Sabrina Carmen
Sabrina Carmen has just released her brand new single “Shh I Won’t Tell”. Co-written with Rebecca McBride, Rebekah (Bekah) Wilbur, Jamie Miller and Matt Richert, the new single is alternative, pop, haunting and captivating. The first time I heard it, I thought: “this song should be featured on a hit TV show”, because it feels like a cinematic and big song. We may or may not hear this song on a TV show, but either way, this song is perfect for Halloween season.
Congrats Sabrina on this new song, and thank you for this interview !!
“Shh I Won’t Tell” is now available worldwide.
Photo credit: Mary Vincenti
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
Hello everyone! My name is Sabrina Carmen, and I’m a songstress based in Long Beach, CA. My music combines cinematic pop vibes with moody soundscapes, creating an alternative dark pop vibe. I grew up in an artistic family singing along to the likes of legends like Barbara Streisand, Whitney Houston, and Ella Fitzgerald. When I was thirteen, I lost my mom to breast cancer, and that’s when my passion for writing escalated; that traumatic yet transformative life event shaped my introspective moody style, still present in the music I make today. My dad was amazing, and encouraged me to develop my musicianship. Years of honing and diversifying my skills led to some pretty awesome opportunities, including: acting in the film “Elena Undone” and having my song “Suddenly” featured on the soundtrack, performing on Jimmy Kimmel Live with Youngblood Hawke & Thirty Seconds to Mars, recording vocals for the Thirty Seconds to Mars album “LOVE LUST FAITH + DREAMS,” singing background vocals for Janelle Monáe in a national Gap holiday commercial, singing on The Late Late Show with James Corden, and becoming the voice of several commercial voice-over campaigns. From 2015 to early 2020, I went under the moniker "MadLyn" in honor of my mom, dubbing this era of my art "The MadLyn Project." During this artistic period, I released a series of songs and corresponding music videos which collectively, surpassed 400k views on YouTube, and found their way to radio charts. I also created, hosted, & performed in the on-going breast cancer fundraising music event, The Siren Song, in association with The National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF). During the 2020 pandemic, I came to the realization that it was time for me to be Sabrina again, and that I could still honor my mom’s memory by being the kind of woman she would have wanted me to be. I’m now releasing music under my name, Sabrina Carmen, thus far sharing “Hush,” “Dreaming Wide Awake,” and my latest single “Shh I Won’t Tell.” I intend on creating even more music within this cinematic pop sub-genre, with plans to pitch many of these songs for film and television.
**Fun Fact: My favorite flavor of ice cream is pear & blue cheese from Salt & Straw (don’t knock it till you try it).
“Shh I Won't Tell" is your new single - what's the inspiration behind this single?
I love writing about interesting themes, and I always thought it would be fun to write a song about secrets. The role secrets play in human behavior is truly fascinating to me. Secrets can branch off into different sub themes about lies and rumors and the masks people wear in society. From the time we are kids, we are taught how to tell little lies and conceal. Whether it’s mom telling you to give grandma a hug without making a face from the smell of her sloppy kiss, hiding candy under the bed, or something more serious like lying to protect someone we love- but it always starts with the “little things.” We also learn how to gossip so early on in life. Messages often travel too quickly and are altered as they pass from person to person. It’s a good reminder to be mindful - words are powerful. “Shh I Won’t Tell” dance with secrets, attempt to find answers, and perhaps haunts listeners with even more questions. It explores the role that fragmented truths, can play in our relationships with others, and the person we always have to face in the mirror: ourselves.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this single? Who helped you create it? When did you start working on it?
“Shh I Won’t Tell” is a collaboration between myself, Rebecca McBride, Rebekah (Bekah) Wilbur, Jamie Miller and Matt Richert (our amazing producer). With the exception of Jamie and Matt, (who were already friends and had worked together years prior), we all met during the 2020 pandemic via an online music course. Bases in different timezones ranging from LA to Chicago to Virginia didn’t stop the fire. We all connected so seamlessly, despite the fact that we’ve only worked together as a group via zoom! To this day only a few of us have met in person - I so look forward to the day that all of us are in the same room at the same time. It’s so interesting how you can be in completely different places from your musical comrades, but if you have a deep connection, your creativity can be limitless. Collaborating with them online is as comfortable as writing in the same room with collaborators I’ve known for years. Needles to say, I’m SUPER grateful for the internet. The team and I work together a lot as songwriters, but this song was the first one we crafted specifically with me in mind to sing. We knew we wanted to write a dark cinematic pop song and got excited talking about tv shows we all used to love like “Pretty Little Liars” and “Gossip Girl” which explored those themes. Our producer Matt was also wanting to explore the darker side of his production capabilities, and this was the first song of this sub-genre that he attempted in this more trailerized fashion. He really pushed the boundaries of production - we experimented, took things too far, and pulled things back. The goal was for it to feel massive without getting gimmicky.
