POESY, otherwise known as Sarah Botelho, is the Canadian musician that taking the industry by storm. She has recently released her latest and most exciting track to date, "Diamonds", with the equally captivating music video dropping today. Recognised for her stint on the first season of the Canadian music competition The Launch, POESY has since gone on to achieve millions of streams on Spotify alone and amass a loyal following with her numerous noteworthy releases.
We caught up with POESY this week to discuss all things "Diamonds", the trials and tribulations of staying creative in 2020, and just what we can expect in the new year...
What was your song writing process with ‘Diamonds’?
I wrote Diamonds two years ago with Derek Hoffman (who also produced the track). It was my first proper co-write with anyone in the industry and I remember feeling very nervous and unsure of how the process was meant to go. Derek is a very warm soul in the studio and we ended up having a lengthy chat before getting started (my favourite part about writing sessions), and arrived at the conclusion that we were both feeling the pressure of what we "should" have already done with our lives. That was the inspiration behind Diamonds and once he laid down the big booming drums of the chords, I yelled out "Oh my love" and we knew we had something. In short, my song writing process is very spur of the moment.
You have been immersed in music for most of your life, how have you managed to maintain your creativity and productivity, especially within a year like this one?
Reading. When I feel stuck, I find it useful to turn to other mediums for inspiration, as I feel like sticking in just music can make your brain feel like it's going to burst. I absolutely adore reading (I went to school for English and creative writing), so I love pulling out a new book - whether it's a memoir, high fantasy, or historical fiction - and dog-earing pages that have particularly interesting lines. A lot of my songs have come from interesting lines in books. I'd like to write one someday.
What is your dream ambition or hope as an artist, be that creatively or personally?
Besides the obvious of playing SNL, performing at the Grammys, and any and all stadiums (all of my goals are focused on live performance it seems haha), I really just want to stand the test of time. I really believe music is the way I'm meant to leave my little mark on the world and I would love if in 40 years some hipster kid is downloading their grandparents' Spotify playlists and is like, "Damn, who is this POESY person? She's great". I want to make things that are able to tell the stories of people's lives when they don't have the words to.
The music video for ‘Diamonds’ was released today, what was your thought process and artistic ideas behind the video?
I really view Diamonds as the birth of this project in a lot of ways - even though I've already got some releases under my belt. I think it's my first track being fully authentic and as such, I wanted the video to be very focused on nature. Kate Harrison directed it and did a phenomenal job of capturing the internal struggle of Diamonds and how you really have to let go of parts of yourself in order to make way for growth and change.
‘Diamonds’ is an incredibly emotional and personal song to you, what would you like your audience to take from this track?
Do not be so hard on yourself. I have recently learned that I'm very self-critical and now that I'm consciously aware of that, it's shocking how I talk to myself on a daily basis - and I know that's something we all struggle with. 2020 is by no means the year anybody would have predicted. So as hard as it may be, please don't beat yourself up if you're feeling less productive or motivated some days. You need to recharge, you need to rest, you need to play. And you're doing the best you can.
What is next for you, what are you working on now the video for ‘Diamonds’ has been released?
2020 has really given me and my creative team a lot of time to write and finetune the POESY catalogue. I'll be releasing new music as early as the top of 2021 and I couldn't be more excited. There will also be a handful of videos to go along with it. I really want to paint the picture of the world all of these songs occur in and I'm so excited to bring everyone into it.
Stream "Diamonds" by POESY on all streaming platforms today, and watch the new music video below: