Sabira Jade

Tell us about yourself how long have you been making music, where are you from?
I grew up in a small town in Lancashire then I went to University in Devon Dartington College of Arts then I lived in London for 6 years. I then accidentally ended up in Yorkshire. I come from a very creative supportive and loving family for which I am very grateful.  I have been making music since I went to university so almost half my life. I didn’t really do or know music until then.

When did you realize you could be more than just a fan of music, that you could be a singer?
I always sang from a young age but some key moments that stick out are when I was 12 I sang at a cabaret at this hippy commune /holiday place we went to every summer and peoples reactions were really positive they were shocked that I could sing like that which was definitely encouraging. Then when I was 17/18 I wrote my first song and people loved it so I changed my path from acting to singing/song writing. Then I guess when I did my first gig as part of my university course and we did a broken down version of Daniel Bedingfields I gotta get through this with just cello and bass guitar and vocals. The crowd went crazy and I got that buzz that high and I thought yes I want to and can do this this is amazing.

Do you remember when or why you fell in love with singing?
Again several moments, first when I was a kid watching some Saturday morning music chart show and they played the Mary J Blige Goin Down video and I think my jaw literally dropped and I was hypnotized at how good she was and how dope and emotive the song was. I thought wow I want to do THAT! Then watching Lauryn hill perform on MTV awards lost one / everything is everything wow what a performance I had major goosebumps. I still love watching that and feeling that power/message/vibration her and her band creates. Most recently I did a tiny gig this NYE just gone for a charity to raise money for the local flood relief fund. I hadn’t performed in a long time and I didn’t really feel like a singer. While singing I began to feel such joy and back in alignment with who I am that I knew that it was wrong of me to do anything else but sing so yes I guess I fell back in love with it again and again and again.

What are you up to at the moment?
At the moment I’m working on several projects. I just released my first solo song via bandcamp called I harbour which feels really empowering as all my previous releases have been through someone elses project with them in charge. I feel like Im just starting to present my voice, who I am as an artist. Im working on some intimate showcases of my music under the title of WHAT IF I AM BRAVE. This has challenged me to be brave and be responsible for creating the right environment to connect with an audience and share my ideas.
I also just released a track called Secret Need with a great guy called Trommel Tobi, we hope to release an EP soon through their Berlin based label Long Lost Relative.
Im working on 2 other exciting projects with some sick producers that I wont go into yet as they aren’t fully birthed but trust me they are dope!

What do you do to find inspiration?
I connect to source I pray I meditate I listen to and look to artists I love. I find inspiration always comes quite easily to me sometimes too much then I’m overwhelmed with ideas. I just have to connect but when it doesn’t I know not to force it as its not the right time place or energy for something good to come through. However sometimes it just comes when you’re on the train, at work, in the shower and you just got to be ready to receive.

Whats your dream song collaboration dead or alive?
Hmmmm id love to do a song with all my music sisters /contemporaries which could actually happen, but maybe D’angelo, Donny Hathaway or Bjork would be cool. However I’m terrible at meeting people I admire Id probably just stare at them the whole time in shock and maybe cry Im not very cool.

What would you say you most enjoy about making music?
When you are vibing/jamming with other musicians and you’re making a dope new song and everything feels connected, its a similar feeling to falling in love.

What would you say you least enjoy about making music?
The Ego.

Tell us something people might not know about you?
I was brought up muslim from birth, I no longer practice any specific religion but my spirituality is still a very important part of my life and creative practice. My name is Arabic and people often don’t know how to pronounce it so heres how Sarbara like Barbara but with an S.

If you could go back in time a chat to a 10 year old Sabira jade what would you say?
Hey you you’re ok and I love you, you don’t fit in and that’s a good thing, and you’re right school is rubbish but learning isn’t!

You recently released I Harbour via Bandcamp its got a very soulful ethereal feel can you tell us how you came up with the record?
That song came at a time in my life when great change/growth was happening and I was given the track by one of my producers Josh Crocker. When I sat down to write to it, it almost fell out of me in one take. I often just press record and see what comes out first. I didn’t change it much I just thought right that’s how that song is meant to be.

Anybody you wanna big up & say hello to?
I feel like Im super lucky and know a lot of really talented and powerful people who support and inspire me especially women so….
Ruby Wood, Heather Mclelland, Belle Benham, Ego Ella May, Eva Lazarus, Bethany Johnson, Charlie Carr, Kim Blackburn, my sister Leila, my Mother, Georgia Meyer, Alice Morgan, Ruby Colley, My Godmothers, Sheena Tutt, Anna Barrow, Jane Morley, Grace Gelder, Clarissa Carlyon, Laura Pace, Erica Dee, Charlene Hoola Davis, Charlie Casley, Leah Brown, Sarina Wildsuga, Sara Campbell, Tash Kmeto, Junior Williams, Benaiah Matheson, Shane Solanki, Tom Henry, Josh Crocker, Apatight, Tobi, Jannis Jakarta, My Dad, Luke Bywaters, Ben Popel, My brother Khalil! All dope people doing great things look them up….I will definitely have missed people so apologies to you, you are in my heart.

You can check out Sabira’s new sing I Habour below:
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You can also check out more of her music via her Soundcloud:

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