Free Download of her title cut Blank Canvas
+ an exclusive Q & A with Country Routes
The Kent, UK based Sabrina Maria
generously reaches out introducing her music to her fans and our readers.
Listen and download Blank
Canvas here:
As of July 19, 2017, Sabrina is
ranked #1 in the UK Country
Reverbnation chart!
❤ Please show Sabrina some love by sharing on Social Sites using graphic above
Suggested Tweet:
Listen to "Blank Canvas" by @SabrinaRMaria
http://www.reverbnation.com/open_graph/song/28264263
About Sabrina Maria
Home Town: Canterbury,
Birthdate: 23 March
Country/Rock Music -
Singer/Songwriter
Sabrina is a new Country/Rock artist, who released her
debut single and album in March 2017.
In October 2016, due to her
passion for Country music, on an emotional rollercoaster she took up the task
of writing again in a country style and wrote 8 out of the 10 songs for a self-penned
debut album. The remaining 2 songs were written and arranged 5 years
previously, but reworked for the album.
It was recorded in the
prestigious Parr Street Studios,
Liverpool (33-45 Parr Street, Merseyside L1 4JN) under the guidance of J Room 3
Productions (www.jroom3.co.uk) top producer and British Country Music
Association Award 2016 Musician of the Year Justin Johnson.
Other UK artists who have recorded there include Raintown, Narn, Blue Genes, Samantha Lloyd, Sam Hollyman, Mike Ward, Angie King, Acoustic Journey, Thorne Hill, Dahlia, Jade Helliwell, Darcy, Southern Junction, Hollie Barrie (from The Voice UK), Emma Moore, Kira Mac and Jeannine Barry.
Sabrina describes the style of
music as "very raw and draws on my life experience, particularly this past
year. The music is kickass, happy, emotional, sad and fluctuates between a rock
sound and pure country music. It is very diverse and will speak to the heart as
well as the the ears" :-)
Listening carefully, to the
lyrics you notice that each song Sabrina penned resonates with her own life
experiences involving pain, loss of loved ones, betrayal, love and most
importantly never losing hope or faith.
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He has done some stunning photoshoots
with and for Eric Church,
CMA, C2C Festival and many British country stars
and up-and-comers!
The red boots were
given to Sabrina as a Christmas present from a friend!
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On March 2, 2017, she released
her debut single 'Survivor' (available on iTunes) after quite
a journey to get to this point. It was a birthday present to her late father who
used to say "do something with the gift that God has given you".
Promoted on the Hotdisc #220 April 2017 promotional
disc it made a #19 debut on the
Hotdisc Top 40 (dated April 9, 2017)
and peaked at #16 and #4 on the Hotdisc British & Irish chart (dated April
23, 2017)
Published on Feb 28, 2017 (1,032
views) the official video for her debut single 'Survivor' surfaced which was filmed on a bitterly cold day up on
the cliffs. The video aired on Hotdisc
Top 20 TV show broadcast on Keep It
Country TV (Sky TV 389, Freesat 516 and Freeview Channel 87).
Published March 26, 2017 her >> video “Mama” was a song written and dedicate to anyone who had lost their mother or anyone dear to them. ❤
With the cut ‘Blank
Canvas’ her hope is that fans would pick up an air guitar and dance
around the living room or even go visit a best friend and give them a hug.
She shared - The melodies will make anyone feel good on a bad day and the lyrics have been written from my own life experiences. If just one person were to find solace from any of my songs, it would make be a very happy person. I truly believe that music has the power to heal and it certainly helped me during my tough times.
She shared - The melodies will make anyone feel good on a bad day and the lyrics have been written from my own life experiences. If just one person were to find solace from any of my songs, it would make be a very happy person. I truly believe that music has the power to heal and it certainly helped me during my tough times.
Listen to this edited Country
Belles interview with Graham Barnes
first broadcast March 11, 2017 (Mixcloud) on
Belter Radio.
Interview with Roger Peck on the British Country Music Show broadcast on CMR Nashville (18 May 2017). Listen from from 20 mins on Mixcloud
“She’s got a great voice and a great future on the British scene” –
Roger Peck
Sabrina Maria -
Interview
Hi Sabrina, thanks
for talking to Country Routes
How long have you
been writing songs?
Sabrina: I’ve been writing songs for
about 7 years now.
