Sally Dige on Creating Art Without Shame, “Sow the Path,” and Being a Rebel with a Good Heart
Sally Dige’s music emerges like fragments of a dream — intimate and hazy, quietly distant but hauntingly familiar.
Berlin-based and Canada-bred, Dige began her solo project in Vancouver in 2012, cultivating a focused aesthetic that paired synth-driven soundscapes with the most intimate lyricism. But it’s the release of her forthcoming album, Holding the Sun, that will transpose her trademark severe dreamscapes into nostalgic, wistful memories. Incorporating mandolin, balalaika, harp, and strings, the folk- and goth-inflected record marks a notable shift from her colder electronic roots toward a warmer, more atmospheric sound — a welcomed turn into the sun.
Our publisher, Kristin Prim, spoke with Sally ahead of its July 11th release to talk about creating art without shame, Holding the Sun’s first single, “Sow the Path,” and the importance of being a rebel with a good heart.
KP: I just went on a deep dive through almost all of your music videos, and they are so visually strong and quite subversive, which naturally I’m very drawn to, of course! [Laughs]. But while some artists sleepwalk their way through visuals, they seem to be a very important aspect of your work.
What drives the direction of your videos? Is there one in particular that means the most to you? If so, why?
SD: Thank you! I’ve always been a big fan of music videos!
The themes and inspirations for my videos come from different places. Sometimes the videos are simple and purely aesthetic-driven, and other times they explore deeper storytelling or reflect something personal happening in my life. When I write a song, I often play it on repeat while walking, letting the images form in my mind. If there are strong emotions or themes pressing on me at the time, they often appear as visuals — through daydreams, night dreams, or even symbols that I notice in everyday life.
I journal a lot and record my dreams. I look up recurring themes and symbols and pay attention to patterns or signs that I see during my waking hours. I feel that those are all messages that ask us to reflect and go deeper. I’m a very superstitious person.
Sometimes it’s also just an image I saw in a book of a girl, and it made me wonder about her in that space.
My favourite music video would be my newest, “Sow the Path.” It was the first time that I got to collaborate with my brother on one of my music videos — he’s so talented with his eye for cinematography and lighting. It felt very special because it was just a small crew of friends and family and was shot in the high school theatre that my brother and I once attended.
KP: Aw, that’s so special! It’s a really great video. And speaking of your videos, I read that they’ve upset some people in your distant family, and your father can be “ashamed” of your work. As an Irish-Italian Roman Catholic with a pretty conservative upbringing who was always pushing the limits of my own work through the years, I can completely relate to that. But I loved your handling of the situation, which was to say that you “[aren’t] making films for [your] family.”
I think artists that are progressive, that are subversive, often need to keep their work and families quite separate or else they’ll never accomplish what they’re seeking to. Art is meant to question morals, to question the mores of society at large, and unless you’re very lucky and come from a family who seeks to challenge convention instead of staying within it, that will always be a tipping point.
How do you deal with the pressures and complications that come from making challenging work? Is there anything that helped you come to terms with its consequences along the way?
SD: It’s true that family may not always agree with the work that you are doing, but you have to follow your heart first.
My dad actually started to come around and became much more supportive of my solo project over the last few years, largely because my aunt had some heartfelt talks with him. She encouraged him to be more open-minded and supportive of my solo project and music career. Before that, he used to get visibly triggered and angry just seeing the thumbnail of one of my music videos pop up on his YouTube feed. I think my aunt having this talk with him gave him the kind of validation he needed from the outside that what I was doing wasn’t an embarrassment.
On the other hand, I had another aunt who would troll my pages and leave hateful comments and spread lies about me to the family because she hated my music so much. [Laughs].
KP: I relate to all of that very much. My work has been “a lot” since I was fourteen! [Laughs]. Not that it actually is to us, but you get it.
SD: I often try to turn my brain off when I think of outside pressures and complications. A friend had once commented that he noticed that when I work, I get super focused — even when I am filming on the street and people are shouting and swearing at me, I don’t even notice. I have a way of blacking it out and turning my brain off when I’m in the moment. I think that’s part of it. I try not to think of the consequences or how people will react. I figure that I will deal with the consequences when they arrive. [Laughs].
