We get to know Thaïs Sala, the Paris-born singer and songwriter and cultural curator whose rich, global upbringing has shaped her into one of 2024’s most compelling new artists. With her latest single ‘Sleeves’ from her forthcoming debut EP, Echo Museum, set to release on August 21st, the artist continues to captivate with her unique blend of soulful vocals and electronic rhythms. We delve into her creative process, the influences of her multicultural background, and how she crafts music that resonates on a deeply emotional level, making her a rising star in the modern music landscape.
Welcome to Unrecorded! Since this is your first time with us, can you introduce yourself?
Thank you so much! I’m Thaïs Sala, a musician and cultural curator from Marrakech, Morocco. I was born in Paris, and I grew up between Marrakech and the UK before moving to Montreal for university. I was lucky enough to become a part of a community of musicians with whom I was able to find myself as an artist and performer. I’m a total audiovisual addict, approaching my craft through “sight, sound and soul”. I blend my passions for music and film, photography, fashion and art in general. My music is a mixture of electronic rhythm with soulful vocals that oscillate from more high pitched, delicate notes to my signature, much lower husky voice. I like to think of my vocal style as embodying a sonic duality of vulnerability and strength, something which also permeates my lyrics, which I write with an almost obsessive precision. I’m always on a quest for the perfect word to capture my process of digesting complex tides of everyday emotion. The end result, which I believe you really get from my debut EP, is what I like to call “dance floor-ready introspection”.
Growing up in the Moroccan countryside, our home was filled with jazz, bossa nova, soul and hip hop. Some of my major influences, who I was introduced to at a young age, are Sade, Erykah Badu and India Arie. I always credit them as having taught me to sing, having received no formal vocal training (for the time being – I want to start taking singing lessons soon, but really wanted to release a first complete body of work with my raw, untrained voice first). Something that really helped me find my musical identity and grow as an artist was working as a bandleader hosting improvisational jam sessions in Montreal, where I collaborated with various local musicians who all taught me so much. Aside from music, I’ve had my poetry published online by the Serpentine Gallery, and I still write a lot of poems. I run a Creatives in Residence program in Marrakech, providing artists from across disciplines with opportunities to delve deeper into their craft whilst connecting with the movers and shakers of our amazing local cultural scene. Everything I do is grounded in community and creativity, it’s what makes me tick!
Let’s dive right in and talk about your single ‘Sleeves’, what does this single mean to you?
I wrote this project whilst going through a lot of personal change. A process of learning and unlearning, in order to get closer, hopefully, to a better self. 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, a space that’s really become home for me over the years. Navigating some of the growth pains that are just inherent to life, and doing it through music, is a really special, powerful thing. Getting to write these songs with a close friend in a safe space of unbridled creative freedom and no inhibitions, is such a 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 a lot of the progress I had made as a person and by extension as an artist. In many ways this song is a milestone for me. I feel it represents the storytelling I want to channel, and at the same time I pushed myself into a vocal direction that felt 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 in some small way the message will inspire a similar acceptance in others.
Why were you drawn to the theme of clothing as a form of emotional expression?
I was pondering on the performative aspect of emotion. How we smile even when we’re sad. How we reply “good, thanks!” to “how are you?” when it’s actually really not a good day at all. But also about how we sometimes unlock within ourselves the ability to transcend how we feel, especially the difficult parts. And what if feelings were like items of clothing you could choose to put on or take off? What is left of us when we move beyond emotion entirely? Is that even something we can do? These are all the sorts of questions I was asking myself when I started writing the song. It all stemmed from the expression “I wear my heart on my sleeve” which is the first line of the song. In the music video I directed for it, which is out soon, clothing is central to the concept. I really wanted to visually express the metaphor of emotional fabric.
What’s your songwriting process like?
