Our not-so-quiet northern neighbor Canada has produced yet another impressive rock talent, and this time breaking the mold with the fiery and super sultry SATE. Just one listen to powerhouse girls-to-the-front anthem “Warrior” and it’s evident she’s a flamethrower ready to burn down the status quo. Smart, sexy and primed with propellent drums and pulsing bass lines, she’s poised to do just that.
AfterEllen.com: How’d you get your start in music?
Sate: I come from a musical family. I’ve been around music all my life, it was just a no brainer for me.
AE: How do you define yourself as an artist?
Sate: I see myself as a passionate person. As a person who likes to tell stories about life and is always trying to be a fearless person. That’s one of the things the things that I really strive to be in this lifetime. Just a go and get it person.
AE: In your own words, what is your musical style?
Sate: A melding of music that I’ve grown up listening to, but more importantly things that really fuel fire and passion. I would say blues and rock and funk and soul are the main elements that really create my gumbo.
AE: What are some of your major artistic influences, music or otherwise?
Sate: Otherwise is life. Is life experience. Having conversations with people, meeting new people, reading books, listening to all types of music, going to see theater, movies, what not. In terms of musical influence: Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Big Mama Thornton, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Bette Davis, Tina Turner, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway. It really runs the gamet. It’s all about lyrical content, it’s all about groove, it’s all about feeling. Just like reaching in and grabbing, that’s what I gravitate towards and that’s what influences me.
AE: Do you have a favorite city to play?
Sate: I would love to stop and say there is one, but I haven’t been to all of them so I don’t want to say yet. I’ve been to some really amazing places. I’ve been to Singapore. I’ve been to Australia, London and Germany. And every place that I go there’s always something special. New York is one of my favorite cities. I’d love to live there but at the same time I don’t want to live there because it’s always magical when I go there and I don’t ever wanna lose the magic. I would love to play in Paris. I would love to play Berlin. Italy. I would love to play Europe, in all the big cities in Europe and just lay it down.
AE: How do you feel that your sexuality influences your music?
Sate: I feel it definitely, majorly influences. I don’t know what I’d classify myself as. I don’t like to classify my sexuality. I’m in a heterosexual relationship now, but I love people and that is what influences what I talk about, what I sing about, how I run my life.
AE: Songs like “Warrior” have a clear and strong female-minded message. As a woman, and especially as a rock performer, what is your message for younger women?
Sate: Go out and get it and do it and dream it and don’t take no for an answer. And be strong and be sexual, whatever sexuality you wanna portray on stage. I’m really an advocate for being very sexual and sensual on stage and taking charge of being in yourself and feeling comfortable in yourself and being powerful in yourself. And connecting with other women. Connect with other people in general, but especially other women, because I feel that we are always told to be less, to not swear so much and to not be so sexual. And you know when you’re too sexual, you’re asking for something, as opposed to just being you, strong you, confident you, in all your shape and size and glory and shade and hue and everything.
AE: Speaking of warrior, what does the word “warrior”” mean to you?
Sate: A warrior is a person that inspires other people to be the epitome of themselves. To be the brilliance. A warrior is a person that dreams and does their biggest dream that they’ve ever wanted to do and does it with passion and vigor.
AE: Do you think that as an artist with visibility you have a responsibility to share your message?
Sate: Absolutely. I feel that each and every word that I’ve written I’ve taken a long time in being very particular about what I want to say and how I want to reach people. So yeah I think it’s important for me to share my message.
AE: How do you feel about the current landscape of the rock music world?
Sate: I think it fucking sucks. There’s not a balance of women, of gender, whatever “that” is, that big ball of diversity in culture and in voice. It’s still a real man’s club. It’s few and far between when you’re looking and scouring for strong female fronted rock bands who are just not giving a shit like Alison Mosshart, Florence and the Machine and Brittany Howard.
AE: What’s your current jam?
Sate: I’m loving what I’m hearing so far of Alabama Shakes, I’m loving Royal Blood. There’s a guy named Reignwolf that I’m loving, too. Deap Vally is another.
AE: What’s one thing we wouldn’t be able to find out about you even through a deep internet lurk?
Sate: Maybe that I’m a sucker for Billy Joel.
For more on SATE, visit her website and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Soundcloud.