KP: I think that’s the best way of handling it. Think of all the incredible work that we’d be deprived of in this world if artists had their families in mind first. It’s very tricky.
SD: That said, I would never create something that endangers or exploits anyone. If it’s just about work that is discomforting, that makes people feel challenged or unsettled, then that’s when it’s good to try and tune out the noise and the pressures. I have certainly received threats over the years from people who didn’t agree with my music videos. [Laughs].
I try to remember that life, and sometimes the tormented mind itself, isn’t always pretty. It can be tragic, lonely, horrid, cruel, and disgusting. Art should show all of that because it is honest, and if the artist’s mind or their own narrative is subversive and dark, then the most honest thing they can do is show it and tell it.
KP: I couldn’t agree with you more. Art is the highest form of truth.
Your latest single, “Sow the Path,” released on May 30th, welcomes a very marked shift from your “colder, synth-driven sound towards a more acoustic and atmospheric style.” What led you to want to explore such a sound? Do you feel that it’s a permanent departure or simply more of an expansion?
SD: This change of sound first began with my single “It’s You I’m Thinking Of,” and from there I decided to create an album that would incorporate as little synths as possible and instead focus more on acoustic, live instrumentation.
I had this idea when creating the album to focus each song around one or two star instruments and build the song around those instruments. For “Sow the Path,” I wanted that song to be centered on strings (violin and cello). The original version was more stripped down with just strings, piano, harp, and pads, but every time I would be editing the song against the drum click track, I kept thinking about how much I would love to hear a version of it with drums. The dramatic melodic strings moved me in a different way once I heard it with a beat. That’s when I decided that I would release two versions of the song for the album. Once I started the second version, I didn’t hold back with adding in all the guitars, synths, and synth bass, because after all —this was going to be the “pop” version.
I never try to think about what will be permanent or even worry about what I’ll do next. The most important thing is to feel excited and inspired about what you’re making. After all, making music and art should always feel fun and interesting to you, the Artist, most of all.
KP: And as you just mentioned, “Sow the Path” certainly follows in the footsteps of 2020’s “It’s You I’m Thinking Of,” which is just an incredible track. Can you tell us about its writing and development?
SD: I went into a bit of a creative hiatus after the release of the Holding On album. I was writing constantly, but I wasn’t connecting with anything that I was producing. Holding On had been such an electronic push for me — everything was programmed to the grid and entirely synth-driven. After that, I needed something different. I needed to challenge myself.
I began replacing my synth sounds with acoustic instruments and returned to my musical roots, which began with writing songs in a band before I ever ventured into electronic music. It sounds simple, but just picking up acoustic instruments again and physically plucking strings with my hands reignited my inspiration and helped shape this new sonic direction.
At first, I was working on a track that included violin and cello. One of my friends from that session mentioned that he had a mandolin at home and offered to lend it to me. I took it home and wrote “It’s You I’m Thinking Of” that same night. The track was fully written, recorded, and produced in my home studio, except for the live drums, which were performed and engineered by Jonathan Reiter in his studio.
“Sow the Path” was a bit more complex. As I mentioned earlier, I worked on two different versions of the song, and at one point, I became overwhelmed because both versions were heavily layered and demanding. It took a long time to complete, and I eventually reached out for support because I was burning out.
I teamed up with my friend Ådne Meisfjord, who also mixed “It’s You I’m Thinking Of.” We would meet once a week in the evenings to work on the “Sow the Path” single version. Then I’d continue working on the song at home, bring updated stems back to him, and we’d keep refining it together from there.
“Be a rebel with a good heart.”
KP: The single is also your final release before your album, Holding the Sun, drops on July 11th. What can you tell us about the record? Do you have a favorite track we can look out for? If so, which is it and why?
SD: It’s so hard for me to pick a favourite track from this album. I worked on some of the songs for so long — some even years, with plenty of revisions and alternate versions!
