Abingdon-based Sadie Wooster is a nineteen-year-old singer-songwriter whose passion for music has gained her 12K followers on TikTok, thousands of streams on Spotify and even a feature on BBC introducing Oxfordshire. We got in touch with Sadie at the beginning of her music career to ask about her inspirations, new releases and favourite local venues.
How did you first get into making music?
I’ve always had a passion for music; my brother and I grew up surrounded by it as my dad was in a band. I first began playing the piano when I was nine but ended up losing interest. A few years later though, I picked up the ukulele after watching some of my favourite YouTubers – such as Dodie – playing. After a while, I started teaching myself guitar (with some help from my dad) and began writing some songs which were, in hindsight, really bad, but you have to start somewhere. A few months down the line, I started to experiment with GarageBand and made my first song 'He Told Me to Go' which I wrote about my first breakup. I knew from then on that I just wanted to get better and that this is what I wanted to pursue in life. Since then, I’ve continued to write songs and now have better technology to help to produce my music, so the sound quality has improved, and I have a lot more to work with.
Describe your sound…
I wouldn’t really know how to describe my sound as it varies depending on what I’m writing about, however, I tend to write and produce indie/rock songs and sometimes alternative folk music (that’s usually the genre my sad girl songs fit into).
Who are your musical inspirations?
I have quite a few musical inspirations, my main one right now is Phoebe Bridgers. I love her sound and her lyricism. I also really love Taylor Swift, Dodie, Matilda Mann and Beabadoobee – I’m very female-based with my music.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
This isn’t necessarily music-related, but I was once told, “you have to hit rock bottom to be able to grow”. I was told this when I was in a really bad place, and it gave me a completely different outlook on life. The only way is up.
What do you want to be doing in five years?
My dream is to be playing gigs in O2 Academies and small venues and begin to make my way up. I would love to play at a festival too as they’re my favourite places to be.
If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be?
I think Phoebe Bridgers as I am slightly obsessed with her at the moment, and it would be on a track similar to Kyoto or ICU.
What’s the proudest moment of your music career so far?
I would say releasing Golden Pedestal as I had such a good response to it but also the reaction I get when I play people my unreleased song, Foolish. I love seeing people have a genuine connection to lyrics that I’ve written, in one way because it feels like I’ve done something right, but I also take great comfort in the fact that I’m not alone with these emotions.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
The best performance-wise would have to be Twenty One Pilots, however, the most emotional one would be Phoebe Bridgers as I have a huge emotional connection to her music.
What’s your favourite music venue in Oxfordshire, whether that’s one you’ve performed at or just one you like to visit?
I really like Oxford’s O2 academy as I have been there a few times to watch bands such as The Magic Gang and Circa Waves but I know for certain my dream is to play at Truck Festival in Steventon.
Your TikTok is quickly gaining popularity – what makes this platform so appealing to you and your audience?
TikTok is a really easy way to gain popularity because there are millions of users, so I wanted to use this opportunity to grow my platform and promote my music, however, I’ve found that my only viral videos are me and my friends being stupid or talking about trending topics. My plan is to grow my TikTok even more so that people are interested in the music I make and want to take the time to listen to it.
What are you listening to at the moment?
I have Being Funny In a Foreign Language by The 1975 on repeat at the moment, I really recommend a listen – it’s great because Matty Healy's writing style is so unique and intriguing.
Tiktok - @sadiewooster
Spotify, Apple Music, and all other streaming platforms - Sadie
