Q&A with Thaïs Sala, the artist transmuting pain into power with her music
We spoke to cultural curator and singer-songwriter Thaïs Sala about what draws her to the arts, her love for people-watching and how she develops her signature sound. Currently based in Montreal, Canada with roots in Morocco, Thaïs released her debut EP Echo Museum on 21 August 2024, which showcases her trademark blend of electronic rhythms with hearty vocals, boldly merging vulnerability and strength. Stream Echo Museum while reading our interview with Thaïs Sala below:
Set the tone for us. Why the arts?
I’d say two main things keep me hooked on making art. First, the magic of the collective, with the incredible synergies that I thrive off in the studio, the thrill of creative teamwork. Second, the catharsis of creating something and expressing yourself in the process, getting things off your chest, processing the world around you. I think it’s something everyone should do, whether they perceive themselves as “artistic” or not. As Rick Rubin says, we’re all artists. It’s good for the soul. I always had so much energy as a kid, bouncing off the walls, and I had to find a place to channel that electricity. Writing, singing and performing always made everything feel more true.
In moments of joy I feel it elevating that emotion, and in moments of struggle it’s a coping mechanism but also a lens through which to see beauty in all things of life, the good, the bad, and the in-between. Whether I’m writing poetry, composing melodies, performing live, directing music videos or doing cultural curation, there’s always these feelings of personal catharsis and collective progress. The creative community I’m so fortunate to be a part of is all about building something together, hyping each other up, mentioning each other in rooms full of opportunities, a collective vision of the arts as a vehicle for good, to challenge, inspire, and to share. Whether it’s photography, music, film, fashion…arts are a necessity, like oxygen.
Congratulations on the release of your single ‘Sleeves’ – it’s quite emotionally poignant, what does this track mean to you?
Thank you so much! It feels special to have such a vulnerable song be out in the world. Emotionally poignant is right, I wrote this project whilst traversing a challenging but rewarding time of personal transformation. A still on-going process of learning and unlearning, with hopefully less ego, and more heart.The concept behind ‘Sleeves’ stems from a couple of questions: what if feelings were clothes that we can put on and take off? Do they have the agency to dress us with emotions, whether we accept it or not? Where do we find the strength to transcend our emotions?
Moses Belanger, a close friend and immensely talented musician, produced the entire project, and we made all of the songs together from scratch in his studio, my happy place. Navigating growth pains that are just part of life, and doing it through music is powerful. Getting to write these songs with a close friend in a safe space of unbridled creative freedom and no inhibitions, is a true blessing. ‘Sleeves’ is the last song I wrote on the EP, so by the time I was writing and singing these lyrics and melodies, I could see changes in myself as a person and as an artist.
This song is a milestone for me, sonically and spiritually. I feel it has storytelling that represents me, one in which I pushed myself into a vocal direction that feels like an expansion. It’s a very honest song, where I tell whoever chooses to listen that at times I really struggle, and that I both face and embrace that fact. I hope that even in the smallest of ways the message will inspire a similar acceptance in others. It’s a liberating feeling everyone should get to experience. I’m excited to release the music video which I directed and starred in, shot in my hometown, Marrakech. I’m super happy with how the visuals capture my message.
Watch the music video for ‘Sleeves’ below:
What techniques do you experiment with to get your signature sound?
I love experimenting with harmonies. Growing up I went to a Cathedral school and we sang a lot of hymns, the tone of which I really hear in my vocal arrangements, particularly on this project. I was trying to get a tonality evoking mystery, shadows, a brooding but sensual sound. With Moses we have a lot of fun using pieces of my voice as part of the instrumental, sort of between an adlib and a sample. I’ll sing the extended notes of a chord with a pretty accurate idea of how he’ll chop up the vocals and sprinkle them around the track. The creative synergy I get such a kick out of is heightened when we’re trying out new things, whether it’s a plugin, a different vocal style, or the mixing. I’m in my vocal comfort zone when singing the lower part of my range, but I always try and challenge myself to mix in some falsetto. I think that oscillating between the booming chest voice and the more delicate head voice adds a duality to my signature sound. As if to say “she’s strong but also tender”.
Which comes first when you’re producing music – the sound or the idea?