On the album there is a song called “Voice of My Heart” that was originally built around a brass section with trumpet, flügelhorn, and trombone. It had a brass bridge with live drums, and it was a very jazzy song, but something about it kept haunting me as it just wasn’t hitting. In a last-minute move, I deleted most of the stems and rebuilt the song from the ground up, even changing some of the lyrics to fit a new vocal melody.
Some songs felt like true sadists who tormented me, wanting me to suffer because I couldn’t finish them. They gave me sleepless nights with never-ending questions burning in my mind. What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I just write a simple song and finish it like everyone else?
If I had to choose a favourite track, maybe it’s “Strength in Me” because it was the last song that I finished for the album. Maybe because it’s the one I’m least sick of at this point! [Laughs].
I’m really excited to finally share this album, which was years in the making, and have these songs on physical formats. Until you release your songs, it feels like you’re holding your breath the entire time. Now it feels like a giant sigh of release — I mean, relief! This is also the first physical release on my own label, so it’s a really meaningful milestone.
KP: That’s so important, and we’ll get to that in a little!
But going back to the instrumentation on the record, I spoke with Margaret Cho not too long ago, who used this really interesting guitar-mandolin hybrid on this track, “Stevie,” off her latest album, which I fell in love with. Your instrumentation is very similar on this record.
What led you to exploring such different textures and timbres? That instrumentation really works for you — it’s brilliant!
SD: During the pandemic, I developed a bit of an obsession with scouring listings for cheap, second-hand instruments. If something looked cool and was cheap, I’d buy it and challenge myself to incorporate it into at least one of my songs. It was even more exciting if it was an instrument I’d never played before. From there, I just kept wanting to experiment by bringing in different instruments, musicians, and singers to expand the textures and timbres in my music.
KP: I really love that. It adds such richness — I’m sure every day felt like a new adventure.
As you just mentioned, you established your own record label, Dige Records, in 2020, which an increasing number of artists are doing. We always talk about this here at Noir, but what were the factors that led you to self-publishing? I love your all-encompassing approach and involvement in your own music — it’s fantastic.
SD: I think it’s really fantastic to see bands releasing their own records. It really makes sense in this day and age, especially with all of the tools we have access to now.
I had been dreaming about starting my own label for a long time. I was already self-funding a lot of my project: the mixing, the music videos, etc. So when I began getting the masters back from my earlier releases (from previous labels) to put onto my own distribution, it felt like a natural next step to keep moving in that direction.
Starting my own label was really about taking one step closer to full independence. I wanted the freedom and control to release whatever music I felt like, whenever I felt like it — and without worrying about fitting into a scene or genre, especially as my sound was beginning to evolve. It’s like holding the keys to your own car: you can go wherever you want, whenever you want. To me, this seemed very exciting and limitless in terms of the possibilities with what I could do.
That said, I’m incredibly grateful to all of the labels I’ve worked with in the past. They were supportive, believed in my vision, and took a chance on me as a small artist — especially when you consider how expensive it is to press vinyl, tapes, and CDs, and sometimes hire PR — all with no guarantee that they would make that money back.
I’m still friends with all of the labels that I worked with. Each one truly helped me a lot and has been integral in my journey as an artist.
As for the name, Dige Records, I had to come up with something quickly, and honestly, I couldn’t think of anything more clever at the time! [Laughs]. I needed to submit the label name and info to the distributor the next day, so I just went with it.
KP: Naming is always the hardest part of a business. I’ve spent weeks naming my companies at times. It’s brutal!
You’ve worked closely with Boy Harsher over the years, who, of course, are brilliant. How did you come to know each other? And please work on some music together soon! That’s from me and everyone on the internet. [Laughs].
SD: Jae (Matthews) first reached out to me on Facebook to say that she was a fan of my music, which was such a nice surprise. Later on, she got in touch again while they were planning a music video shoot in Berlin. She was looking for help finding specific locations, gear, and people to play characters in their video for “Send Me a Vision.” Eventually, she asked me if I’d be interested in playing one of the roles myself. I liked how the video featured all musicians in the cast.
