If you haven’t heard of Canadian country artist Sarah Wickett, you definitely will. This talented vocalist and dedicated artist plays by her own rules and brings a unique and fresh perspective to pop-country music that isn’t like anything you’ve heard before.
Hailing from Beaverton, Ontario, Wickett spent “her time, hunting, fishing and watching sunsets on the water was intertwined with a distinctly musical upbringing, surrounded by a family who shared her passion.” With true country roots, she shares her life experiences through her music. “In 2020 she released 4 singles, with her songs ‘What We Do’ and “Accent” being amongst her most successful releases to date. Thus far, her music gained her nods from radio stations across the country and major media outlet Global TV.” (Wickett). She also was named “Artist of the Month” by The Canadian Country Music Association of Ontario. Her latest single, “Potential”, was released on February 19th of this year.
The song speaks to someone who fell in love with the potential of someone else, instead of who they truly are. As she explained, “It’s about a relationship and it’s relatable to many. As the woman in the song steps into the wrong relationship, she realizes who she thinks they are, or her idealized version of them is not who they truly are.” (Wickett). As for the writing process, Wickett mentioned, “I wrote it during the pandemic. It’s one of the easiest songs I’ve written. When I went into the studio with it, I wanted it to be a funny boppy song. But the lyrics are sad, so I wanted to have a sad intro and “trick people” and have the happy melody come later.” (Wickett). She also recently released the lyric video for the song, which is stylistically inspired by vintage film and home videos and therefore offers a unique way to experience it.
This song differs from her previous single, “Accent” which is sung in both English & Punjabi. As she explained, “I wanted to try something new and promote inclusivity. To familiarize country music fans with Punjabi sounds, music and culture and vice versa.” A bold move that is making Wickett a pioneer of a new subgenre in North -American country music.
Wickett “Always had a deep respect and love for the Punjabi culture” (Wickett), but it wasn’t until she started dating her former boyfriend two years ago, that she decided to learn the language- which helped her connect with his family. She then combined her love for the culture with her music, which led to her single Accent. With a combination of English and Punjabi lyrics paired with melodic influences from traditional country and Punjabi music, Accent is a unique, upbeat and fun song that will have you hooked from the very start. Additionally, the song’s chorus is quite catchy and will surely have you singing along.
Speaking of Wickett’s musical sound, her vocal performances lean more towards pop-country as she was influenced by the many pop artists she grew up with. That being said, “All of my songs are different. They each draw upon different genres and influences.” (Wickett). As she continued, “I listen to and am inspired by many up and coming artists like myself. Madeline Merlo, Megan Patrick, Shania Twain, to name a few.” (Wickett). If she could collaborate with one of her musical influences, she’d want to do a “girl/guy collab”, despite being very influenced by women in country music. As she stated, “It would be Hardy. He’s super country, such a great songwriter and hilarious.” (Wickett).
While normal live performances are still far off in light of the pandemic, Sarah made the best of this past year taking advantage of the time she had to work on new music and interact with her fans via social media. “I did a series of IG lives. Which was so fun. I got to interact with people who may never have had the opportunity to see a live show. People tuned in from Africa to Germany. I’ve done a couple of Zoom interviews too.” (Wickett). During this time, Wickett learnt a valuable lesson. As she explained, “Everything had to slow down in the world. We used to be all on the go and super busy, which isn’t good for our mental health. I thought it was how it was supposed to be, but through the pandemic, I’ve learnt that it’s okay to take a mental health day, relax/rest and check-in on myself.”(Wickett).
Moving forward in 2021, Wickett has set herself several “little challenges” related to her music goals to check off as the year progresses. Some of those goals include reaching new people with her music, working on her digital marketing strategies, writing 100 songs and accumulating 1M+ Spotify streams. Additionally, she plans on recording another Punjabi country song, which she hopes to release later this year. If Accent was any indication, this next single will be one to watch out for.
Listen to Potential now:
To learn more about Sarah Wickett and her music, be sure to check out her music & socials:
Website: www.sarahwickett.com
IG: www.instagram.com/sarahhww
FB: www.facebook.com/sarahwickettofficial
Twitter: www.twitter.com/sarahwickett
YouTube: www.youtube.com/sarahhww
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@sarah_wickett
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/31K5ZPY
Works Cited
Wickett, Sarah. Interview. Conducted by Kyla Pearson, Mar. 15 2021.
Unknown. “Featured: Canadian country artist Sarah Wickett”. Photo courtesy of Sarah Wickett. Accessed Mar. 15 2021.