It’s usually the sound first, the mood of which is likely to influence the idea. But, sometimes I’ll sit down and say, “I wanna right about boxing today.” And then the idea might determine the bpm or which synth we use or the tone I deliver my takes in. For this project, and my collaborations with Moses in general, it most often begins with him playing a couple chords.
Take us through a day in the recording studio.
We tend to start with a massive breakfast, knowing we’ll most likely get completely immersed and not think about food for several hours, haha. We listen to a lot of music in the beginning, showing each other new songs or artists that we find inspiring. We also listen back to things we’ve been working on, a sort of refresh of where we’re at creatively. Sometimes we’ll invite another musician for a writing session. I’m constantly bumping into old friends in Montreal, people I jammed with or played gigs with over the years. Bringing them, and new musician friends, into our little creative bubble is super special. It’s really important to me to vibe with the people I work with. So during a typical day in the studio, we build the songs brick by brick, and we have a pretty much final arrangement by the end of the session (though we have recently started going back to certain songs over an extended period of time, tweaking bits). And, we always end with a dance session in the studio listening to our “new favourite song we’ve ever made” – a term we use very often, haha.
Your debut EP Echo Museum was released on August 21st. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind its name?
Echo Museum was conceived as a sonic wander through the corridors of my psyche, every song is a piece of art hanging on the walls lining my mind, unapologetically honest lyrics framed by Moses Belanger’s rousing electronic production. Instead of fleeing my demons, I beckon them to the dance floor. I was in Moses’ studio a few months ago, and I looked up at the wall and focused in on a poster I’d seen countless times but had never taken the time to really scrutinise. It’s a poster from a museum in Atlanta. The word museum stood out to me, and I decided this EP is a museum.
The next day I brainstormed on the other word, searching for something that evoked looking in a mirror. The word reflection led me to echo, which stems from the Greek word for sound. I imagined standing on a mountain and singing, the sound echoing through the valley where perhaps someone on the other side who can’t see me, can hear my song. That’s what releasing music feels like to me. If even a single person on the other side of the mountain, or on the other end of the world, is moved by this record somehow, then I’ve done my job.
How have you refined your craft since you entered the industry?
Something that really matters to me as a musician is also being an active audience member. I go to as many live shows as I can, from intimate bar gigs to music festivals with thousands of people. I believe that if you can afford to, you should invest in and support the artistry. And in doing so, I get to study how people perform, their stage design, the creative decisions they make in adapting studio versions for live performances, and so much more. I also take note when I hear sounds that inspire me, and bring the songs to the studio as references or prompts to start out from. I experiment with different vocal techniques, toplines, and writing styles that stand out to me on a record. All these things help me refine my craft and grow as an artist and performer.
What gets your creative juices flowing?
Honestly, everything. I love going on long walks or sitting in the window seat of a diner to people-watch. To me they’re all characters with entire worlds of their own, crossing your path even if only for a moment. I get so much inspiration making up stories for them, and channeling that into my songs. Watching movies, reading books, looking at art, these are all things that inspire me. I’ve written songs based on a certain film scene, or a passage in a novel that struck me. It’s funny because I write mainly in the first person and people will always assume I’m singing about something I experienced, which is sometimes the case, but I like to think of myself as a narrator. It’s not necessarily my story, but it becomes my message.
What’s on your current playlist?
Being from Marrakech, I’m super proud of and inspired by the Moroccan music scene, which over the years has found its footing across the SWANA regions, Europe, the US and further afield. I’m listening to HASNA and Rita Kamale, two super talented Moroccan vocalists, songwriters and producers that are definitely ones to watch. On the UK side of things I’ve been loving Treanne’s recent EP, a sound that’s less overproduced than a lot of the things we hear these days, and that really lets her vocal and lyrical quality stand out. So many more names come to mind but Tim Lyre is a great artist from Lagos with crazy good songwriting and flow, I have many of his songs on repeat. Then of course, there’s RAYE, who I’ve been listening to everyday, and I saw her perform this weekend, it was spectacular.
Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you this year?
A lot of remixes and collaborations are coming out in the next few months, which I’m thrilled about. I won’t give away any spoilers, but watch this space! I’m about halfway through writing my second EP which will be out in Winter of 2025. Expect more music videos, live shows and listening parties.
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