Name: Sadie Campbell
Occupation: Singer, songwriter
Nationality: Canadian, Nashville-based
Recent release: Sadie Campbell's Metamorphosis is out now.

If you enjoyed this Sadie Campbell interview and would like to find out more about her music, visit her official homepage. She is also on Instagram, Soundcloud, and Facebook.



Do you think that some of your earliest musical experiences planted a seed for your interest in writing lyrics or poetry? How and when did you start writing?

I started writing songs as a young teen, needing somewhere to put my feelings and help me process my emotions. Writing songs is like a therapy session to me ... still is.

Even on this album, writing “Second Chance” and “Anxiety Gets Me” helped me get through really hard times in my life.



It is sometimes said that “music begins where words end.” What do you make of that?

Writing songs has always helped me say things I would maybe be too timid or scared to say in a conversation. Like, in “Saved” - it’s a song about my experience in leaving the Christian church.



The words from the second verse ‘I was born again, I paid my dues.’ I even wore it on a shirt that was stained with the words ‘What would Jesus do?’

It’s not that I wouldn't have this conversation in person with someone who identifies as a Christian, it’s just that songs allow you to be frank, with no boundaries … allowing you to express yourself with no filter.

Entering new worlds and escapism through music and literature have always exerted a very strong pull on me. What do you think you are drawn to most when it comes to writing?

I wish it was different, but I’m usually the most inspired when I’m sad! The songs just pour out of me.

Now that I’m in a healthy relationship, it’s a challenge to write from a happy state of mind. It’s a great exercise and challenge I'm dealing with right now. I want to write my daughter some songs to dance to, and I want to write about this beautiful phase as a new mom!

I think collaboration has really helped me grow in this area. Even if I bring in a Saddie Idea (a friend nickname for my sad side), I find that working with friends helps break me out of old habits - like “Let Loose” with Kayley Bishop and Emma Zinck, and “Put Your Worry Down” with Dan O’Rourke.



What were some of the artists and albums which inspired you early on purely on the strength of their lyrics? What moves you in the lyrics of other artists?

The same one always comes to mind when I think of music from my past that’s influenced me lyrically. Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill.

She was rebellious, fearless and angsty. She had a way of connecting through her lyrics that made you feel like you knew her. I’m a child of the ‘90s but that record still holds up today, in my opinion.

When working on music, when do the lyrics enter the picture? Where do they come from? Do lyrics need to grow together with the music or can they emerge from a place of their own?

For me, this really varies! Especially since I moved to Nashville and entered the world of co-writing. Sometimes a melody comes to me so strongly I have to humm it into my phone before it floats away.

Other times, like in my song “Getting Older,” I knew I wanted to have a song celebrating the beauty of growing old and I brought that to my co-writers. Together we shaped that song. It really changes all the time!



When you're writing song lyrics, do you sense or see a connection between your voice and the text? Does it need to feel and sound “good” or “right” to sing certain words? What's your perspective in this regard of singing someone else's songs versus your own?

I run into this a lot in the writing room. I hear the words “How does it sing?” often when co-writing.

My thoughts on this are: If you’re compromising the message for a word that sings better, go with the message first always. BUT there are always exceptions, because hey, at the end of the day, this is songwriting. There are no rules really and that’s why we love it, right?

How do you see the relationship between harmony, rhythm and melody? Do you feel that honing your sense of rhythm and groove has an effect on your lyrics-writing skills?

For me, YES. The more I’m in a feeling state of mind and less I’m in my head, the better the song comes out.

Harmony, rhythm, and beat all help me feel. This is one of the reasons I love writing on my 12-string guitar.