This World of Selah Sue

17/05/2015

Interview for Jazzism (March/April 2015) - I can be happy

Jazzism March/April 2015

Selah Sue - I can be happy

Text: Jean-Paul Heck

Photos: Caroline Sikkenk/Photoline

It feels like a century ago that the Netherlands got to know her. With songs like Raggamuffin, Crazy Vibes and Zanna she gave out her business card. There were worries. Selah Sue was extremely open about her psychological state during interviews. Last year she let the Belgium media know that antidepressants are of an eminent importance for her. Meanwhile she is happy in her lovelife and she doesn't make a secret of that. Together with the Danish Rabin Hannibal and the Swedish Ludwig Göransson she recorded Reason in Los Angeles. She got help from Massive Attack-producer Matt Schwartz and Whitney Houston-producer Troy Taylor. That is quite something for this 26 years old Sanne Putseys from the Vlaams-Brabantse Leefdaal.

You took a long time for it. Your debut album comes from 2011.

“Watch out, ey! I have toured around the world with my first record for over three years. To make the songs for Reason, I have reserved four months and within that period of time it was ready. I had to wait a year and a half for good producers. I had a nice list of five producers which I got from my label, because I didn’t have any idea about it (or, I had no vision for it). That is also the reason why the record wasn’t ready until now. Who were on that list as well? Mark Ronson, but he was way too busy with his own record.”

You didn’t create an easy job putting two producers to it. Two captains on one ship….

“It has been a very hard way. I have tried to let Robin and Ludwig work together but that just didn’t work. In the end they both did five songs and have added elements of the other.

Off course I have thought a lot to just hire a Belgium producer during the process. There is enough talent in Belgium and it would have been a lot easier.

You are a true star now. Have you met your ambitions?

“It was never an ambition to be world famous. When I can write and play songs and make my money with it, I am already very satisfied. Nothing has changed. Of course I have seen many countries and that is special for somebody my age. I didn’t become alienated from my family and friends. In the contrary, the bond with them has only become stronger. ‘I don’t wanna die for succes’, I always say and I mean it. I am never away from home for more than three weeks and that is not going to change.

How did you start working on Reason? Didn’t you look up to it after the success of your debut?

“I totally didn’t think about what I would do. My tracks still come from a feeling within. All has to be spontaneous. One song takes a lot of time to make, the other one gets written rapidly. All is actually the same, because it remains very difficult for me to go for a uniform sound. My producers tried to make a complete piece of it and with Reason it kind of worked out. But like on my debut it is an eclectic collection of songs again.”

(Quote on right side of the page: “My songs come from my underbelly-feeling. Everything has to be spontaneous” )

(Quote on the left side of the page: “It is never the ambition to be famous worldwide”)

Your band members joined you to compose. That is kind of special.

“At least three tracks have been written with the band and I think that is cool. The song Daddy has been realized that way but also Stand Back, Gotta Make It Last and Time, which is on the extra edition and on my EP. I have also obtained beats from different producers and I have composed on hotel rooms and at home. Simply : acoustic with a guitar.”

Last year you were very open in the Belgium media about the fact you took antidepressants. That was a brave step.

“I go to a psychiatrist since I was fourteen years old and at home that was not a taboo at all. We talk very easy and open about it. But it was a big relief for me. People now know who I am better and why I behave differently sometimes.

The reactions to your openness were very heavy.
“Unbelievably! The impact was enormous and the satisfaction afterwards was unbelievable. No hitsong can meet that! But I want to give my attention and energy to it. I need help for my psychological disturbances, but that matters to millions of people around the whole world.

17/04/2015

Interview with Selah Sue at Café Corsari (Eén)

Watch the interview:
http://www.een.be/programmas/cafe-corsari/mijn-stem-heeft-veel-moeten-verdragen

TV channel Eén
Program: Café Corsari

(click on the photo to watch the interview)

Host: Yes, I am allowed to switch back to dutch, pff breath, eh that is also good for the princess of the fatherland’s soul I shall call her, ladies and gentlemen Selah Sue, hi Selah, I am going to start, before I ask you anything, may I call you Sanne?
Sanne: of course
Host: It's much easier. I have something for you. You know what is beneath this?
Sanne: Nooo
Host: a surprise… it is.. it is out for a week, A GOLDEN RECORD.
(during applause: host says: Shall I give it to you? Sanne: thank you?)
Host: I shall explain: The record came out a week ago, so it is sold 10.000 copies in Belgium and Netherlands only.
What do you earn with it? (hahah)
Sanne: Ehm…
Host: no I cannot ask that
Jan: She almost wanted to tell us I think?
Host: no that is rude. You cannot ask age as well, How old are you?
Sanne: I will be 26 within a month.
Host: within a month, I was allowed to ask that. People do ask why you waited so long, four years

Sanne: well after the release of the first record I have been touring for 2,5 years around the whole world, then after I wrote 4 months on the second record.
Host: you write everything yourself, I cannot repeat it enough.
Selah: Yes, Yeah watch out, I did accepted more help for the second record. In example the lyrics English isn't my native language, I did get help from a good friend who studies English, so for that reason the lyrics are deeper. And eh, I have collaborated with many producers and I have also written a few songs with my band. So it was under influence of other people.