I would love to collaborate with them in the future. I love their remix for Nilüfer Yanua’s song “Just a Western.” There was a moment when I was listening to it on loop for days.
KP: Oh my god, my girlfriend loves that song too, and I ended up loving it as well — through her! I’ve been playing it every day since she showed it to me! Good taste we all have. [Laughs].
When asked about your thoughts on the evolution of dark wave — a genre that you are so often tied to — you said that you don’t think about it much and pointed more to a “fascination with the construction of pop music.” I have spoken about this on Noir maybe about two or three times by now — everyone’s going to be like, “This again? Shut up already!” [Laughs]. But I’m such a Top 40 pop head, and no one would ever think that by looking at me!
Similarly to you, it’s the psychology of pop that is so incredibly interesting to me — how it’s possible to craft a sound that, regardless of culture, will appeal to almost every ear in the world. I find it deeply captivating.
What is it exactly about pop that reels you in? And what are some of your favorite pop records?
SD: What I really admire about pop music is how it always gets straight to the point. Every section of the song has to serve a purpose. Pop songs are typically no longer than 3½ minutes in length, so there’s no room for lingering or wasting time.
While working on this album, I would meet up with a friend at his apartment to get feedback on my songs. It was always hard to catch him for a meeting. I would not get a response from him for a long time, and then suddenly he would send a spontaneous short text like, “Tonight at 8:30 PM,” and I’d have to drop everything because I knew if I missed it, it might take months to reach him again. But it was always worth it. I really valued his input, and he was always right in the end with his feedback. He’s very direct and honest in that unapologetic German way that isn’t concerned about softening his words or sparing my feelings. Honestly, that’s the most invaluable thing you can have for getting creative feedback: someone who tells you the truth.
He’s a soundtrack composer who’s written for films and TV shows and was also co-writing for a German pop artist at the time. He wouldn’t mince words. If something bothered him, he’d tell me to stop the song mid-playback and say things like, “I don’t like that — delete that part. Cut that intro in half. That bridge is too long — delete it. That part serves no purpose — delete it. That guitar hook is only at the end, but it’s a pop song — it needs to be introduced earlier in the song as well. Change that.” He’d often remind me, “This is pop, not a prog rock track. If it doesn’t serve a purpose, delete it. Get to the point.”
That process made me really appreciate the structure and discipline behind pop songwriting. It’s almost militaristic — there’s no time to waste, no space for rambling. A great pop song hits the highs, lows, and surprises, and then it's done. It takes discipline. You learn not to get too attached to a melody or section, even if it took ages to write or cost a lot to record with musicians, engineers, or in rented studios. Because ultimately, it’s not about your ego — it’s about serving the song.
I think great examples of well-composed pop songs are a lot of The Cure singles or early Beatles. They usually end at the 3:30 mark or earlier, and they don’t waste any time. Each section of the song is impactful with plenty of hooks and topline melodies that stick in your head.
But if we’re talking straight-up pop-pop, I love Aqua’s album, Aquarium. Every song is a hit. And 90s Max Martin songs are pop perfection.
KP: Everyone thinks loving pop is brainless, but see! We have very well-thought-out reasons! [Laughs].
What advice would you lend women who wish to get into a creative field? What advice would you lend women about life in general?
SD: It’s funny… I wonder if I am the right inspirational person to be giving advice to any wide-eyed woman. I — who regularly stays up until 5 a.m. (a different kind of “5 a.m. club”,) has never gone to work with a full night’s sleep in her entire life, is often disorganized with bad time management, neurotic and paranoid, lives in a complete mess, and only washes her hair with soap once a month. But maybe that kind of messy and chaotic existence is actually relatable or even on-brand as an artist living by their own rhythm. So here goes, some random thoughts in no particular order:
1. Education:
– Never stop learning and exploring.
– Education doesn’t have to mean expensive schools or degrees. That said, I think post-secondary education can be beneficial — not just because of the jobs it may lead to, but for the way that it expands your mind. Education doesn’t need to be justified by its capitalist return on investment.
