Presented in partnership with Mississauga Music and Modern Mississauga Media.

In conversation with Mississauga’s award winning singer songwriter, Sarah Catharine.

In 2022, she was nominated for a Mississauga Music award in the Emerging Talent of the Year category. Last year, she was the winner of a Mississauga Arts Award for Best Emerging Solo Vocalist.

Rob Aguiar: Sarah, ever since you added your light to Glimpsepalooza 5 in June of 2023, I have been following your journey. I’m happy to connect with you again to share a glimpse into the heart of the singer songwriter that you are. This is going to be fun!

Sarah Catharine: Thank you so much for having me! It was so much fun working with you and the kids in Glimpsepalooza.

RA: I’ve read online that at one point you were writing all your songs in your car. Is this still the case? Can you share a glimpse into your creative space or rituals that help you get into the songwriting mindset?

SC: Yes, I do write and record my songs in my car! Since writing inspiration can hit at any time, I don’t necessarily write all of them in the car, but I do record all of them in the car. All I need is my phone and a keyboard or guitar, and I’ll start writing songs. There’s a ton of random lyrics in my Notes app that I write whenever inspiration hits.

“My songs are very personal and I don’t go out of my way to be “relatable” when I write them, but I recognize that certain themes and experiences are common.”

RA: I’ve learned that artists can often struggle with feelings of self-doubt. How do you navigate moments of uncertainty or self-criticism during the songwriting process and what strategies do you employ to overcome them?

SC: I’m typically pretty hard on myself, but when it comes to my music, I get so sucked into the songwriting process that the music & lyrics just flow out of me. I honestly don’t think too much about it until afterwards when I’m producing the music. That’s where I get really critical and nitpicky over things, and it’s the part that takes me the longest. My advice for anyone struggling with this is to just remember a song will never be “done”, you can always keep perfecting and changing it but then no one will ever hear it. I’d rather release something I’m happy with vs. waiting for it to be perfect and never doing anything with it.

RA: Your lyrics delve into vulnerable and personally authentic themes. How do you find that balance between personal authenticity and lyrics that are relatable to a wider audience?

SC: Songwriting is very therapeutic for me. I’m not big on sharing my feelings with others, but writing songs allows me to put my thoughts and emotions into words and musical compositions. My songs are very personal and I don’t go out of my way to be “relatable” when I write them, but I recognize that certain themes and experiences are common. And even though I write about detailed and specific moments, there are a lot of people who relate to my songs, which makes me sad to think they had a similar experience. But it is also beautiful to have the capacity to connect with people all over the world because of it.

RA: Can you share a specific moment or experience that significantly influenced the creation of a lyric or the direction of a song you wrote?

SC: In 2023, I released my first album “Dear You”, which was a chronological rollercoaster of emotions and memories with a specific person. Through it all, I didn’t have any hatred towards the person. I truly believed they were a good person who just made mistakes and never intended to hurt me. There’s a lyric in my song “Come Over” that says “I know that you were not a bad person, you just treated me badly.” But a few months after releasing the album, something happened and I learned they were actually quite cruel and malicious. My latest song “Navy Sheets'' is about that realization. It captures all the emotions; hope, fear, confusion, sadness, anger, regret, reflection, pettiness and so on. “Navy Sheets” closed that chapter for me.

“I live in my head a lot and I am always daydreaming or in deep thought, so taking the time to basically do nothing helps me to relax. ”

RA: Artists can transform creative energy into a work of art that the listener makes their own. It must be a rewarding but exhausting process. How do you nurture your creative spirit while ensuring a healthy work-life balance? How does Sarah Catharine unwind?

SC: Almost all of my songs are sad, so yes it’s extremely exhausting both emotionally and creatively when I write. Surrounding myself with friends and family that I love helps me to unwind. I also really value my alone time. I live in my head a lot and I am always daydreaming or in deep thought, so taking the time to basically do nothing helps me to relax.

RA: Looking ahead to the rest of 2024 and beyond, what are your aspirations as an artist, both creatively and professionally?

SC: For the last couple years, I’ve been pulling “content” from the same person or situation because it had a big impact on me, but I’m very much looking forward to exploring something new. I’m excited to test out different themes and sounds and venture into different styles of music production which is really fun for me. I also plan to continue with regular live performances and hopefully get to perform with other musicians more!

RA: Thanks Sarah! It’s been wonderful getting to learn more about you through a lyric and songwriting lens. I wish you nothing but the best in all that you strive to achieve as you continue your artistic journey.

SC: Thanks again for having me as part of this interview series, it’s been such a pleasure!

Connect with Sarah here!