Christine Sako is an indie-pop musician based in San Diego, CA. Having released her first major album 'The Math Project' in 2014, Sako is back with a brand new single titled 'Sediments'; a bright, synth-based track that cements Sako as a unique artist who isn't afraid of taking risks when it comes to experimenting with new sounds. I caught up with Christine Sako to discuss her new single 'Sediments' and how it compares to her previous releases. We also discuss how success is measured in the music industry and the challenges of being an independent musician; with Sako sharing her advice to anyone wanting to start a career in the music industry.
Hi Christine, tell us a bit about yourself!
Hey! I’m Christine Sako – an indie/pop musician based in San Diego, CA. I’m originally from Minneapolis, MN, but I hate the cold (not the best combo) -- so in 2012 I packed up my car and drove to California with the only instrument that made the downsizing cut – my “good” guitar. I think cyan + salmon is a killer color combo and I own a 5 foot bean-bag that takes up 1/3 of my living room. I started playing guitar and writing songs in 2002 and dabbled in recording and producing in high school. Since then I’ve evolved from having an acoustic/singer-songwriter vibe to a more electronic-based indie/pop sound. I write and record all my songs and play guitar, keys, drums, bass, and sing!
You released your new single 'Sediments' at the beginning of the year, what can you tell us about the concept and meaning behind the song?
The track is based loosely on the concept of the scientific theory behind the Conservation of Mass -- mass never being destroyed, but rather it changing form or being redistributed in its environment. The less nerdy connection is about the emotional foundation that builds up over the course of a long relationship and how the ending of that relationship does not immediately or ever completely dissolve what had been created. Even though there is wear and erosion over time, the little bits that once were part of the rock that amassed over time still exist in whatever capacity the new space allows: learning vs. losing, and adapting vs. giving up.
How would you say your new music is different compared to your previous releases, most notably your album ‘The Math Project’?
I think the most important and evident contrast between my older recordings and what I’m creating now is the sheer amount of arrangement restraint and reduction in complexity of the instrumentation. I wrote and recorded “The Math Project” in 2014, and it was my first major project. I had no concept of not throwing every idea and sound into each track and the overall mixing and production is just very busy. I had also just come off the heels of getting a Mathematics degree (can you tell by the title of the album?) and was obsessed creating these very technical drum beats (re: “Digits”) and went very delay-crazy with a lot of the vocals. With “Sediments” I made sure to pay much more attention to making sure the vocals were clear and stood out – and that the listener’s brain doesn’t explode trying to process what is happening in the song.
Will 'Sediments' feature as part of a larger project? Are there any plans to release a new album or EP?
My original plan was to record and release a full-length album this year – not to say it won’t happen, but I think a lot of “original plans” (let’s call em’ OPs) are changing by the minute for a lot of people these days. I definitely have some tracks in the works and will if nothing else, release a few singles or an EP in 2021. I think a lot of smaller/indie artists had planned to release albums and tour in 2020 and 2021 – but because of Covid were sort of forced into this rhythm of releasing singles at a steady pace to off-set the lack of income from their OPs. I think music consumers have now become accustomed to this canter of artists releasing music, so the slowly-stacking single release route might end up being my path.
How has the pandemic affected your creative process? Have you faced any challenges in terms of recording or writing new music?
To be honest, the pandemic really revived my artistic efforts. I have a full-time job and hadn’t written or recorded anything in a couple years. I tend to go through these spurts every couple of years of either being hyper-obsessed with and immersed in creating music or finding it incredibly daunting. Working from home and being able to take little creative breaks here and there really helped take the apprehension out of the process. I also ended up buying a few new toys in 2020 – a stand-alone keyboard, guitar amp, etc. that made writing new and exciting again.
Who have been your biggest inspirations growing up?
I am not one bit embarrassed to say first and foremost Avril Lavigne. Hearing “Complicated” on the radio in May of 2002 changed my life. It was the first time I really picked apart a song and payed attention to the lyrics. The acoustic guitar in that song just hit me in a way that made me want to be the person playing it. I had written and recorded a song on my baby sister’s tape recorder when I was 12 “for fun” and the one person I let listen to it told me never to sing again haha. Avril’s music made me want to take another stab at it. I started laying out chord structures and writing lyrics of my own. When it came down to execution, I didn’t know anyone else who played music or sang, so I ended up just doing it all myself (against the advice of my 12 yr old friend). I would send these scrappy recordings of my songs to people over AIM and tell them I found them “somewhere” on the internet and that I didn’t know who the artist was. When the feedback was positive, I stopped proliferating my
“mystery girl” alias.
