Angela was born into an immigrant family that embodied a hardworking, bootstrap mentality. Her mother came from a small mountain town in Austria, while her Indian father was born in Delhi. Both parents moved to Canada as teenagers to pursue their dreams. Angela was one of those rare talents who sang before she could even speak. At age 15, she attended a concert by Canadian pop icon Amanda Marshall at The Calgary Stampede, and at that moment, her destiny was revealed. We recently caught up with her to discuss her music career.
Thank you for agreeing to catch up with Occhi Magazine. For readers unfamiliar with you and your background, your mother hailed from a tiny mountain town in Austria, and your Indian father was born in Delhi. Please share with us growing up in Canada with this culturally rich and diverse household.
My parents made sure that my brother and I were exposed to our heritage on both sides at an early age. They had met in Austria so they both spoke German, but my mom only learned English after immigrating to Canada. We had German lessons at home, and I went to the Hindu temple every Sunday for as long as I can remember, even taking Hindi lessons and traditional dance. I was really immersed in both traditions like celebrating Christmas and Diwali.
Being a bi-racial young child, I was always aware of not quite fitting in, but I think my uniqueness has been a driving force throughout my life. As an independent artist, my life is pretty unconventional. My music is genre-fluid, and I’m not afraid to stand out on my own and not conform to only one way of doing things. I see my upbringing as a strength and part of who I am.
What drew you to a career in music?
I had always been singing from a young age, in choirs and special events in school, and I also landed the lead singing role in my junior high school musical. The real epiphany came when I was 15 years old, watching an Amanda Marshall concert at The Calgary Stampede. It was at that moment I decided this was my life path and I wanted to sing on the big stage. A mutual friend happened to be there that night and we started talking about starting a band. That summer I bought my first guitar with my birthday money and we started writing songs, and by the end of my first year of high school, I was the lead singer in a rock band playing our first shows in bars around town. We were only 16 and had to have our parents come with us. One of our first shows was at (now well-known) Tegan and Sara’s house. We blew one of their amps. I loved singing and taught myself how to play guitar. Once I knew my first 4 chords, I immediately started writing songs. I was more interested in telling my own stories than copying my heroes at the time, and that has always been a driving force throughout my career.
Who were your early influences and how did they impact your career?
Starting out playing in a rock band, my first influences were the bands I liked at the time like Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, and The Counting Crows. There was this whole other side of me though, that loved the female singer-songwriters I looked up to, like Sheryl Crow and Alanis Morrisette, and the story-telling of folk singers like Ani DiFranco. I would write these pop songs on my acoustic guitar, and if they didn’t fit my band, I just tucked them away and made demos of them at home. I was so focused on my rock band and we were doing really well, eventually moving to Toronto after countless miles touring Canada. My first years fronting a band really shaped my career as an entertainer, and the producers we worked with in the beginning really influenced the way I wrote songs and envisioned how they would sound on record. I came full circle when I put out my first solo album, because I had refined my vocal and songwriting skills and finally had the stories that only I could tell.
Which three traits define you?
Courage, Enthusiasm, and Gratitude. I have a song called “Living on the Bright Side” which encapsulates all of these and it is my own personal mantra in life.
Your accolades include being a 2020 Independent Music Award Finalist for “Best Alt-Country” and a 2017 Toronto Independent Music Award winner. To date, what would you say is your proudest achievement as an artist?
One of the highlights of my career was touring in the UK and performing live on BBC Radio in Leicester. The radio host, Monica Winfield, was familiar with my songs and sang harmonies live on the air! It was such a cool moment.
Please tell us more about the origins of your latest project ‘Wanna be You’.
“Wanna Be You” is an anthem of self-love, inspired by the feelings of competition and envy that can result from social media and the feeling of not being good enough. Co-written with Brian Donkers, it is the first single from my upcoming album to be released next year. Produced by Devon Lougheed in Toronto, I have three other singles that will be released before my sophomore album called “Remember Who You Are” is released in the spring of 2025.
What other projects are in the pipeline?
I am currently recording a version of the Gayatri Mantra, an ancient mantra from the Rig Veda in Sanskrit. I just returned from a trip to India and the timing is great to record it, as I have been playing it live for a few years. It is a folky rendition in my classic style complete with a catchy refrain of “OM.” This is my first time diving outside of singing in English and I’m excited to put my contemporary twist on it.
Where can our readers find out more about you?
Here are the best places to find me:
- https://angelasaini.com
- http://www.facebook.com/angelasainimusic
- http://www.instagram.com/angelasainimusic
- https://www.youtube.com/user/AngelaSaini
- https://www.tiktok.com/@angela.saini
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