Host: You did get yourself help more than before, I think you didn’t handle with it by yourself

Sanne (with funny facial expression):  Oh I really did exept help from others, with everything. I totally do not have an ego.
Host: allez
Jan: I do have.
(hahahah some laughs)
Sanne continues: “Everything is in service for a good number.”
That is my filosophy, and if I only have written 1% of a number. Fine by me
Host: but luckily you have written much more, we are going to hear that later.
How would you describe the differences between the two records?
Sanne:  difficult to say to judge when you have worked on it yourself. But I think, both records are eclectic. But I really knew better what I wanted. What kind of sounds I wanted for drums, what I wanted to do with my voice, cause for 2,5 years I have been touring, my voice needed to handle a lot. I really learned to know my voice.
Host: I think you have a tricky or hard way of how you sing.
Sanne: yeah, reasonable right you are. Because I didn’t get any lessons, so I do not sing in the correct academic way, to sing deep from within my stomach, so I really sing a lot from my throught, so in that way it is crunchy but also amazing. But I really have to watch out.  I really need to let my voice rest and stuff like that.
Host: Did you grab confidence in your record, which is now being paid out?
Sanne (funny facial expressions) ehm, hmmm..  ehm.. on a musical level I have always be pretty sure of what I wanted . I always had a reasonable strong opinion of what I like. But the difference now is that I was more strict..I told my producers “I want this and that and this and that” and if you do not like it so be it”.
While during the first record I was more that I wanted to be admired by everyone. That is a difference.
Host: But do you listen less to other opinions?
Sanne: Well I still do. (heheheh) for sure
But I can set is apart.
Host: That is possible     (litteral translation, in context you can better say: “you can do that” )
Sanne: That is possible
Host: mumble
Sanne: That is a great difference.
Host: that acquires stability
Sanne: yes, that is true. That why I called the album Reason. With the first record it was about ups and downs, emotion uhg uhg…. But with the second record.
Host:  mumble mumble we heard in interviews it was calmer on the..
Sanne: yeah, Second album I created more of a sense of reason. In this way I could be more of “standing my man” (dutch expression to be in charge of what you do) to achieve what I wanted it to be. Look this is what the record is what it is going to be.  I have to tour with the record so I need to like the tracks. I need to back them, so it has to be what I want it to be.
Host: I like to see you this way, so on fire and passionate  (nice smile on Sanne’s face).
So the documentary of 3 years ago, I feel it is a different woman now.
Sanne :  (nods yes) yeah
Host: Your mother was telling about even before that. And this is what she said then.
Mother: Yeah, on a emotional level, she has battled a emotional battle. I recently said, well I have to watch out I don't get too emotional now, but sometimes there are fragments that come back to me, that get me..  well  that give me a hard time.
Sanne: oh
(Sanne or interviewer???) : Like for example?
Mother: Well when you, ehm we went to the doctor that time. That you really didn’t feel yourself well. I saw it in her eyes, which were hopeless and filled with no control. …
I do not know if this should be on film
Mother continues: That she asked me: “mother this is going to continue” Pfff.. that is how deep she was.

Back in studio:

Host: I am truly in the impression you are really looking back to some kind of past now.
Sanne: Yeah that is true, that really is a past. But I wouldn’t like to change it. I am super gratefull and glad I got through that period. And now really

Host: Why are you glad of that?
Sanne: because it is .. I can relativate things better (or let go of things better). I know what it is about. It is not about selling many records but it is about being happy. Feeling yourself OK. And I think I feel that within my family and circle of friends. I can place negative comments better now. Because I know what it is to feel REALLY REALLY BAD.
Host: You will struggle with Jan about that.
Jan: I am jealous of her hair. (heheheh) are you busy a long time with it to get it like that?
Sanne: 3 minutes, really!
Jan: how do you do that?
Sanne: well. I actually use some special powder, you put it straight and put a rack(??) in it and it is done for 3 days.
Host: But your hair is too short for that Jan.
Jan: you really hurt me always you!

Host: Sanne, ehm, I think it’s a strick plan. This year you are going to have a “meterschap” (guardianship) of a campaign for youth named “te gek” (“Too crazy”) who askes awareness for psychological problems. Why are you doing that?
Sanne: I feel this as a calling for me because I know by myself how important is to not to feel alone, to know there are people who around who support you. I really want to do this. I used to think: “I am an exception to the rule. Nobody can feel like me” but that is not true. I think that can offer help to others. Plus I am an example of someone for which it looked without any good perspective to look forward to. But now I am who I have to be. I really want to do this.
Host: Are you afraid to fall back?
Sanne: Ehm. Y.. I think Yes. But I will be prepared earlier because I know what is going to happen. I know the specific feeling. And I now know what keeps me happy. Sport, Healthy food
Host: yeah?
Sanne: yeah yeah,
Jan: And performing too I hope ?
Sanne: Yeah, that’s true actually.
Host: You perform around the world. We have beautiful footage of Zenith in Lille where you are on your best. They all love you. We do not realize it but you are actually huge outside of Belgium, in France they admire you. Do they look different to you than that we look at you?
Sanne: Yes I think so. I thing Belgium the crowd is more reserved. But in France they put me on a higher rank. In Belgium everyone thinks “act normal, act normal”

Host: We are super happy you are here. You play on April 18^th in Lotto Arena and Wechter too? And in a few moments on our stage in Café Corsari. I think that is very special. Thank you Selah Sue!