– Don’t rely on just one source. When I wanted to learn about singing, I booked 3 different singing coaches in my city for a one-off singing class: the most expensive, the cheapest, and one in the middle. The cheapest one ended up being the best — the most expensive one was the worst. Expensive doesn't always mean better, or even good. I continued some more lessons with the cheapest teacher. I also borrowed tapes from the library, and one of those tapes ended up being my best vocal coach of all. I still use that tape recording today for vocal warm-ups (I copied it).
– Education also comes in the form of learning from your peers or your own mentors. Some of my best teachers have been friends and collaborators.
– Exchange knowledge. I often organize small group sessions with friends — either online or in person — where we share knowledge, tips, and creative processes. Or create together! It’s an incredible way to exchange ideas and grow together.
– Attend seminars, workshops, or online lectures. There's so much out there, and lots of them are free.
2. Create Your Own Community:
– If the space you want doesn’t exist, make it. Even better if you can find a team of like-minded people to do it with. There’s strength in numbers.
3. Reach Out and Celebrate Yourself:
– Don’t be afraid to reach out, even if it feels embarrassing and cringey. Whether it’s for help, for advice, to pitch yourself for an album review / magazine interview, for a concept, for booking a show, etc. The worst thing that can happen is someone ignores you, says “no” or “fuck off,” or blocks you. At least you tried.
– Celebrate yourself. If no one thinks your story is worth telling, tell it yourself. Who cares if it feels narcissistic or corny? I made “Behind the Music Video” mini-documentaries answering my own written questions about my creative process of making my own music videos because I wanted to honor and document that journey, even if it was just for me and my friends to enjoy.
4. Who Says You Must Follow the Rules of Life?
– The more money you spend, the more you tie yourself to a system that steals your time, and the most valuable thing that an artist has is time — time to think, create, and reflect. Avoid unnecessary expenses where you can. Working more to pay for things you don’t really need just means less time for your art.
– Of course, not everything that takes up time can be cut, like family, kids, commuting, and basic survival, but be mindful. If you're working overtime for a fancy phone, designer clothes, a new car, or any vanity that isn’t helpful for your art or survival, ask yourself if it's really worth trading that time for something that won’t help your creativity or peace of mind.
– Don’t be ashamed of the way that you choose to live your life. I’m not a morning person, and I hate the idea that “late risers are lazy.” Some of the greatest artists were night owls and lived messy lives by society’s standards. What inspires you might be collecting "garbage," riding the train just to write, or creating when all are asleep. If it helps you create, it’s valid.
5. Art is Storytelling:
– Art is basically storytelling, and the best stories are all around you.
– Journaling is a great way to collect stories, find your voice, and reflect.
– You may never have cared about your family ancestry, but there are probably good untold, maybe even dark family stories buried in your family tree. Look at who you are and where you come from. Whether you know it or not, your ancestors’ stories, and even traumas, live in you.
– Your dreams are stories and messages.
– The way someone looks passing on the street or sitting across from you on the train is a story of wonder and curiosity.
– You don’t always have to fabricate stories when there are so many all around you. Just open your eyes and mind.
6. Trust yourself and your process, even if folks or professionals are telling you that you are wrong. That said, good feedback can be helpful (what I elaborated on earlier,) and don’t ignore common sense. If someone tells you that lighting a bonfire in your apartment for “art” is a bad idea, listen. Use judgment.
7. A cliché but always true: Fake it till you make it.
8. Don’t be an asshole. Being problematic and a shitty person carries farther and faster than how good your art or music is. There are some bands that I have never listened to or labels that I never cared about, but I have heard the bad stories about them through the grapevine and gossip circles for many years. Everyone talks. People love to gossip. Being a shitty and problematic person will not get you more work, and it will close more doors for you. People will always associate you with your shittiness rather than your art or music, and fewer people will help and support you. Be a rebel with a good heart.
KP: What do you feel makes a provocative woman?
SD: When asked, “Why?” she simply says, “Why not?”
Photography (in order of appearance): Anni Porrasmäki, Dean Gullers, Anni Porrasmäki
