Bengali-NZ singer songwriter Sabreen has just released her latest single ‘Countryman’, and chats with Happy about its meaning and the process
Sabreen’s signature storytelling and beautiful vocals were last seen on her EP room service, and her latest single ‘Countryman’ is no different.
She tells the story of Joe Kum Yung, a Chinese gold-miner who moved to NZ and was eventually killed by a white supremacist.
Through soaring instrumentation and searing sonics, Sabreen is able to bring attention to this long-lost story, and to the experiences of Asian immigrants as a whole.
Sitting down with Happy, Sabreen lets us in on her ideas about genre, the collaborative process and the experience of being Bengali in the music industry.
Check out the interview below.
HAPPY: What are you up to today?
SABREEN: I’ve just finished my classes for today and am about to revise for my exams!
HAPPY: Tell us a little about where you’re from. What do you love about it?
SABREEN: I’m from Auckland, New Zealand. As much as I complain about Auckland, I really do love how much nature there is where I live, even though I live in the city.
I feel very lucky to see the sea everyday. It’s also small enough that my loved ones are never too far away.
HAPPY: ‘Countryman’ is a deeply emotional track. What message or feeling were you hoping to leave with listeners when they hear this song for the first time?
SABREEN: ‘Countryman’ is the most meaningful song I’ve ever released. After the first listen, I hope listeners are emotionally invested in the story of the song and want to learn more.
I’d like them to think about why the story ends the way it does, and to be curious to learn more about Joe Kum Yung and others like him.
HAPPY: You blend folk, pop, and cinematic elements beautifully. How do you approach genre in your music, and is there one that you feel most connected to?
SABREEN: Thank you! Genre is a tricky question for me, I always struggle to categorise my songs by genre. It’s not really at the forefront of my mind while writing, but during producing I like to splice different sounds and ideas from a range of genres to create something dynamic and interesting.
I feel the most connected to folk-pop; I love the fun and cleverness of pop music, and the atmosphere and thought-provoking lyrics of folk.
HAPPY: The story of Joe Kum Yung is one that many might not be familiar with. What drew you to this piece of history, and why did you feel it was important to share through your music?
SABREEN: I was drawn to Joe’s story because of the similarities I saw between his life and the journey of my own parents and members of my community.
Seeing how he had largely been forgotten made me think about how so many of the contributions of Asian immigrants around the world are made invisible, despite how much we love, struggle, and care for each other.
It felt important to share through my music as my own tribute to him, to humanise him and tell his story so that he is remembered as he deserves to be.
HAPPY: Working with Nate Selway on production must’ve brought a unique touch to ‘Countryman.’ What was the collaboration process like, and how did you work together to create the song’s haunting atmosphere?
SABREEN: The collaboration process with Nate was amazing. He and I have become such good friends and he completely understood the assignment. We were both so determined to get it right – we wanted to convey both the joyous parts of his life as well as his death.
We didn’t want it to be entirely tragic and minimise his life to the moment of his death, so we made sure to infuse beautiful, light instruments such as mandolin and swelling strings to convey a sense of a full life.
You have this gentle, beautiful rise during the first half of the song with a contrast of sweet and foreboding lyrics, and then the sharp cut of all the instruments in the bridge shows the premature end of this beautiful life. It took us a year and a half to get it exactly right!
HAPPY: From your EP room service to now, how do you feel your sound and songwriting have evolved? Are there any particular moments of growth that stand out to you?
SABREEN: I definitely feel like a more mature songwriter since I released room service. Before, I was quite afraid to release darker songs with political undertones such as ‘Countryman’, since everyone around me was releasing upbeat pop music.
But after room service, I really felt as though I wanted my songs to mean something, and I wanted to be more honest in my songwriting. room service was also the start of me incorporating my culture into my music, which is something I’ve continued to explore since then.
Creating ‘Countryman’ was a huge moment of growth for me, and I learned so much about what kind of artist I want to be and how to step out of my own experiences to tell someone else’s story through my music.
HAPPY: As a young artist of Bangladeshi descent, how do you see your identity influencing not only your music but your place in the New Zealand music scene?
SABREEN: It has definitely influenced my music and how I navigate the music industry. In terms of music, it unlocks a whole different world of sounds, methods of storytelling and song structures that I am constantly inspired by.
In terms of the music industry, I used to think that being culturally different was a disadvantage, since I am often the only South Asian and Muslim artist in these spaces; but now I see it as such a strength. It helps to ground me and to be sure of myself and my individuality.
I know who I am, which is such a source of strength in this ever-changing space and helps me to find like-minded creatives and people.
HAPPY: With your second EP on the way, what can fans look forward to? Are there any new themes, sounds, or directions that you’re excited to explore in your upcoming work?
SABREEN: I’m so excited for my second EP! It is quite different from room service in that it feels more grown up and mature. The themes and lyrics go down the vein that my song ‘victory’ started; they’re a bit darker and more complex.
In terms of sound, it leans more towards the folk side of folk-pop and features more instruments and sounds from my culture.
HAPPY: What makes you happy?
SABREEN: A lot of things! Music is a huge source of joy to me – I love listening to it and creating it, and we’ve been fed with so many incredible artists and albums this year.
My friends, family and partner are the best people in the world. I love dreaming about the future; it’s full of exciting things, if we make it so.
