A blink into Saya Gray's universe

Saya Gray is self-described weird, but not in the indulgent, eye-roll-inducing way you would expect anyone else to claim the word. For Saya, this label rather serves as retaliation against the authenticity-devoid, homogenised art in the times of social media supremacy. Instead of wishing to adhere to the club, Saya Gray rolls around with everything she finds suitable and real to her persona, with the same breeze of rollerblading around her homely Toronto. “Persona” can seem heedless when your art is a direct extension of your personality and interests – which, in the artist’s case, is the appropriate frame of reference. And in terms of rollerblading (a recurring motif of our talk), it seems like movement, whether migration or straight-up sports, is and has been pervasive in her life. Speaking to her, it felt like we were shifting and progressing through time and space together, irrespective of chronology, borders and the fact that we were both sitting. 

Earnest and expressly grateful for the position she’s in, Saya told us in a vibrant tone all about her upcoming tour, her cats and her comfortable room in Toronto, the place where her universe commenced – our dialogue only interrupted at times by moments of reflection and careful bites from her peanut butter sandwich. We’re happy to have caught up with the talented singer-songwriter right before she sets sail for her long streak of concerts worldwide – most of which already sold out. 

Read ahead for a breakdown of the inner (and outer) world of the ascending star.

Hey hey! How are you? 

Really good. In Toronto it’s a rainy day but it’s nice out regardless.

Here it’s really sunny for once. Before our interview I was listening to your chorus, This is why I don’t fall in love in the springtime. In terms of that, I was wondering how the breaking of spring is treating you? 

[Laughs] It’s nice. It’s weird, I always feel like that song is suggestive of this spring nostalgia. I feel like when things start falling and new life comes out it’s just very nostalgic for everybody.

I definitely feel it too. What does the day in your life look like these days?

A lot of fitness. I rollerblade for three, four hours a day. I have four cats right now, they keep me very busy. I do a lot of aerial right now – aerial pole and circus stuff. And then also just making music every day. My days are quite full.

It sounds like it. Are you going to the studio or are you recording at home, what does that process look like?

I’ve been kind of doing both, right now I’m just kind of writing some new stuff and writing with friends, which is awesome. It’s been different because I usually do everything alone, so it’s been a good change.

That’s sweet! How did the scope of your music change from when you were young and raised in a Christian household versus where you are now in your life?

Life has changed a lot for me and I’ve moved around the world a lot. I’ve lived in California, I’ve lived in the UK, so I think my environment really changes everything for me. It is heavily weather-dependent for me. When I was in California, I actually barely created anything at all because I was just outside every day, all day. And my outdoor life was also so different. Whereas in Toronto, I love it because you get all four seasons (even in a day). Obviously climate change doesn’t help all this. Either way, I get quite cathartic with this weather, it is productive.

Definitely relatable. I’m curious, what does originality mean to you? 

I think it is about staying authentic, being a self. I think everyone knows how it feels to see a group of people and everyone’s dressed the same, and that can be great. However, there’s something about freedom of thought versus what’s influenced, I think originality is resisting being influenced as much.

Is there any way you preserve it for yourself?

I just stay off social media as much as possible. I think social media is very dangerous for exactly that, because there’s so much leaking in subconsciously. 

Good precaution to take. If we go back to the first album you ever released, I’m a bit also curious about the context of that and the setting you were in and how you envisioned it at the time.

The first album was on tour. I was touring with Daniel Caesar and a couple of other people and I was writing on the side. So I had done a lot of those on voice notes. Then I signed a really bad deal for three, four years, he held me so I ended up releasing all the demos. And that’s what 19 MASTERS is about, as the songs are called masters in the contract.

Do you envision your music making differently now than it was back in the day? 

I think I had a very lo-fi ear. I was used to lo-fi and now it wasn’t until my brother suggested making a hi-fi record, as he believed it would change my ears.

And it did. It’s the same with film and stuff too; I think if you’re so used to seeing lo-fi, low budget or grainy stuff, it’s cringe to hear things or see things clearly. It’s something that I had to develop. 

And where are you in that process now? Do you feel converted?

I’m pretty comfortable with both now. I can use it stylistically, but it’s not that I couldn’t record a clear record; before I literally couldn’t.

At some point you mentioned that you’re constantly moving physically, emotionally, spiritually. Where do you find yourself in those matrices right now? 

I’m in a good little mood before the tour, where I think it’s about to get really crazy. Right now I’m in a really nice, building state. I’m constantly moving in terms of fitness, but I’m not moving in terms of the city right now, which is really helpful. That’s really optimal for me because I love being at home with the cats. Otherwise, I’m really good. I’m just making new music, focussing on new stuff, picking up new instruments. Um, doing tons of aerial dance and training, eating food. (I’m eating peanut butter right now.)

Enjoy. So overall, a good physical-emotional-spiritual combo, I assume. What do you think is the perfect setting for you to be making music in?

I’ve just reached a place where now I’m ready for the next thing and collaborating with more people, expanding, reading books and stuff. But still, probably when I’m alone [pauses]. When I’m completely alone, I would say. When I have other people around me, I’m too sensitive to how other people feel at all times. So when I’m alone, I always end up creating something crazy.

What are your favourite artists or albums?

I really like a lot of jazz musicians. I’d call myself a musician’s music person. I like Alice Coltrane. I always go back to Stevie Wonder every morning. I love D’Angelo. I love Diana Krall. Esperanza Spalding. I love bands, like Nirvana. I love people who play and connect with their instruments. I love Anoushka Shankar right now. She’s coming to Toronto, so that’ll be nice to see. [Sighs] There’s a lot of love I hold for musicians.

If you could be a sound or an instrument, what would it be?

Maybe bug noises. I resonate with bees a lot. Or cicadas.

That’s very fair, cicadas are my personal favourite. What was your dream when you started pursuing music and what is it now? 

I think to stay myself and be able to feed my cats the finest paté. Only the finest meats for my cats!!! And that’s my goal. I think that’s a beautiful goal. 

When I was young, my dream was also to have enough money to give my cats Fiji water, you just reminded me of that. Has this always been your dream or did it get to that now?

I love it! For me, it’s always changing. Back in the day, I just wanted to do my own music and now, well, that’s done. Then I hoped I would be able to do what I want with it, and now I also got that. Your feelings are constantly changing, and I think that’s the beautiful thing about growth. The people around you are consistent with and part of that change; I’ve had to let go of so many people and friends and relationships because they weren’t on the same path and that’s okay. I think that’s something I’ve really learned. 

What do you think is your biggest accomplishment so far? 

I think just making, continuously making records that are weird in a day and age where everything kind of sounds very similar and synthesised and monetised.

There’s a whole middleman of DSPs and Spotify and Apple now that we have to appease as artists. And I think the fact that I can make the music I’m making and tour it is still mind blowing to me because there are so many unbelievable musicians in the world who would never get this platform and make some of the weirdest music you would ever hear. I’m really lucky cause I’m not really on there and I am still able to tour. And I think that’s a really, really rare thing right now. You have to be so out there now to get seen. And the fact that I never, ever did that makes me feel blessed in that sense.