Sasha Siem is a triple threat: singer, songwriter and cellist originally hailing from London. The musician is getting ready to release a new, exciting album this month called Holy, which is her third. The daughter of Norwegian business titan Kristian Siem, Sasha is also sister to violin star and Dior face Charlie Siem and married to Lord Henry Scrymgeour, with whom she has a 2-year-old son. Sasha, who wrote most of the new album when she lived in Brooklyn with her family, infuses her music with spirituality, empowerment, feminism and also calls-to-action about changing life circumstances. We chatted with the songstress about her new album and where she draws inspiration.
Tell us about your journey to becoming a singer...SASHA SIEM: I started playing the piano when I was 5 years old and wrote my first song when I was 11. I came across a poetry book that included Maya Angelou’s “The Caged Bird” and I sat down and set it to music. Within a few minutes, it had written itself. Later in life I took a long journey into academic music, writing for orchestras and opera houses. But I soon felt something was missing within and decided to take time out and move to Berlin. I put aside all my instruments that I knew how to play and went down to a local music shop and bought myself a ukulele and just followed my joy. I stopped doing things out of duty and I wrote my first album. From there it’s been a case of listening to my true voice.
Where do you draw inspiration from?SS: From everywhere would be the honest answer. I think what music does for me is it wakes me up. When I hear a song that I love, it makes every cell in my body feel alive and that’s what I want my songs to do for people. To shake off any of the fog that can accumulate. I want my songs to cut through to remind people that joy is possible no matter what they’ve been through.
Tell us about your recent album!SS: This album is very specific because it was recorded at 432 Hertz. I worked together with a friend of mine who calls himself a sound alchemist. He is very meticulous in the science of acoustics. When I was at Cambridge I also studied acoustics. This is taking my ethos a whole step further. Studies show that when people listen to music recorded at 432 Hertz the human body goes into homeostasis, a state of love. So it is known by some as the love frequency. When people listen, it gives people a break. It’s giving people a chance to relax and heal.
What's the best thing about being a mother?SS: I have a song out at the moment called "Eve Eyed." It is a song for every goddess on the planet. Every woman I meet, I am humbled by this flame of womanhood we carry with us. I felt ashamed of my femininity when I was younger without knowing it. It was probably because of the education system that I had been raised in, which taught me to be achieving and push through when I was tired… a lot of what we might call those masculine traits. In order to be healthy, we need to have everything in balance. I was afraid of becoming a mom because I didn't see many models of women still being able to explore their passions while still being mothers. There is a way and it is to be respected and whatever a woman chooses to do whether it’s everything or focusing on one thing like career, that is her choice and really to be respected.
What’s something people don’t know about you?SS: Jewelry designing. Two themes that go through all the songs on the album: the eye and the sun. Light and seeing. The relationship between spirit and matter. I really feel that the ultimate truth. The union between them is what we are here to manifest in this physical life. This has given birth to a jewelry line that we will share in due course.
What do you love about living in NYC? Favorite Neighborhood spots?SS: I love that Brooklyn is constantly reinventing itself. We love the Brooklyn Bridge. We love hopping on the ferry. We take a trip almost every Saturday.
