For Taiwanese-American artist sarya, emotion blooms in the in-between. Their new single 'ARE YOU A TREE?' is a tender meditation on connection, loneliness, and the strange beauty of feeling something again after a long emotional frost. Blending lofi textures, ambient electronic touches, and poetic vulnerability, the track feels like a whispered secret shared with the forest.
Born from a solitary hike at Washington’s Rattlesnake Ledge, the song sees sarya imagining people submerged in a lake as trees, a moment both surreal and deeply human. Known for their genre-fluid, introspective soundscapes and spoken-word roots, sarya continues to blur the line between diary and dreamscape.
So with the new single out now, we caught up with sarya to explore their inspirations, their creative rituals, and how nature, grief, and fleeting joy intertwine in their sonic world.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
The first instrument I ever learned was the ukulele, which was so cute abd portable, but the first instruments I ever fell in love with were really the glockenspiel and melodica. There's something so pure and raw about both of those sounds that simultaneously create a child-like nostalgia that can echo so beautifully.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
My favourite music as a kid were a good blend of mostly 2000s indie folk, musical tunes (mostly Rent), and the band, múm, from Iceland.
What was the first album you remember owning?
The first album I ever bought was “Finally We Are No One” by the band, múm, even though I didn't even have a CD player. But the album artwork has always inspired me so I didn't mind looking at it while listening to them on my iPod.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
I don't know if I have ever let my brain feel that way about any song, but one song that comes to mind is by Chinese folktronica band, Floruitshow (福祿壽) called “What Can I Do To Keep You Here” (“我用什麼把你留住”). I've always really admired the lead singer’s raw vocal performance and the song’s hypnotic production. Of course, the lyrical elements are also so tender and heart-wrenching in a cinematic way that really inspires me every time I hear it.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
Due to my background as a performance poet, a lot of the times I need to start with a good lyrical hook, and usually its quite easy for me to put something together from that alone. It might sound corny, but a lot of the times I just feel that a song is somewhere in the air and I just need to make myself see it. I usually try singing gibberish with words that sound correct, and then I paint the rest of the picture later on in a DAW.
I have the habit of using whatever emotions are at the forefront of my head to write, so they are usually pretty consistent with how I'm feeling at that time. These days I am very inspired by movies and television, and when I am moved enough, I feel compelled to write songs from the perspective of the characters I am watching.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
I have never really listened to specific artists as much as songs, so here are some I have had on repeat recently:
Situationshop - 4EVE (Thai pop)
Girl, so confusing feature. Lorde - Charli XCX
I Really Wanna Stay At Your House - Rosa Walton, Hallie Coggins
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Ooft, probably a tie between Tami T and AURORA. They are both artists who have deeply inspired me and I feel like I could be an appropriate opener for.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Truthfully, the best part of it is being able to know and meet and share ideas and inspirations with other artists and be able to collaborate. Because I have this inherent reason to meet like-minded people who want to create good music and art, it really makes it all worth it.
And what is the most frustrating part?
I think the fact that being an artist ruins the blissful ignorance of enjoying art. I find myself unable to focus on listening to music without thinking about the song structure, lyrical composition, arrangement, production, etc. It takes the magic out of it, and often I struggle to just enjoy myself at my own and other people’s shows.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
It is two things:
If there is not someone like you doing the thing you'd like to see done, then be inspired to do it yourself.
Then, a tidbit from Anna Deavere Smith's book, “Letters To A Young Artist”, within a chapter about self esteem, which is something I often struggle with when dealing with self-worth and persistence when your artistry depends on the attention of others.
“Real self-esteem is an integration of an inner value with things in the world around you…happier people are people who have not only a high price tag on themselves, but a high price tag on the people around them- and the tags don’t necessarily have to do with market value. They have to do with the sense that adds up to human value. Be strong, be new, be you.”
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sarya's new single 'ARE YOU A TREE?' is out now. Check it out in the player below.