Photo Credit: Kenneth Locke Studio photo session with the incomparable Kenneth Locke
We had a wonderful opportunity to speak with Sonal about her music career. Check out the interview below.
Hi, Sonal! Thank you for granting the interview. Your music is amazing and we’re excited to speak with you about. What can you tell listeners about your latest single “Alive?”
Thanks so much! I’m happy you love the music and I appreciate the interview! “Alive” is just pure, raw emotion…a song about Love. It really has a 90s RnB feel to it…which stylistically tends to be what naturally comes out of me. Songs are a great way to communicate emotions that can be otherwise difficult to express in words, and I hope “Alive” can help people feel Love and also to express Love.
Tell us what inspired “Alive?”
“Alive” came about in a really natural way with my guitar in my hands. I started playing and the melody and words just started coming out. I knew I loved it in the very first moments and so I kept going with it. This is the feeling of Love that we all desire…a Love that helps us to expand, evolve and feel free. The lyrics show so much vulnerability and are very expressive and emotional, and I hope when people listen to it they feel the same emotions and that they are affected on an energetic level. Music is really special in that way.
You like to write music everyone can relate to. What words of inspiration could you share to help others stay uplifted?
To not let life slip by you. Even if you don’t know what you’re going to find, go and make it yours. Look for some light even on the darkest of nights. We can’t always have it together, but be strong, and be open to whatever possibilities come. Open your heart. Every day is a new beginning. Be free. Be happy. Be YOU.
All of this comes from a song called “Where I Wanna Be”, which will be on the EP. Little did I know how much I needed to hear these words myself right now…perfect timing. So thanks for this question!!
Tell us about your songwriting process. How do you choose a topic to sing about?
Different songs have come about in distinct ways. Some by my just not being able to get a catchy melody out of my head and going with that, or coming up with some chord progressions on the guitar that then lead to a melody and lyrics. The topic can be very random and not have anything to do with myself or my life personally, or it can be something important to me that I have on my mind. Many times it just appears. And most recently, for this project, I had the opportunity to co-write with other musicians & singers. The song “Where I Wanna Be”, which I referenced in the last question, came about after having a really lovely conversation with my co-writer Joanna Borromeo. I was feeling very open speaking from the heart, and Joanna and I just connected so well. After that, we just started on the song and we were really feeling it! Songwriting is something that is just so dynamic, and that’s one of the things I enjoy so much about it. It keeps it interesting and creative!
What has been your biggest challenge as a singer?
I started performing quite later than most people do, and stage-fright was always a big issue for me. I would be filled with paralyzing anxiety and fear on the day of a concert. I would feel so insecure and I lacked so much confidence. And I proceeded to perform like this for a very long time, always hoping that if I continued with it that it would get better. Slowly, I would experience really being in the moment at times, and where I would go and what would come out of me seemed almost magical. That’s what I wanted…I wanted more of that feeling and that connection that I felt…with myself and with the audience. It’s been a constant process for me of working on myself, healing, and learning to love and accept myself. I’ve evolved a lot as a person over the years and it’s helped me to evolve as an artist. It’s still something I struggle with on and off…I’m still a work in progress!
What’s the ultimate direction of your music?
Well being an RnB Singer, I definitely tend to write a lot about relationships, but on this EP some of the songs are about things I wanted to express, such as being exactly where you want to be in life, and about being stuck in a victim mentality. I have been writing more about things that can inspire and can teach people something…give them a new perspective on something…expand their mind. And although I will still continue to write about Love, heartbreak, sex, affairs and whatever else comes with relationships, there will definitely be more songs about Life and my perspective on it.
How can fans-to-be gain access to your music?
“Alive” can be found on Spotify, iTunes, and most other streaming and download platforms. It can also be streamed on SoundCloud. Go and have a listen and let me know if it resonated with you!
What are your musical icons/influences?
Growing up Michael Jackson was my hero. I would perform non-stop to the Thriller album as a kid! And I love Janet as well, Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, Sade, Alicia Keys, Tina Turner, Erykah Badu, and there are too many more to name.
When looking back on the production of your music, what resonated with you the most and why?
For me, it was having the whole band playing together live off the floor in the studio. That really did it for me. Everyone came in with their hearts and minds open and were ready to just flow…and the songs really came to life! The energy in the room was really high and everyone was just vibing off of each other. That definitely resonated with me most. It is an amazing feeling to work with people who are such professionals and creative artists in their own right. That is still one of the things that really stands out for me.
In your opinion, how could a singer make an impact on the world?
Music is such a shared experience. You elevate yourself to a higher energetic frequency and in turn, others are elevated with you…and that in turn comes back. It lifts us, it’s healing and it connects us in a way nothing else can. This is why people who can’t even understand the language of what they’re listening to can still feel the same way as someone who can. It’s a universal language. Music is healing, and artists are healers. It really is a beautiful collective experience. Music is definitely something to be shared with each other. It makes it that much more beautiful…and the world that much more beautiful!
If you had to do it all over again, would you still choose this career? Would you do anything differently?
No matter how many times I have moved away from music, life just keeps putting it back in my path again. I think there is a reason we all have gifts, although many have yet to discover or remember theirs. I hope for music to become a career…right now I’m still working at it. I think sometimes things aren’t really a choice. Music is what I’ve been given to share, and that’s what I’m going to do. When I see where life has to lead me and how everything is unfolding, so much of who I am is because of this journey and I couldn’t imagine doing it any differently. I could say that I would have believed in myself more, started earlier in life, etc., but that would have taken away from the experiences I’ve had that have led me here. So I believe I’m on the right path and I’ll keep heading down it!
Do you have anything else you would like to share about the music?
I just hope that people resonate with my songs and that they are able to connect to my art. I’ve already had people tell me how much certain songs have affected them and touched them, and that’s why us artists do what we do. Thanks so much for the interview and the thoughtful questions!
Connect with Sonal:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/sonaljogiamusic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sonaljogiamusic
And of course, go and have a listen to Alive on Spotify, iTunes or your favorite platform!
Photo Credit: Kenneth Locke
Studio photo session with the incomparable Kenneth Locke
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