Sasha Atlas is a talented musician rising from the vibrance of Miami by way of New York, influenced by a wide range of artists, varying from Rina Sawayama to Bjork. She has flirted with industries including Wall Street following her time in college studying theatre. She has now settled into the life of a full time artist and is set to continue to sharpen her craft.

Her latest single, “If I Drown” is a colourful and well-crafted number that showcases the depth of Atlas’ artistry and the stylistic versatility that she has at her disposable. The singer-songwriter picks up where she left of with her “On Fire” EP from earlier in the year, flaunting her dazzling vocals and impressive songwriting acumen.

We sat down with Atlas to discuss her musical origins, the New York creative scene, and what’s to come from her.

Listen to “If I Drown”…

Read the interview…

Who and what influences you?
More than anything, I’m influenced by my experiences. I have too many interests and seek out new ones constantly; I want to live as much and as fully as I can. This has led me down some weird and interesting paths, and I can safely say I have a few different lives at this point. I write about what I see who I meet, and what I’ve learned through it all. Musically, too, the influences are eclectic, to say the least. Pink Floyd, Elton John, Evanescence, Daft Punk, Lady Gaga…recently Rufus Du Sol and Gioli & Assia…the list really goes on and on…

Talk us through your musical origins.
Music runs in my family- we’re all songwriters and instrumentalists. I don’t even remember a time when I wasn’t singing and immersed in musical education. There was always every kind of music in our house; from Tchaikovsky to Louis Armstrong to The Beatles to Pink Floyd to Ace of Base to NAS to Britney Spears. We listened to everything, there was always a different CD in the car stereo. I was really drawn to classic rock and as I grew up in Brooklyn, I was influenced by the NYC indie rock scene. I knew I was a rocker at heart early on. I did have a lot of baggage about being the “cool girl” when I was younger and didn’t really let myself indulge in my more feminine guilty pleasures (read: pop music). As I got older and more in touch with my femininity, I really began to appreciate the pop girlies. I also started getting way more into dance music when I moved to Miami.
 
How did you find the sound that you now create?
I think I’m still very much in the process of figuring out my “sound.” At this point, it’s clear that I gravitate towards maximalism and highly produced records, and some blend of rock, pop, and electronic/dance music. My songs have some element of these genres, but the ratios vary. I would say that in the future though, I am starting to lean even more into electronic elements, especially as I’ve gotten into DJing. I think there’s a lot of room for experimentation in the world of progressive dance music/electro-pop, and I’m really enjoying experimenting with bringing a rock feel and traditional pop songwriting to them. Melody is really important to me too, I think everything I do, at its core, will be very melodic, whether it’s pop, dance, or rock.  

How would you describe your essence as an artist?
Loud, opinionated, self-assured, but also sentimental and optimistic. I’ve tried to be the edgy girl, the badass, and it’s just not me. I’m too corny and idealistic. The first drafts of my lyrics are usually sappy and saccharine, and I intentionally try to scuff them up or juxtapose them with an edgier sound. It’s like, I want to project this alternative counter-culture confidence because I believe in that, but I can’t really commit to the nihilistic part of the bit or get too dark with it… I just don’t like going there as a person and that’s not the energy I wanna bring. I think there’s enough of that already out there. As an artist, I feel it’s important to represent the world as it is and not hide from truths, but as a person, I want my music to help people up, not bring them down. It’s probably why I’m starting to drift more toward dance music; even serious songs can have an uplifting beat.
 
What is it about the New York creative scene that compels you?
New York nourishes the part of my personality that craves experiences. Just walking down the street anywhere in the city is an assault on the senses. It’ll be noisy and smelly, it can be unbelievably ugly, but it can also take your breath away. And it attracts people who want that; I have met very few boring people in New York. It’s very easy to be inspired there, and I don’t only mean that in a positive sense. There’s been plenty of art made about how much the city brings people down, in fact, the next song I’m releasing is all about how hard NY can be. Still, it’s special, it’s evocative and intense in a way I’ve never experienced anywhere else.
 
What about Konstantin Korsakov’s production style that resonates with you?
Working with Konstantin has been essential in really figuring out who I am as a songwriter. I’ve worked with other producers before and have dabbled in production myself, but I’ve never worked with anyone with so much mastery and depth. Like me, Konstantin loves big and grandiose arrangements; but he is a master of genre and has experience with everything from deep house to soundtracks. Which means he’s not afraid to experiment, which I just love. He’ll come up with some really sick shit that doesn’t sound like anything I’ve ever heard before and put completely new spins on my songs. That said, if I have a clear vision of what I want a song to sound like, he’ll be very respectful of that. He’s just intuitive about this sort of stuff and he’s a great collaborator, I feel like he strikes the perfect balance of challenging me as a writer while respecting the integrity of what I’m trying to create.

We love your new single “If I Drown”! What was the creative process of the track?
I love “If I Drown.” It’s actually the first song I wrote for “Sasha Atlas,” the solo artist project, back in 2021, after a crazy year of quarantining alone in NYC and then spontaneously moving to Miami. I met someone who I immediately fell for. I was overwhelmed by the euphoria of being young and in love in such a sexy place; they don’t call it “the magic city” for nothing. I was lying on the beach, lying in the sand nursing a hangover from the best weekend I’d ever had when I wrote it. I wasn’t really intending to do anything with this song, just one of many I’d written that would sit in a Garageband project somewhere on my computer. But I’d spent all that time alone and depressed in New York thinking about how much I regretted not giving music a real shot, and my new partner pushed me to do something about it. Eventually, the song found its way to Konstantin, who took me under his wing and really helped guide me through the initial steps of creating and releasing music on a professional level. We completely restructured it and worked on it while writing new music together. I really wanted it to have a disco groove but with rock’ n ’roll elements, like Random Access Memories by Daft Punk. That album has had a huge influence on me, in general.
 
How does this new release differ from your previous efforts?
It’s definitely the most upbeat and dance song I’ve released, aside from the remix of “The Flame.” Certainly, the only original so far that I’d consider a “bop.” That’s why I waited til the summer to release it, aside from all the obviously beachy imagery. My previous songs were more contemplative and melancholy, less carefree and fun.
 
Is it a sign of things to come from you stylistically?
I think so, yeah. I’m not trying to have a full disco era, but I do want to make more dance music. It’s easier on the soul, and it’s a lot more fun to perform. I’ve really gotten into DJing and exploring all of the genres of dance music. I’m getting really into melodic house and techno, and I think that elements from these genres can pair really well with my traditional pop/rock background. The scene is also so much fun; the vibes are great, and I think there’s a lot of room to play and experiment with hybrid live/electronic performances. I’ve started performing my music with a DJ controller and a MIDI keyboard while singing; I love the variety of effects and transitions I can achieve with these tools that just make for so much more of an immersive sonic experience. I’ve also been giving my older songs new life by mixing them with new beats and adding new licks and solos, which feels really good.
 
What’s to come from you this year?
Hopefully, a lot more shows! To me, the best part about being a musician is being on stage. I’m so happy that venues are open again, I love going to concerts to get inspired, and I’m so glad to be performing again. I did some shows this summer in New York that have been awesome, just performed NYFW event; the momentum has definitely been there and the opportunities keep getting better. With some luck, I’ll be performing in Miami soon and breaking into the dance scene there. I’ll also be releasing new music that will reflect my changing sound and remixes of my older songs. I love those songs and I believe in bringing them with me as I grow and change as an artist. My next releases will be very NY-centric; retrospectives on my time there and how much it’s influenced me. I have some covers in the works too, which I hope will really show what I mean by bringing rock music into the dance world. Think Pink Floyd, but make it techno.