Creating truly vulnerable music can be hard for some musicians to tap into. For 23-year old, Sasha Sloan, she executes perfectly. Sloan’s vocals can be recognized on Kygo’s “This Town” or Odesza’s “Falls”, but she is now paving her own path.
Studying as a jazz pianist at Berkeley, Sloan never imagined then that she would dive head first into the pop world. As a songwriter, she was skeptical of taking a solo career and putting out her own music. Sloan has co-written hits such as “Never Be the Same” by Camila Cabello and “Track 10” by Charli XCX. Her debut EP, sad girl, was released back in April and showcases her continuous evolving sound while speaking her truth.
One of the tracks that sticks out is ‘Normal’. The song opens with a single guitar strumming but picks up into a beat driven song with crisp vocals. It’s a danceable pop track, but if you listen closely to the lyrics it’s something more.
Think I drank too much again
Looks like fun, but it’s pretend
Why do I try to fit in
When I just wanna go home
And I know this isn’t like me
I just want people to like me
‘Normal’ paints the picture of an introvert going to a party. “Most of my life I’ve felt like an outsider so I would go to parties to feel like I fit in. There isn’t a single lyric in this song that isn’t true,” Sloan says about the track.
And I’m just part of the crowd
But I feel better now
Sloan wrote ‘Normal’ at a time when she had a lot of problems in her life and was partying to forget about all of it. Her very honest writing tells the story of her pretending to be someone else but knowing it’s not her at all. Sloan’s honest writing and emotion show through, which makes a point that she’s here to stay. With her heay songwriting, you wouldn’t expect her songs to have a pop sound, but it’s a great mix.
And I know this isn’t like me
I just want people to like me
Got my glass up in the air
And I act like I don’t care
Take a look at her music video for ‘Normal’ below!
Upcoming Tour Dates
July 9: SummerStage, Central Park
July 10: Great Scott
July 13: Newport Music Hall
July 14: Cannery Ballroom
July 16: Delmar Hall
July 17: The Jones Assembly
August 2-5: Lollapalooza 2018
August 10-12: Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival 2018
August 31-September 2: Bumbershoot 2018
October 19-21: Lost Lake Festival 2018
October 23: Deluxe, Old National Centre
October 24: Marathon Music Works
October 27: The Plaza Live
October 31: The Fillmore Charlotte
November 2: Stage AE
November 4: Toad’s Place
November 18: Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez
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