Singer and songwriter sahn shares her debut album the mornings, bringing nine tracks filled with emotion and insight.
The album is a blend of love, loss, and reconnection narratives, presented with a unique energy that demands attention. Sahn explains the album title referring to the unseen, personal aspects of our lives: “the mornings is a story about the most pivotal moments of my life thus far and a few of the important lessons I’ve learned. The title speaks to the hidden lives we live… but who sees you in the mornings?”
The drive behind this album came after the passing of her husband and late actor, Chadwick Boseman, where music became her solace and a way to explore and express her emotions. This project is a step into a musical territory where she shares her internal experiences and dialogues.
Today (Nov. 1), sahn released the accompanying visuals for each track, tying them together with her heartfelt audio narrative. Through the mornings, the songstress invites listeners into her emotional and spiritual journey, marking her strong entrance into the music industry.
Congratulations on your debut album, the mornings — can you speak more to the title and why now is the perfect time to release it?
Thank you! There were a few factors that made this moment feel like the right time. Above all, when we experience something life-changing it grants us an opportunity to really learn who we are, and if we’re open to it, we uncover some piece of who we’re meant to be and what we’re meant to do. I know who I am now, and I know that I have something to say. As far as the title goes, the early morning hours are when we’re in our most vulnerable state, and alludes to the openness with which I’ve approached this work.
Musically, the project is full of really powerful records that explore emotional depths such as love, loss, and regaining strength. What was the songwriting process for this particular body of work?
Being that it’s my first project, I’m still somewhat defining my writing process, so the approach to each song felt unique. I was doing my best to follow the flow. According to Steven Pressfield, the hardest part of writing is sitting down to write. The process of learning how to recommit to the work… daily, hourly even… was the one that I would say brought the album together as a whole.
Two of my favorites from the album were “Green Tea” and “Strong Friends.” Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind them?
I mean, I was really in my feelings writing “Green Tea.” As often as I can muster the strength, I try to weave gratitude into the grief, and I was just so grateful to have had the opportunity to be changed by this person that I love so deeply… I’m better because of him, and I needed to say that.
“Strong Friends” is another one that’s particularly dear to me because it’s so easy to convince ourselves that people in our lives are doing better than they are because they look okay or we see them smiling. Sometimes we even convince ourselves that we’re holding it together. Maybe we don’t want to burden others.
Maybe we don’t have the luxury of pressing pause to focus on healing. If we’re honest, a lot of us are really struggling, and we don’t know how to talk about it. We don’t wanna take the mask off and show people that Superman is really Clark Kent. The song encourages you to take a look at your tribe and lift them up, even if they don’t appear to need it.
Also, you’re releasing accompanying visuals for each track. How does the visual aspect add another layer to your storytelling?
Yes, a full visual album! As I was getting close to wrapping up the project, I started to think about how I wanted people to experience it and adding a visual element felt like the right choice because it allows me to not only give a performance of a song, but also a snapshot of how I’m personally experiencing the music.
Now that the project is out, how do you feel? Does it uplift some of the weight that comes with doing something for the first time?
Definitely. There’s always a degree of fear when you’re pursuing something that matters to you. Like having a baby and wondering if it’s cute! I feel a great sense of pride in the fact that I stayed committed, and I overcame a lot of self-doubt in the process. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to have made this album, very grateful to have been chosen as the vessel for the work.
Music sounds like a real escape for you. What else do you do to make yourself feel good?
Music is super high on my self-care list, but I definitely find healing in other forms. I paint when I feel the inspiration, I have a lot of plants and a garden that I enjoy caring for, I read and listen to audiobooks and I work out quite a bit as well.
Lastly, is there anything you want to achieve in your career looking forward to? Anything on the bucket list?
A second album.
