It's really important for us to support our local musical talent. Especially when they are this talented. At 25, Sarah Shébani has recently released her first EP Alter Ego. For a home grown talent, who quit her job to pursue her music, who worked continuously writing and recording songs, shooting videos and marketing the album, we are definitely impressed.
The first single from Alter Ego, Ocean on Fire along with the video, is a subtle, catchy, layered song. It shows off Sarah's writing abilities and her talent of drawing the listener in, not only through the serene tone of her voice but through her story telling abilities.
Creating an album this ambitious is a journey. But Sarah isn't done yet. She's off to study song writing in London, to hone her skills and try and expose more of her talent abroad.
Between her hectic schedule of recording a new video, organising her trip and promoting her album, Sarah met with us.
Down to earth, open and incredibly modest about her talents and achievements, Sarah spoke to us about her passion for music, the scene in Dubai and the story behind Alter Ego.
Music History
I've always sung ever since I was 14. I was a little shy about it. I mean I never told anyone about it. In high school, I tried to push myself to do that. In University I did some talent shows and competitions and stuff like that.
How it all started
I used to work in a production house but then I quit my job because I realised that I'm really passionate about music and that's what I wanted to do. I've been focused on that for the last two years. I started freelancing as a videographer and photography while I started my YouTube channel performing around Dubai at acoustic gigs like Freshly Ground Sounds and whatever gig came my way. At some point, I felt like I reached a dead end with all the acoustic stuff, I was mainly doing a lot of covers. I wanted to start writing my own original music and that's when I started the EP.
Starting on YouTube
I created a platform for myself, I put myself out there and it brought me some exposure. Not in a crazy way but I got approached by people saying, 'why don't you come perform in this gig or that gig?' The more I did that, the more I realised that I was getting involved in the music scene in Dubai.
Dubai Music Scene
It's definitely growing. I think it needs a lot of hard work but it's definitely better than what it used to be a couple of years back. What needs to happen is a few things. Let's say there is a festival happening, it would be cool to have some sort of stage for local artists to perform, not just international artists. I think that would be really interesting. And I think that it would be really cool if radio stations promoted more local talent. They don't do that at the moment. And there is talent here that truly deserves that exposure.
Pursuing Dreams
I couldn't really get it out of my head. At some point I felt like I wasn't even aware of my surroundings. I was working, I was going about my day, but I was constantly thinking about what if, one day, I'd wake up and realise that I didn't really follow a dream. That was a scary idea. So, I thought I might as well do it now.
The Creative Process
There are so many ways you can go about a song. Your producer can compose a melody and tell you to check this song out and ask you to lay some lyrics on it. So you put the song on loop and you try to figure out, how you're going to go about it. That's one way I did it. There are two other songs that I wrote on the EP that I wrote on the guitar. Then another one where I had a melody stuck in my head in the car and I just recorded it on my phone and then worked on it.
The Fear factor
I feel like there's always the fear factor in the back of your head. You're constantly thinking, 'what am I doing?' I mean, yes, you love it and you're very passionate about it. You're not doing this for fame, for me at least, there is a different connection . . . I love it so much, I'm afraid of losing it at one point and that it might not take me anywhere. That's the hardest thing to accept.
The Dream
Having your music reach as many people as possible. No in the sense of fame but in the sense that you can reach a bigger platform and that can obviously lead to you being able to provide for yourself. It's really a hit or miss.
Writing the EP
It took seven months to complete six songs. I learnt this in the last seven months. It's actually one of the hardest things I've ever had to commit to. There's hardly any sleep, you have to manage your time by yourself, you're your own boss, and you're your own social media person. You do everything. You have to make sure that you're getting more likes, more followers, promoting your album properly. And then there's song writing and working with other people and you might not agree on some points. So many things can happen.
When to Stop
When you know that you've tried everything. So, at some point, he would say, let's try a different tone for the piano, let's try a different tone for the drums or whatever it is. And then once you realise that nothing sounds as good as what you have and you are satisfied and really comfortable and you've given it your best shot. That's when you know it's done. It's ready. You feel like you're ready to share this with the world; you feel like this is ready to go out now. It's no longer yours somehow.
The Name
So when I first started recording I realised that I had more to say and I was a little bit more opinionated than I usually come off. I was very honest with my lyrics and started to say things that I don't usually. I addressed topics that I don't usually address on a daily basis. Then I was sitting with Mohammad Ryan Bailouni (producer) at some point and I said that I felt people might think I went in a completely different direction especially since the EP has a little bit of contemporary R&B. I don't want them to think that I'm forgetting about my own self. I feel like this is my alter ego, so he stopped me and he said that's a great EP title.
Alter Ego
I would say it's my own personal thoughts and emotions that I was too afraid to address at some point because sometimes there are things that are left unsaid, be it taboo or too dramatic. I might not be comfortable enough to say these things out loud just walking into a restaurant or sitting with a bunch of people, but as an expression, as music that's what Alter Ego is about. It's what I'm not able to express. Just being me. It's an outlet, it's an escape.
