Focus: Sara Leilah

Who are you and where are you from?
My Name is Sara and I’m a 21-year-old singer-songwriter born and raised in the Northeast.

What is it you do? 
I write songs and perform them! I sing and play the guitar or piano alongside.

How long have you been doing it?
I taught myself a bit of the piano (car boot sale keyboard) when I was around 12, then bought a guitar when I was 15 and started teaching myself how to play that. I only started songwriting when I was 16 In ‘The Young Musicians Project’ ran by We Make Culture. I was mostly just writing songs at first as I was far too scared to perform in front of anyone, but I slowly built up the experience and confidence to where I am now.

What inspires you? 
All things creative! Alongside my music, I am also a university student studying Illustration and Design. I’ve always been drawn to creativity, whether that is art, music, performance, or poetry, I think it’s the only thing that makes my mind go quiet. I’ve always struggled with my mental health, but it inspires a lot of my music and art.

Tell us about your music.
I write soft pop music, generally with sad undertones but the occasional love song! I like using my lyrics to tell a story or portray a feeling and then adding all the instruments to enhance that message. I have a song about an idealistic love from the perspective of a 16-year-old me called Tonight, a song I wrote during lockdown about me and my friends really struggling with the isolation but trying to help each other stay afloat called Broken Glass, and many more yet to be recorded.

What have you got coming up in the future? 
As of today, I have just released my new single ‘My Soul To Keep’ a haunting song about feeling dragged down by depression and low mood but trying to see the possibility of a happier future. I’m so proud of the way it was recorded and can’t wait for it to be released! I’m planning on releasing a lyric video I’m currently designing for that song around September, so keep an eye out for that. I’m planning to do some more recording this year for some exciting new songs!

Where can people find out more about you?
You can find me on-
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SaraLeilahMusic
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/saraleilahmusic/  
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@saraleilah
Website  https://www.saraleilah.co.uk
And you can find my music here- https://linktr.ee/saraleilah