Do you find it easier
writing from a place of hardship and hurt rather than a place of happiness?
Sabrina: Much easier. The reason
is it’s healing for me too. Putting pen to paper when you are feeling sad
is like a therapy session and it helps you to analyse. The majority of
the songs on the album are songs I wrote within the past year as it has been
quite a tumultuous one.
What inspires you
with your music and writing?
Sabrina: I always try and write a song
by thinking about other people and how it could help them get through a tough
situation similar to one that I have had. Wisdom inspires me and I think
I’m quite wise for my years. I’ve been through a lot of trials and you
can either let situations destroy you or you can turn them into something
positive and I’d like to think that’s what I have done with my music.
What were your hopes
and expectations for your debut Hotdisc single “Survivor”?
Sabrina: My debut single ‘Survivor’ did
so well in the Hotdisc chart. I was blown away. It got to no.4 in the UK and
Ireland chart and no.16 in the Europe chart. I definitely wasn’t
expecting that. I was and am so grateful for the positive responses I
received, particularly as it is quite a rocky tune.
Do you feel both excited and a little nervous about how your single would be received by the 700+ DJs and media across the UK, Europe and worldwide?
Sabrina: I was quite nervous that such a rock
tune would not go down well as my first Country single. I took a risk,
but it did go down well. The feedback showed that some DJ’s found it too
heavy, but that is OK. I was expecting that response from the majority of
them if I’m honest. However, I was amazed at just how many DJ’s love the
track. I think this goes to show that you just have to be yourself when writing
music. I wanted a rock/country track, I did it and it worked well.
You received airplay
for “Survivor” by some high profile British Country Music DJs and radio
presenters to positive comments. How did it make you feel?
Sabrina: Absolutely over the moon.
As I said previously, I was expecting more criticism, but instead I
received praise and DJ’s said they were looking forward to what else I had in
store.
Did you write/
co-write all the songs on your album Blank Canvas?
Sabrina: I wrote all the songs on my album
‘Blank Canvas’. I have not co-written any as my songs are about my
personal experiences. I’ve had quite a few people offer to co-write with me,
but it doesn’t feel right at the moment, as I still have so much to write
about. However, saying that, I have actually co-written one song (lyrics)
with a dear friend of mine in the States, but that was more as a fun thing to
do over messenger. Before we knew it, we had written a set of lyrics
going back and forth. I put a tune to it and I actually like it a lot. I
may add it onto my next album or just release as a single. I’m not sure
yet.
Who were the
musicians who played on the album?
Sabrina: The musicians on my album were
session musicians and they are absolutely incredible. When I first heard
them play my tunes, my jaw literally dropped. The first one they recorded was
‘A Moment in Time’ and it was my least favourite of all the songs when I walked
into the studio, but it is now my favourite on the album. I was so lucky
to work with extremely talented musicians who will hear a tune once and then
make it come alive.
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| Sabrina Maria (centre) in Parr Street Studio with producer Justin Johnson (2nd from left) and guitarist Scott Poley (3rd from right) |
What was the experience like and biggest challenge recording the album tracks in the Parr Street studio and how long did it take to record them?
Sabrina: I can’t tell you the natural
high I experienced. The excitement was overwhelming. To hear a bunch of
musicians, bring your music to life is an experience I will never forget.
It took two full days to record songs at Parr Street studios and then I
had a day in a studio in Maidstone, Kent (near to where I live) to record the
vocals. I suppose the biggest challenge was driving up to Liverpool and
the traffic - I live in Folkestone, Kent, so it was quite a trek, but other
than that, the whole experience was amazing.
Did you go through a
lot of songs in the album song selection and was there a lot of advance work
ahead of going into the studio to cut the tracks?
Sabrina: When I went into the studio, I
did have 10 songs, but I realised that I didn’t really like one of the songs,
so I decided to scrap the recording of it. I then wrote the 10th song
shortly after I returned from Liverpool (Show me the love) and it was recorded
in a London studio. There wasn’t any advance work for me luckily, as I
had already written the songs. There wasn’t really any advance work for
the musicians either as they are so talented and just pick it up as they go
after having received the chords (charting) that are needed.
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| Blank Canvas (inlay)Photography Credit: Anthony D'Angio: Website | Facebook |
Does the lead-off single “Survivor” best represent the album? Yes, it does - I was toying with naming the album Survivor, but I wanted to release that as a single. Then I thought Blank Canvas was the most appropriate title. It was how my life was when writing my album and I was entering into the unknown in the music industry, so that is why I decided on having that as the title.