**Fun Fact: Most of the final lead vocal was my original scratch vocal that I did in my home studio to a demo piano track. When I re-recorded some of the final vocal parts and stacks of harmonies and whisper tracks and such, I still recorded them to the same piano demo - the team didn’t want the production to cloud my performance and influence my more laid back sultry approach to the song. I didn’t hear the production and all the layers put together until the very end. I remember getting goose bumps the first time I heard it. I was like, “Oh yea this is fantastic. It’s exactly what it needs to be.”
What's your favorite thing about this song?
I love the combination of the sultry laid back vocal with the massive cinematic production. Also love all the whisper elements. I just think the track is super fun and edgy in a unique way.
What made you want to release "Shh I Won't Tell" as a single?
The combination of the moody vocals and cinematic production with alternative pop melodies makes the song the perfect fit for me - it truly combines all of my favorite elements in music; it’s a track my entire team is so proud of, sharing it just felt right - especially during the Halloween season :)
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
I think sometimes the hardest part can also be the most rewarding. When you create art of any kind, and muster up enough courage to share it with the world, you are putting your heart and your head on a platter - sharing the most vulnerable parts of your self, and the way your mind works. Not everyone will get it. It can be really scary, because of course we want our art to resonate with other like-minded humans, and for them to enjoy our creative works. When that magic happens, and your song makes its way into the ear buds of another human who gets it, it’s the most thrilling feeling in the world.
How's it like to release music in 2021? Any challenges?
I find there to be many good things about releasing music in this day and age, and of course, those things come with their own set of challenges. For one thing, it’s never been easier to build a home studio, make music, collaborate with people all over the world (thanks to Zoom), and it’s never been easier to be heard and build a grass roots independent platform. But with that being said, it’s also never been harder to break through the noise. There is so much music out there and there are so many social media platforms, that I think people are often on content overload. It can be overwhelming for sure, and sometimes it feels like an impossible up hill battle. I think us artists have to remember that being consistent is such a big part of this, and staying authentic in what you want to say. The right people will find you, and appreciate your art.
Why do you make music? What keeps you going?
I absolutely love making music, and my favorite topics to write about are always interesting introspective subject matters. Music has always been a therapeutic outlet for me - to process feelings, heal wounds, and share intimate details in the form of song. Music is a safe haven for emotional exploration. And as humans continue to grow and evolve in their life’s journey, the art does too. I think it’s beautiful. What I create now is completely different than what I was creating 10 years ago, and yet in some peculiar way, it’s all come around full circle. The journey makes music fun, engaging, and curious.
Do you remember a specific moment in your life where music made a huge impact?
Absolutely! Probably too many times to count. I can recall one instance very vividly though. When I was about thirteen, my best friend’s parents took us for a fun weekend trip to Vegas. One of our outings was seeing Cirque Du Soleil’s show “Beatles LOVE.” It was absolutely magnificent, and made a huge impact on me. Prior to that show, I hadn’t been exposed to The Beatles more psychedelic work, and I was instantly obsessed. That set me off on a very interesting time in my life as a young songwriter, as I became heavily influenced by all things Beatles.
Photo credit: Mary Vincenti
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
Even though there are so many amazing platforms for indie artists and everyone can gain access to the tools they need to create and share their art, it’s really hard to make a living out of this without diversification. Making music can be very costly, so more and more, indie artists are doing things on their own - writing, recording, producing from home or finding producers willing to work on splits instead of a lot of money up front, etc. It can be overwhelming, and it’s a lot to take on - it’s also hard to be an expert in everything; I’m much more a fan of going the teamwork route so that people who really know their craft have the chance to shine, but that can also be difficult, because finding the right team takes time and there’s a lot of trial and error. I also definitely think major labels still have the upper hand, and the entire royalties system should be re-vamped (of course I’m no expert and don’t have any ideas on what could be done), but if the payouts from the streaming platforms like Spotify were more fair, it could really help financially liberate a lot of people.
What's the best advice you've ever received?
One time Charlie Colin (original band member of Train) said to me, “I don’t know what will happen if you keep doing music. But I know what will happen if you stop.” To this day, that has stuck with me. Consistency is everything, and I also believe it’s important to be present in the moment because life is happening right now - enjoy the journey along the way.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
You can’t always control the outcome, but you can 100% control your effort. And also, define what success means for you and your life. That might be different than what others want or say it should be.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
It may sound simple, but I wish people were more kind. If people didn’t care so much about power and the need to control others, I think the world would be better off, the planet would be safer, and people could co-exist in peace. I dream for a world like that.
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