Ideally, and luckily this is usually the case, we’ll be in the studio and write everything from scratch. We might jump right in or play each other a few reference songs, moods we are inspired by. Moses will sit at one of his synths and play a few simple chords as he flips through plug-ins, and one will catch our ear. We’ll try it out and perhaps decide to do away with it after a few minutes, until we find the one that feels right. And what feels right can always change, which is a beautiful thing. I love how the songs take on a life of their own sometimes, like they’re writing themselves. I’ll usually start to hum or skat a rough topline, trying to find words to give it body. I’m usually writing pretty fast, always by hand. I get super inspired in these sessions. By the time Moses has made the basic working structure to lay the vocals on, I’ll have a couple verses and a chorus at least. Lyrically I get inspired by everyday things, like someone I observed on the bus, or the words on the spine of a book on the shelf. All I need is a prompt, and then the ideas start flowing out. In the past most of the words on the page would end up on the record. But these days I tend to try and filter phrases that I don’t find as strong, or that don’t serve the purpose of my idea. The same is true of the amount of time spent working on a song. I used to write and record a song in a session, then never touch it again, that was the song that would come out. Now, especially with Moses, we’re going back and changing words, toplines, arrangements, plugins, refining the sound in a way that captures our evolution as artists. It’s an interesting exercise, the redraft is always the hardest part. But critical and so rewarding. I love chipping away at the piece like it’s some kind of sonic sculpture.
Who are some of the major influences on your sound?
The mood I associate with my music is inspired by artists like Sevdaliza, Ibeyi and Banks. They’ve all got a unique sound that feels to me like they have crafted their own genre by creating their own universe. I’m really studying how they use their voices and the mix to build this sonic texture, something between the digital and the spiritual that I think about a lot when I’m writing songs. I have also had a lot of influence vocally and melodically to be precise, from the artists I list in the next answer.
Who would be your dream collaboration?
Sade doesn’t do collaborations but her band and herself as a performer have had a major influence on me, not a day goes by that I don’t listen to their music. I’ve always listened to Lianne La Havas, and it would be a dream to even witness her writing process, her music speaks to me on so many levels. Producers who inspire me enormously that it would be a dream to work with are Terrace Martin, Branko, Bonobo, and James Blake. I absolutely love Maverick Sabre, Allan Rayman and Jordan Rakei, all of whom blend and bend genres in a super interesting way, all the while boasting this incredible songwriting, both lyrically and vocally, that honestly goes straight to my heart.
Who are some newer bands and artists currently on your listening rotation right now?
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. HASNA and Rita Kamale are 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 come to the fore. 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.
As a member of Paris’ multicultural community, has music helped you navigate your identity and find connection with others?
Although I recently started working with Paris-based musicians, I haven’t spent as much time there compared to other places such as Marrakech, London and Montreal, but in general wherever I am in the world, music helps with everything. It’s a catalyst for building resilient communities, it’s a means of getting to know and understand yourself better in a world full of contradictions. A dear friend and fellow musician once told me not to define myself based on what I do, be it music or anything else. I am hooked on playing and making music, the healthiest of addictions in my opinion. I can’t imagine my life or the world without it. That said, I believe that the deep connection I have to people I create with, would exist regardless. Some spirits have paths that are simply meant to cross. But yes, that intersection can be that much more profound if it is done in the cosmic conversation that is music.
Do you have any advice for fellow or future songwriters who want to branch out of their comfort zone?
I’m so lucky to work with musicians who challenge me to step out of my comfort zone, particularly in terms of vocal style. Moses is always trying to encourage me to experiment with different styles of singing, to leave the comfort of my low vocal register and try to reach for those higher, head-voice notes. I like mixing these two spaces, the pieces of your artistry you know like the back of your hand and the sides that are for you more off the beaten path. My advice is to try and find people or even places that inspire and motivate you to try new things. Experiment, don’t be afraid to make mistakes. In art, as in all things, there is a high risk, high reward trade off. And if that seemingly crazy idea you were too shy to try doesn’t work out, what’s the worst that could happen? On the other hand, if it does fit, you’ve just unlocked a new level in the video game that is your creative brain.
And lastly, what can fans expect from Thaïs Sala this year?
A lot of collaborations are coming out in the next few months, which I’m thrilled about. I won’t give away any spoilers, but do stay tuned! I’m about halfway through writing my second EP which will be out in 2025. Expect more music videos, live shows and listening parties.
You can also listen to ‘Sleeves’ in our Shades of Pop playlist.
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