SJAE reveals new EP Paper Hearts
30th October 2024SJAE, also known as Samantha Powell or Sammy Jay, is a highly acclaimed music producer, composer, and songwriter whose work spans multiple genres and mediums. A career spanning 20 years, SJAE has carved out a significant niche in the music industry, earning recognition for her versatility, creativity, and ability to transcend traditional musical boundaries, whilst being among one of very few women music producers and composers in the industry. Known for her eclectic and innovative approach to music production, she often blends traditional instrumentation with cutting-edge technology, creating records that are both contemporary and timeless. Her upcoming EP, ‘Paper Hearts,’ due out later this year, and the title track takes her sound in a different direction, blending folk, blues, country, and soul, into an emotional and raw commentary on the fragility of the human condition.
‘Paper Hearts’ was written during the height of the Covid pandemic, while political tensions were dividing America, families and friends were torn apart by conflicting decisions on everything important in their lives. Additionally, SJae had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of thyroid cancer, and underwent two surgeries, just as the world locked down and fell off its axis.
With this new EP, SJae wanted to convey a message of hope and humility, strength and grace through radical acceptance and the notion that we are all so fragile and vulnerable, that through this insane time in history, even though our paths may differ, our destination is the same. SJae explains, “We are all just doing the best we can. We are all multi-dimensional, perfectly imperfect, fragile yet tenacious, and beautifully human.”
She had started composing for Netflix the year before, and had put together a group of musician friends to work on a new master of Bella Ciao, the song made popular by the show ‘Money Heist.’ The vibe between them was so fluid, that SJae asked if they would help her with the instrumentation on Paper Hearts. This spectacular band made up of award-winning musicians, bassist Hutch Hutchinson (Bonnie Rait), drummer MB Gordy (Pharrell Williams, Doobie Brothers), and guitarist Diego Garcia (Andrés Calamaro, Mercedes Sosa), all recorded their parts in isolation and sent the files to SJae, who added piano, strings and her intimate vocal tones, culminating in a fully produced and mixed record.
SJae was born in Wales, UK, and studied at The Brit School of Performing Arts, whose alumni include Adele and Amy Winehouse. Upon graduation, she signed a record deal with BMG Records and a publishing deal with Warner Chappell, which set the stage for her future career as a songwriter and music producer. After a decade of penning hit songs and producing records in the UK, SJae moved to Los Angeles, where her career expanded even further.
A career marked by her collaborations with a wide range of artists, from emerging talents to established stars, SJae has worked across genres including, R&B, hip-hop, K-pop, folk, and electronic music, penning hit records all over the world. Her ability to fuse different styles and sounds has made her a sought-after producer and composer in the industry.
In addition to her work in the music industry, SJAE has also made significant contributions to the world of film and television. Her compositions and score have been featured in various soundtracks, trailers, and tv shows, and she is currently one of Netflix’s Los Angeles go-to composers. Throughout her career, SJAE has received numerous accolades for her work, including a Mercury Music Prize and MOBO nominations for her production on Terri Walker’s ‘Untitled’ album, numerous awards across Asia for her work with KPop sensation EXO on their ‘Miracles in December EP’, and several platinum records for her work in the dance and UK garage arena with artists such as Mis-teeq, Booty Luv, Kele Le Roc and Mark Morrison. She has been recognized not only for her technical proficiency but also for her ability to connect with audiences on a deep emotional level through other lyrics and her soulful style of vocal production. Her contributions to the music industry have been acknowledged by her peers and by the broader music community.
Her notable works include collaborations with Raphael Saadiq, as a composer on Netflix’s ‘After Party’ and songwriter and vocalist in Disney’s ‘Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur’. Raphael also appears on SJae’s 2019 EP, ‘First’, along with other featured artists such as Sam Sparro.
Whether it be crafting the majority of the featured music on shows such as MTVs ‘Ridiculousness’ and Hulu’s ‘Kardashians,’ films such as ‘Bad Trip’ or ‘They Cloned Tyrone’, or scoring for major network trailers and promos, one will hear SJae’s music and songwriting across all platforms and territories.