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| Sabrina recording vocal tracks in Parr Street |
Sabrina: I really hope that they will
feel my passion for writing, and get inspired. Yes, the tunes are important,
but to me the lyrics have meaning and everyone goes through tough situations in
life, so I hope that if they listen to the album, it will help them not to sink
into the abyss as can happen sometimes, but instead help them to have faith and
hope and to understand that ‘This too shall pass’ which is one of the songs on
my album.
Are there any plans
to make a follow up official music video?
Sabrina: Yes, I have been talking with
Ben James (BSJames Media), the Director of my ‘Survivor’ video. After ‘Shotgun’
(which will be my next single and already has a studio video recorded), we are
going to record another official video, but I’m not going to tell you the song
so it can be a surprise. :-)
What music are you currently listening to?
Sabrina: To be honest, I have my music
on shuffle, so whatever pops up on my stream is what I listen to and that is a
mixture of Country, Rock, Classical, Musicals and 80’s music. I love
variety - it’s the spice of life :-)
QUICK-FIRE Questions
I have noticed some
of the American country stars are affiliated with sponsorship with shop brands.
If your picture was to appear on a product to
represent you what would you choose and why?
Sabrina: Oh my goodness, this is a
tricky one.
I’d probably say a
vintage wine. The longer you leave a good bottle of wine to mature, the
finer it tastes. I’ve started late in the music industry and I guess due
to my experiences, I’ve matured into a positive, fine person. Plus, I love wine
- where’s my glass? :-)
If invited onto CMT Crossroads (which pairs country artists with someone from another genre) who would you pick and why?
Sabrina: I think I would pick Gary
Barlow from Take That. I have a lot of respect for him. He writes
his own music and is an extremely talented artist. I love his music and voice.
In fact, the piano player who played on my tracks on Blank Canvas is a
good friend of his. Ooooh so near, yet so far lol!
Who would be a dream
male duet partner?
Sabrina: Ooooh it has to be Kip Moore.
I love his style, his voice and his zest for life. I’ve seen him in
concert and he has the crowd buzzing. He’s also very easy on the eye - ha
ha!!
Favourite concert?
Sabrina: Country 2 Country in 2015 (both Kip
Moore and Little Big Town). I was literally buzzing - which doesn’t
usually happen to me. I tend to get fidgety if I have to stand/sit around
for too long, but these acts kept me entertained and I hadn’t heard of them
before C2C so I couldn’t sing along, but loved their shows.
Favourite Food?
Sabrina: I’m Italian, so it’s got to be
Pizza (Italian style). No pineapple on my pizza thank you :-)
Favourite Colour?
Sabrina: Hot pink
Favourite TV Show?
Sabrina: Big Little Lies had me hooked.
I hope they do another series!
Favourite Magazine?
Sabrina: Health and wellbeing
magazines. I don’t read the gossip magazines - they are all about who is
seeing or cheating who; how much weight someone has put on etc. Doesn’t
interest me in the slightest. I find it all very negative and it’s the
cause for far too many eating disorders and far too much self-loathing in the
world! Don’t get me started on this subject lol!
Favourite clothes,
make-up?
Sabrina: If I see something I like, I tend to
buy it - I’m not really into brands. I love Primark!! However, makeup is
a different story. I love the stuff, particularly Makeup Geek, Bare
Minerals, Urban Decay, MAC - in fact any high-end brand that sells makeup -
particularly nice packaging. Darn - you make-up marketers have sucked me
right in!
Favourite Time of Year?
Sabrina: Definitely the summer - the majority
of people are happy and jolly (apart from those who moan about the heat) and I
love the long bright evenings where you can sit outside, have BBQ’s, chill with
friends and family and enjoy the sun on your skin.
Favourite Country to
visit?
Sabrina: United States - I really want
to get out there more.
How Do You Like To
Relax?
Sabrina: I tend to relax by
binge-watching TV series in the winter. It’s the only way I can switch
off my constantly chattering mind. However, I don’t have much time to do
that in the summer as I try and get out more, so long bike rides and sitting on
the beach just looking out at the sea is pure relaxing bliss for me.
CONNECT
with Sabrina
Maria:
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