Introducing: Sasha Sky

Photo Credit: Adam Brazier

Hailing from County Durham, this singer-songwriter began sharing their voice with the world in 2021, during the stillness of the UK lockdown. A lifelong lover of music, poetry, and storytelling, they spent years wrestling with fear and anxiety before finally embracing their calling.

With a foundation built at New College Durham, where they studied Performing Arts and Music, this rising artist credits the experience as a turning point in their journey. Deeply rooted in the soulful sounds of R&B but never confined to a single genre, their music is as versatile as it is heartfelt—proof that the best stories often start with the courage to face your fears.

You started releasing music during the UK lockdown in 2021. What motivated you to take that leap, and how did the unique circumstances of the lockdown influence your creative process?

Up until that point I’d written a lot of lyrics, mostly random verses and choruses here and there, I got inspired a lot but struggled to finish the songs I started. Then in late 2020 I wrote what would become my debut single. It felt like it wrote it’s self, it came together so quickly. 2020 was a dark year for a lot people, myself included and I’d been struggling in the years leading up to that. Going in and out of lockdown gave me an opportunity to articulate the things I was struggling with, which moved me to write and release my first single ‘Doubts’.

Your background in Performing Arts and Music at New College Durham was a pivotal milestone for you. How did that experience shape your approach to music and songwriting?

It was kind of a ripple effect. I started out studying Performing Arts, which had all three; acting, dancing and singing modules. At the time of auditioning for the course, the singing module was enough to put me off studying at New College Durham altogether, in fact I found out that singing was compulsory during the audition and immediately wanted to throw up. But I stuck with it and by the end of the 2 year course (though I still felt nauseous and shaky at the idea of singing in public) I found myself wanting to sign up to study Music next. So I auditioned; very gratefully secured a place and studied for 2 more years at New College Durham. By the end of the Music course, though I really wanted to pursue dance further, I also began to consider recording and releasing my own music, something I’d never imagined to be possible 4 years previous. I’ll forever be grateful for the time I spent at NCD and how it shaped me as a person.

R&B is a significant influence on your music, but you also write across genres. Can you tell us about the creative process behind blending these styles and what it allows you to express?

It’s no secret I’m a R&B lover through and through! But I do feel drawn to write in a variety of styles. When I song write its never really planned. More often than not, I hear an instrumental or producers beat and in the moment I’m moved to write lyrics and melodies to the track. 

I often prefer songwriting that way, because the music directly inspires me first and then the lyrics come second. And the lyrics are always written from within the emotion that the music provoked in me. Which gives me the opportunity to process and express a variety of feelings, thoughts and experiences I’ve had.

Fear and anxiety initially held you back from pursuing music. How did you overcome those challenges, and what advice would you give to others facing similar struggles?

I do owe a lot of my development to my time at New College Durham, without my experience there with the people, the tutors, the education and opportunities, I’m not certain I’d be where I am now (or it may have at least taken me longer).  The anxiety didn’t go away, I still get extremely nauseous singing in front of people, but it’s no longer stopping me or holding me back as much as it used to.

I think my advice would be to make a start, just start. Start small and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You can’t reach your desired destination without taking the first step on that path. I know thinking about the end result of what you want can be so daunting, but any step in the right direction is still progress. So make a start and be kind to yourself, because sometimes it can feel like you’re taking 1-step forward and 2-steps back, and thats okay too. We all move at our own pace; if you’re trying and doing your best, thats all you can ask of yourself.

With your growing presence on platforms like Spotify, TikTok, and YouTube, what’s next for Sasha Sky? Are there any upcoming projects, releases, or live performances that fans should be excited about?

I’m really excited for next year because I have a few early-stage ideas and some almost finished projects that I’ll be continuing in the new year, absolutely including a new release!