Not just romantic but familial, friendships, and all the inbetweens.
It's something we're continuously learning, which makes it an endless subject I love to explore. My mind has always moved pretty fast, so journaling has always been a way for me to ground myself and give my thoughts a world to live in. Then I sift through an explosion of words and put them to music and a melody.
Over the past few years, I've also gotten into music production. Once I have the structure of a song, I'll record a demo and then bring in other musicians to help shape it. I'm especially drawn to blues and jazz, so I always love working with people who bring in their own interpretations of my songs.
Musicngear: Your upcoming debut album, ‘Yellow House’, deals with some memories and themes that must have been upsetting to revisit. Was creating this album a healing process?
I feel a mixture of both healing and pain listening to the album.
When I first started writing it, everything was still very fresh, so a lot of the writing process became a way to cope and make sense of what I was going through. Overall, it's been a really reflective process. It was definitely a journey allowing myself to be vulnerable, share what I've been through, and really open up to the people around me in the writing and release process. It feels like turning myself inside out in a way. On days when I was feeling low, I can't lie, it was challenging to keep showing up and listening to everything over and over again.
But in the end, recording this album helped me make peace with a lot of things, and letting go of this version of myself.
I feel really blessed and proud to be surrounded by such kind-hearted, genuine, talented, and goofy people. Having a strong support system inspires me to show up for myself, my music, and the world around me
Musicngear: Could you tell us about the production process for this album?
The production of this album was a collaborative process that involved many people over time. I first began writing it in 2020. The first song I wrote was "Circles." I started it on an acoustic guitar. At the time, I sent some basic stems with vocals and guitar to the producers I was working with, Tal Ariel and Justin Zim, along with a few reference tracks. I was really drawn to Mazzy Star then. Their soundscape really inspired me; they would take my feedback and add their own parts and arrangements.
We went back and forth with the demos, and that period is when I really began learning how to produce on my own. The production process wasn't linear. I would step away from the album at times. Later on, I brought the project to Nashville. I spent an intensive week in the studio working with Colin Linden, who has the most gorgeous and cozy home studio in the world. We fleshed out the rest of the album and re-recorded several tracks. I wrote "Cicadas" and "Heaven's Cry" there.
Musicngear: What artists inspire you?
My list goes on forever and ever but to name a million: Roberta Flack, Aretha Franklin, D'Angelo, Nina Simone, Alice Coltrain, Corinne Bailey Rae, Feist, Lady Wray, Mazzy star, Corinne Bailey Rae, Erykah Badu, Big Thief, Solange... the list will go on forever.
Musicngear: Outside of music, what else inspires you?
My friends and family inspire me so deeply. I feel really blessed and proud to be surrounded by such kind-hearted, genuine, talented, and goofy people. Having a strong support system inspires me to show up for myself, my music, and the world around me.
Growing up in the Bay Area is also a huge part of my inspiration. I love backpacking and hiking, so being close to the water, mountains, and nature, as well as amazing people, food, and a diverse community from different backgrounds, means everything to me. The Bay has really shaped who I am, from how I express myself through clothing to my sense of humor.
My sisters inspire me to fully embody myself. Chloe has such a deep passion for nature and nurturing animals, and her mom, Miri, inspires me to appreciate what you have and trust that it will grow. My sister Marley feels like my north star.
I'm inspired by people who are very different from me and how they've figured out life. I love people with special interests/people who truly love life and choose what feels good to them. I'm also inspired by the soul and jazz scene in New Orleans, as well as film. I'm just beginning to realize how much visual art inspires me, too.
Musicngear: Are there any other creative outlets that you enjoy outside of music?
I've been meaning to get into pottery and explore more visual arts. My grandma is really into glasswork, and I've always wanted to take after her in that way. I also love gardening.
Musicngear: What songs are you loving at the moment?
I frickin love Amyl and the Sniffers. "U Should not be doing that" is perfect. Loving "Tom Valeraine" by Alvvays, "Falls On Me" by Sylvie, "Ur Fool" by Natanya ft. (Flirt), "Cytrus" by August Lee Stephans, "Loose Ends" by Lyla George, "Ease Yourself and Glide" by Parsley Sounds, "Moon" by Daniel Caesar.
I also listen to the full album 'Feeding Sea Horses by Hand' by Billie Marten, it's one of my favorite albums. I listen to it almost every day.
Connect with Satya
Website / Instagram
About Eimear O Sullivan
Eimear Ann O Sullivan is a multi-genre music producer, audio engineer and vocalist. After receiving a Masters in Music Technology from the CIT Cork School of Music, she went on to operate as a producer under the name Blakkheart. Her releases have received critical acclaim from Ireland's biggest music publications, such as District Magazine and Nialler9, alongside receiving heavy commercial radio airplay. She currently works in Cork recording studio Flashpoint CC. Previous clients of hers include the likes of Comedy Central’s Dragony Aunt star Candy Warhol, rapper Darce and Outsider YP. (Photo credit @Fabian Boros)
Contact Eimear O Sullivan at eimear.o.sullivan@musicngear.com
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