We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sjae. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with SJae below.

Hi SJae, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

There have been some projects that I didn’t realise were impactful until they were out there in the world. For example, I wrote and produced a song called ‘Burn It Down’ with Australian artist, Ricki-Lee Coulter some years ago and she received a message from someone saying that the song had saved them from committing suicide. That stopped me in my tracks, I felt so overcome with emotion. Stunned by the notion that our song had been a vehicle for good, and also really honored that it had made such a positive impact in someone’s life. I had heard other stories of how the first record I ever professionally produced – ‘What Will I Do’ by Terri Walker on Def Jam UK, had saved people’s marriages and relationships.
Projects that can hold a lot of meaning for me are children’s projects. I wrote some songs for Disney’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur with Raphael Saadiq, and I loved the challenge of blending educational, science based lyrics with catchy and cool melodies. Working on Ada Twist Scientist for Netflix, was also really cool in this way. Being able to contribute to inspirational and educational music that brings laughter, dancing and happy memories to children and younger people really is an honor, I love it so much. At the end of the day, to be part of anything that brings something positive to the world through music and story telling, is a huge sense of pride and I’m really grateful to be involved in it.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’ve been in the music industry since I was 16, first as a recording artist at RCA Records, but then as a songwriter and vocal producer, music producer and in the last 5 years, a composer.
I went to the Brit School of performing Arts in London, (alumni include Adele and Amy Winehouse), and signed a record deal shortly after graduating. But the record deal was probably the smallest aspect of my career, as I didn’t end up releasing a record during the years I was signed to RCA! But, I did get to travel back and forth to the US working with top producers and songwriters, and learning how to do what they did. That was invaluable. I started writing and producing for other artists and when I moved to LA, I had the opportunity to produce music for Tv shows, cues, original songs and such. Around 5 years ago, I was introduced to Netflix and have been working as a composer for many of their projects.
It’s hard to believe, but only 3% of all films are scored by female composers and only 2% of all records are professionally produced by women. It’s been that way for a really long time and the needle hasn’t moved much, but I’m hoping I can help increase those odds, and have more women working on more projects in this field. I’ve been told so many times by female artists how relieved and relaxed they are to work with a female producer, that there is a sense of safety and vulnerability they feel good about.
As I’ve had such a varied background, from being a pop / soul artist and producer in the UK, to a songwriter of dance music, I was in a rock band but I’m also classically trained – I’ve actually produced a lot of hip hop records too – I bring a unique sensibility and widespan knowledge of different genres to projects. For example if you need all the emotion of strings and piano, but a strong sense of current pop, with head noddable drums and emotional vocals, I’m your girl!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

In March 2020, just when the world fell from it’s axis due to the Covid pandemic, I was diagnosed with Thryoid cancer. I had two surgeries, plus radioactive iodine treatment, while everyone was isolating. It was so scary. 3 years later it recurred in my hip. I didnt’ tell any of the companies I was working with for fear that they wouldn’t continue to hire me, not because they werent’ all lovely people, but because they might think they didnt’ want to burden me with deadlines. But, work is what kept me and still keeps me going. Everyone needs a sense of purpose to give them hope and something to live for. I am still dealing with monitoring Thyroglobulin levels and trying to navigate what is still a puzzle, I may have to for the rest of my life, but I have done some of my best work in those times, and music is a healer, and the notion that people need you, is very sustaining.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Speaking for music creatives, I would say that reassessing the value music has in our lives and in entertainment is imperative. Every visual, whether it’s a film, tv show, documentary, commercial, needs music and cannot be impactful without it. Yet, it is the last thing to be prioritized when it comes to production budgets. We are always told, there’s not enough money, project is already over budget, please can we fix mistakes that have already cost money, the list is endless. It’s not sustainable.
Similarly with streaming platforms, they pay a laughable royalty for the creators of music. How can you expect to hear music with live strings, live musicians, beautifully mixed and mastered, when the money to be made from such a record would only pay for everyone’s coffee?
You would never ask a plumber to come to your house and fix your bathroom or a chef to come and cook dinner for all your friends purely for promotional purposes and exposure! We create the soundtrack to people’s lives, but sadly not compensated accordingly.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sjaeofficial.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sjaeofficial/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sjaeofficial/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-powell-33993912/
• Twitter: https://x.com/SJAEOFFICIAL
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sjaeofficial
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/sjaeofficial
• Other: ‘Paper Heart’s music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_U40wCabOs

Image Credits

Anna Azarov, Mark Lutzker