Interview: Sandra Mae Lux

Congrats on your recent music release!
How did your musical journey begin? What initially sparked your interest in music?

Thank you! It always feels good to put another song out into the world. My new single “Where Your Heart Rests” is a special one. You can have a listen here:

Music called to me from a very early age. My mom told me that I sang before I spoke haha. Some of my earliest memories are standing on tables and singing at family gatherings! I can’t tell you what initially sparked my interest, because it’s always been there, but I remember one moment very clearly when I was about 5 years old.
I had just heard the song “Will You Be There” by Michael Jackson in the film “Free Willy.” I walked over to their piano and played it note for note, and my grandparents were quite surprised!
I knew from that moment on that I wanted (and needed) to do something in music.

Can you describe some of the pivotal moments or turning points in your artistic development?

I started playing piano at age 6, took up saxophone at the age of 11, and guitar at 13.
In high school I joined every band and choir I could, even doing proper paid gigs!

As a very bullied teenager in highschool, music and the arts literally saved my life.
Music for me, especially in highschool, was sort of an escape from all that bullying. It was my safe place, my haven, a place where I could express my authentic self, knowing that I wouldn’t be judged or made fun of.
Were it not for encouragement from my extraordinary high school music teacher Jeremy Hepner, I might not be here. He opened my eyes to what a career in music could actually be, that it was even possible. And frankly if Jeremy hadn’t caught me at that time, I probably would have gone into some other career altogether, and been a very very unhappy person. In my last year of highschool he said to me “you don’t pursue music, music pursues you.” He went on to say that you can either do it now while you’re young, or find out that you have to do it later on, when it’s a lot harder!

So, I went to receive my Bachelors in Music in Jazz Studies on saxophone from Capilano University in Vancouver. That was definitely a turning point!

How have your musical tastes and influences evolved over time?

I think everyone’s music tastes evolve over time, which I think is great.
Growing up, I was very lucky to have a wide range of fabulous music playing in the house. Artists like Etta James, Otis Redding, Diana Krall, US3, Amy Winehouse, Astrud Gilberto, Stan Getz, Donny Hathaway, Bob Marley, Ella Fitzgerald, Earth, Wind & Fire, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs and Frank Sinatra all have an influence on my music.
When I went to elementary school and high school, I ended up listening to a lot of pop, rap & hip-hop which was playing on the radio at the time. I really enjoyed the phenomenal songwriting & producing master Max Martin; it’s like anything he touches turns to gold!
Then in university, I got into a lot of new jazz and neo-soul and R&B music like Robert Glasper, J Dilla, D’Angelo, Brian Blade. Now, my musical tastes and influences are all over the place, all while continuing to be inspired by everything I’ve heard before. I love listening to everything from The Carpenters to Mel Torme, Marty Robbins, Dionne Warwick, The Beatles, The Eagles, Bruno Mars…the list goes on!

Are there any specific experiences or challenges that have shaped your artistic identity?

The most challenging thing about being an artist (especially an independent one) is just trying to survive and make more art.
With record inflation, staggering financial inequality and a massive cost of living crisis (plus the fact that streaming does not pay), it’s almost impossible to make a living as an artist right now. Even the costs of gigging and touring are economically prohibitive. I work a few day jobs to be able to pay for rent, food, etc and also to pay for things like production and mastering costs, and other musicians to play on tracks. Working day jobs really makes it much more difficult to allow creativity and inspiration to happen. And even with those multiple jobs, it is quite a balancing act. It’s frustrating because I have so much music inside of me, so many more songs just dying to get out into the world, but the financial reality is that this can’t happen on a regular basis.

With all that being said, being a fully independent artist also gives me freedom to write, record and release music with total creative control – exactly how I want to, and how the music wants to come out. I know that cream rises to the top, so that’s the silver lining!

What role does experimentation play in your creative process?

I think all artists are always experimenting all the time. That IS the creative process.
You write something or play something, then listen back and go “does this work?” which is an experiment. If it does, great! If not, then you just keep experimenting until it does work. And trust me, all artists know when something does or doesn’t quite work!

Lately I’ve been experimenting with how I lay down tracks. I’m originally from Canada, now living in the UK, and I’m experimenting on having some of my fellow Canadian musicians play on a track remotely. It’s been a really interesting experience so far, and I think it’s definitely going in the right direction!

Can you share a particularly meaningful or memorable performance or recording session from your journey?

After finishing writing the album “Happily Ever Now” it was time to finally rehearse and road-test these babies with a live band. That in itself was a fabulous experience – it was like watching these songs come to life right in front of your eyes (and ears)!
What was even more special was when I performed the songs live at a lovely venue in central London, and the audience was mostly my friends, family and people who meant a lot to me. To have all of those special people in one room, singing along and dancing to these songs I’d written so lovingly with my writing partner was truly a magical experience.

Are there any recurring themes or concepts that you find yourself exploring in your music?
My writing partner and I tend to write “grown-up” songs. The themes I/we seem to explore often are the assumptions that are made about traditional relationships. Does marriage really mean “‘till death do us part?” Should one always struggle through stoically in a relationship that isn’t working, or do some relationships have a natural “sell-by date” that should be observed to save both people a lot of pain? We also tend to explore themes about hope, joy, and following that path you’re meant to be on. Recently we’ve explored the topic of bullying, and the depression and the anxiety it so often leads to. Songwriting can be such a therapeutic and cathartic experience!
My latest single “Where Your Heart Rests” explores the concept of what “home” really means.

How do you stay inspired and motivated to create new music?

Inspiration can strike at any time, anywhere which is really exciting. On the other hand, my writing partner and I do go through a few dry spells every now and then, but they’re happening less and less often.
Sometimes a stray line will just fall out, and that will become the basis of a whole new song. Sometimes we can barely keep up with writing the song, because the song is really falling out! Your job then is to just get out of the way and let the song come out through you.
The biggest thing is to stay consistent; just keep writing, even when you don’t feel like it. Not everything that comes out is going to be a staggering work of genius, but if you remove the pressure of trying to write a good song, then something truthful will come out. And the truth is always beautiful.

Looking back on your journey so far, what are some lessons or insights you’ve gained about yourself as an artist?

I’ve learned so many valuable lessons and gained so many insights over the years! I look forward to continuing to learn and evolve as an artist and human being. Here are just a few of the lessons I’ve learned so far:

There will be days when you want to throw your instrument out the window in frustration. Feel it, close the window, and come back to your instrument the next day.
Refrain from comparing yourself to others. A – what people post on social media is not reality, and B – comparison is the thief of happiness.
The older you get, the better you get at what you do. This is the big myth of the entertainment industry, that you have nothing to contribute the moment you turn 25. Truly understanding the form of songwriting takes both time and experience – there are no shortcuts.
There will be days when you wonder why you’re doing what you’re doing. Those are the moments when you remind yourself of that first spark, that first moment where you just “knew » that this was something you must do – the intuitive path that took you on this journey in the first place.
There are going to be people who will not like your music. In fact, there will be many people who will not like your music. The important thing is to be true to (who you are, true to) your art . Keep creating, and nurture a fan base of people who really love and support what you’re doing.