Introducing: SJae

Introducing SJae, the trailblazing producer, composer, and songwriter whose career spans two decades and multiple genres. Known off-stage as Samantha Powell or Sammy Jay, SJae has become a rare force in the music industry, one of the few female producers and composers breaking through with her innovative sound. Her upcoming EP, *Paper Hearts*, dives into folk, blues, country, and soul, creating a raw, soulful exploration of the human spirit, inspired by the turbulent times of the pandemic and her personal battle with thyroid cancer.

Set to release its title track on February 10, 2024, *Paper Hearts* encapsulates the power of resilience, bringing together a stellar lineup of award-winning musicians who recorded their parts in isolation, seamlessly united by SJae’s creative vision. From scoring soundtracks and trailers for Netflix to working with icons like Raphael Saadiq, her work is marked by a profound ability to bridge emotional storytelling with technical mastery. A Brit School alum with a storied career, SJae is recognized not only for her hit collaborations but also for her poignant lyricism and soulful production style.

In this interview, SJae opens up about her journey, creative process, and the deeper meanings woven into her latest project, Paper Hearts.

1. Your upcoming EP 'Paper Hearts' blends multiple genres like folk, blues, and soul. How did your personal experiences during the pandemic and your battle with thyroid cancer influence the emotional depth and direction of this project?

 It was a time when I was craving music that was gentle and honest, anything that felt like a balm for the soul, for my nervous system. So musically, I knew I wanted to put something out in the world, that felt peaceful, an antidote to all the accusatory, judgemental, confrontational and fraught vibes that were swirling around any time you checked the news, or social media. The lyrics came from a sense of everyone being so divided and polarised, everyone feeling that their chosen side were the experts, yet really, none of us understood anything, other than we were facing a huge loss and no one wanted to make it worse. Of course everyone had different ideas on how to not make things worse! Something acoustic and intimate feeling, felt like the right direction to support that intention. That was how Paper Hearts came about. 

The rest of the EP is about the duality of being human and how we exist as this multi dimensional, glorious yet flawed people, with both light and shadow. I wanted it to be inspirational and motivational, as with ‘Change The Wind’, but also gutsy and edgy, the type of songs that are soulful and make you nod your head, but also make you think at the same time, like ‘Anti-Hero’. We all have egos and attitudes, all at the same time as having the potential to be angels. So I think the EP reflects all of those things.

2. You’ve worked with award-winning musicians like Hutch Hutchinson, MB Gordy, and Diego Garcia, who recorded their parts in isolation for 'Paper Hearts.' How did this remote collaboration process impact the creative and production workflow of the EP?

During the pandemic, so many musicians were stuck at home, gigs and tours cancelled, no income, no in person collaboration, so we were all looking for ways to connect and keep creating. Hutch was my neighbor in studio city, he used to give my dog Tux deli chicken and she made him her best friend! MB Gordy, I met through going to a composer’s breakfast club in Malibu, he was always so encouraging and supportive. Diego had played with us on a session I was producing for Netflix, where we recorded a version of “Bella Ciao’, made popular by their show ‘Money Heist’.

We all recorded our parts separately, in isolation. Diego recorded his guitar on a boat, out in the middle of the ocean somewhere! I had recorded a rough scratch, the guys played to that, sent me the parts online, and I added piano, strings and vocals around that and mixed it. I would check the mixes in the car, and mixed it about 7 different times before settling on what we have now. I didn’t want to make it too perfect, like, I think the vocal could have been better, or I should’ve done some adlibs, but it was the first vocal I recorded after have two surgeries on my throat, so I wanted it to be what it was in that moment!

3. As one of the few women in the music production and composing field, what challenges have you faced in the industry, and how have you navigated them to carve out such a successful and diverse career?

I do think that I have had less opportunities as a female producer, than if I had been a man, I don’t really fit the ‘look’ of what people think a record producer or composer should be. (I've been told that more than once!) There’s just a general assumption that women don’t produce, and so often you’re not even a thought in someone’s mind as a potential producer. It’s not that they are intentionally keeping work from you, it's just been in the psyche of people for so long that women aren’t technical, in the music industry at least. I’m hoping that’s changing with Gen Z, and the accessibility to technology. I had to check my ego too, I had to let go of the idea of ‘I should’ be getting this gig, or be paid a certain amount, only work with a certain type of artist etc. When you start saying yes to all kinds of things, including projects that may be challenging, out of your comfort zone etc, the world starts to open up. 

4. From scoring Netflix shows and Disney projects to producing for KPop and UK garage artists, your career spans many mediums and genres. What’s the key to maintaining versatility while staying true to your artistic identity?

I’ve always been super passionate about all kinds of different styles of music. I’ve been a Sheryl Crow fan at the same time as a massive Janet Jackson fan (all things Jam and Lewis really!) and I was in a rock band in London for a few years before I moved to LA, at the same time that I was producing Terri Walker’s ‘I Am’ Album, which was Rnb / Soul. You have to come at it as really respecting a genre, not just ‘knocking out’ songs or tracks to throw everything at the wall with minimum time commitment in the hope that something sticks. Really commit to what you’re doing within that genre, and get inside the artist’s head and heart, help them musically articulate what they are emotionally experiencing. That, and for me, I just want to put out beautiful things into the world. And beauty comes in different packages.

5. 'Paper Hearts' conveys themes of fragility, strength, and acceptance. What message or feeling do you hope listeners take away from this project, especially in light of the tumultuous global events it reflects?

I hope ‘Paper Hearts’ can help bring some unity to people, when we are so divided. We are ALL flawed and fragile, I don’t think any of us really has it all figured out. We all ultimately want the same thing, we just have different ideas on how to get there.