In your opinion, how would you say that the definition of success has changed in the music industry? How do you personally measure success?
I think every artist and band has their different idea of what success is these days. It really depends on how immersed in the industry one is as well as how one got into music in the first place and what else is going on in their life. I think the most obvious and palatable measure of success was and will continue to be how much money one is able to make from their music. With that said, the sheer amount of resources available these days – from song-writing Master Classes to beat-making mobile Apps – can really allow anyone to consider themselves a musician. I do think that perceived popularity and exposure on social media have become much more of a benchmark due to how accessible and visible artists’ stats are these days. If you were to ask a new artist if they’d rather have $100 or 100 new followers, I bet they’d pick the followers. As someone who has primarily made music as a creative outlet as well as to entertain a life-long hobby, song-writing and instrumentation awareness are the growth points I consistently reference. It’s probably the most subjective calibration method to measure one’s own success, but I don’t let that stop me.
"Working from home and being able to take little creative breaks here and there really helped take the apprehension out of the process."
What do you think are the biggest challenges being faced by independent musicians?
I believe the music industry has become so incredibly saturated in the past 10 years, both with noise and real talent. From the kid who recorded their first 3-track session in Garageband to a band who has spent 2 years on a fully-fledged studio album – chances are they’re both going to be buried under the hundreds of thousands of other musicians flying by on social media and even by triggered Spotify algorithms. To cut through all of that produced content is a huge effort and takes a lot of work. At the same time, these massive social media platforms have even larger audiences to consume all of the content being thrown into the cloud. If done well, a great artist paired with dialed-in branding and marketing can gain an audience of thousands and land in front of a talent scout or agency faster than a local county fair performance or AIM file transfer ever could have.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking about pursuing a career in music?
You have to love making music. There is a tipping point where pushing yourself will start to feel like a job, because it is. The thing to remember is that jobs don’t have to be a chore, and in any ideal situation you should love your job and love the method in which you make a living. Of course there will be stress and things are not going to go smoothly most of the time, but you should never hate the journey. If you do, it will show -- and if you love the work you put in, it will show. You have to be able to take constructive criticism and even heart-stabbing criticism and not let it de-motivate you. Seek the opinion of those other than family and friends who are hard-wired to shower you with compliments instead of insisting you have room to grow. Complacency will never take you to the next level or breed success. You also have to understand the business side of things and how that can sometimes be 85% of the work. Bonus if you’re a masochist and enjoy navigating the ever-evolving industry and its wrenches.
"Complacency will never take you to the next level or breed success."
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Disclaimer: I realize the previous question had me ranting about how music-as-a- career should remain fun and should never be something to resent. I’m able to say this because while I have had projects that have had me spending 18 hours a day in the studio or working on album art, it’s still always been a hobby for me. I have a full-time data science job and while I still consider my pursuit in the music industry a career --- I have the luxury of not having to rely on it in any financial capacity. With that being said…When I was at freshman year orientation at the University of Minnesota I still did not know if I wanted to switch from my chosen major (Chemical Engineering turned Mathematics) to something to do with music. I knew I had a passion for music and thought the idea of studying it and making some sort of career from it sounded like a dream to me. I remember talking to my professional advisor because I felt so torn at a point in my life where I thought the next move I made would determine my entire future. He told me I could always grow up and have a basement full of music equipment and play music whenever I have free time, but it would be a lot harder to get home from a long day in the studio and then come home to my babe cave chem lab and do some experiments after work.
What I took away from this was:
a. it would be really hard for me to express and exercise my passion for chemistry and science outside of a professional career
b. if I studied music and made it a full-time job for myself, it could eventually stop being a fun hobby.
I realize this mentality to navigate the music industry does not fit everyone, but it fits me. I have been able to enjoy writing and recording and playing shows for over 18 years because I have kept my methodology around making music sacred and protected from external pressure and stress. Sure I’ve had deadlines, but those have only ever motivated me from a standpoint to work harder, produce great work, and feel accomplished.
Everyone’s motivations and paths are going to vary based on their goals and how fast they aim to achieve them. That’s what makes the space and the sounds that derive from it so eclectic and fun!
Check Out Christine Sako's latest single 'Sediments' in the link down below!
Comments