Kat Harlton
Canadian country artist Sarah Wickett, recently released her latest single “Momma’s Boy“. Following the success of some of her more recent releases, Sarah has taken on a fresh, unique sound, combining Western and Desi , singing in both English and Punjabi. This is something that has never been done by a North American country artist before.
We had the opportunity to chat with Sarah about her new single, creating space for desi artists in country music, and what’s next.
Kat: Can you talk about the inspiration behind your latest single “Momma’s Boy” ?
Sarah: Sure! Momma’s Boy is actually a mashup of Country music & Punjabi music. I’m not sure it fits perfectly into a genre right now but we’re calling it “Desi Pop-Country”.
The song itself talks about cultural differences and how hard it is being in a relationship with someone who’s family has a lot of expectations… I thought singing some lyrics in my ex’s native language (Punjabi) would really get the message across and widen the reach of the song.
Kat: What do you hope fans take from the track?
Sarah: Although I’m not Punjabi, I hope by collaborating and working beside desi artists, it will help open a door for them in country music. I think their music is so great and a lot of the topics they cover in Punjabi music are really similar to ones we cover in country music.. like farming, trucks, and small towns.. so I think it could be a really cool thing!
Kat: What do you find is the most challenging part of your creative process?
Sarah: Being an independent artist comes with a lot of responsibilities. So, you must be very good at time management to make sure you’re allocating an equal amount of time to each avenue. I am a singer/songwriter but I also have other creative passions such as vlogging and editing. Fortunately most of my passions are related so they go hand in hand, but sometimes finding that balance can be difficult.
Kat: What has been a career highlight for you so far? What have you learned along the way?
Sarah: I think trying to create this new “Desi Pop-Country” genre has been the most challenging and rewarding. We still have a long way to go, but I really believe in what I’m trying to do and I think it could be something evolutionary. Along the way I have learned that regardless of what you’re doing, you can’t please everyone. I know the music I’m making isn’t going to be for everyone. Some country music fans might not be down for it and some Punjabi music fans might not be down for it and I’m okay with that, but the people that it is for will absolutely love it and I’m having a blast creating & living my dream.
Kat: What’s next?
Sarah: I’m really excited to focus on “Momma’s Boy” for the rest of the year. We have some big plans for it and I hope those come to fruition. I’m dying to get back into the studio to record some more songs and finish up my EP, which is set to release next spring! I’m also hoping to book some live shows in the fall as well, so fingers crossed that happens.
For more on Sarah Wickett visit: https://www.sarahwickett.com