Interview with Singer-Songwriter Spade

Rising pop music artist Spade hails from Canada and is ready to take on the music world. She has spent time in Los Angeles recording with many reputable writers and producers such as Bantu, Tommy Brown, Soaky Siren, and more. Spade has always connected with her artistic self and has written music that is both personal, relatable, and creative. Read the interview to find out more.

PLEASE, BRIEFLY INTRODUCE YOURSELF, WHO IS SPADE IN YOUR OWN WORDS?
My name is Spade. I am a singer-songwriter from Toronto who loves to create and be vulnerable through my music.  

WHO OR WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO TAKE UP COMPOSING, AND PURSUE A CAREER IN MUSIC?
I grew up in a very musical household, so a lot of my family members influenced me to try different instruments and sing. I discovered composing music when I was about 10 years old. I didn’t really realize that I was actually composing until my dad made a cute comment to 10 year old me at the piano saying “I guess we have a Diana Krall in our house now!”. I immediately googled her and realized… “Oh! This is what I am doing!”.  I grew up listening to some unreal artists like Michael Jackson, Prince, and Celine Dion … to name a few. I really appreciated how vulnerable they were and how they just had this zest for life. They had such a strong stage presence when performing music they wrote. I was always so inspired to want to create my own material and perform it like them.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE MUSIC THAT YOU TYPICALLY CREATE?
My music and writing style dives deep into a journey. It’s vulnerable and bold with colour. My EP in particular really explores the journey of love and loss. I like playing with light and dark themes and how we navigate through that as a human being with emotions.

WHAT HAVE BEEN THE GREATEST CHALLENGES OF YOUR CAREER SO FAR?
Honestly, this EP! This has been the most challenging and rewarding experience. I finally got to create something with the help of professionals in the industry. I had to challenge my-self to write about things that were very meaningful for me… whether it was a fun and easy thing to express, or a hard thing to express. I needed to be completely open to try new things and take risks. I am so glad I did it!

WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE MUSICIANS?
Like I mentioned before, Michael Jackson, Prince, Celine Dion, and Diana Krall are all people who inspire me because of their musicianship, hard work, and dedication to their craft. There are few others that are more current that I really admire. Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, and Demi Lovato to name a few. It is so hard to try to narrow down my favorites! I love and respect so many. 

HOW IMPORTANT IS PERSONAL BRANDING IN YOUR PROFESSION? 
Personal branding is VERY important. It is important to know how you want to be viewed by complete strangers who come across your music and then take a good look at you to connect the dots. I try to brand everything in a positive and personal way. I think that is the best approach when branding yourself. 

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER YOUNG MUSICIANS? 
The advice I would give to a young musician is to not be so hard on yourself. I should probably take my own advice haha… but us young musicians tend to put so much pressure on ourselves to be perfect and to have all the answers right away. You don’t need the answers in 5 minutes. You don’t need to look perfect and have everything developed and answered about who you are. You are growing… and people admire artists who grow because the listeners will grow with them. Be open and challenge yourself to try things you’ve never tried before. Create things you never created before!

To know more about Spade don’t forget to follow her on Instagram @thisisspade and Twitter @thisisspade