First Listen: SAHRA - ‘Come With Me’

In this First Listen, we discover SAHRA; Berlin born and London based songstress who has debuted her idyllic ode of self discovery, Come With Me.

Before creating such a masterpiece, her musical background stems from listening to her dad play Somali music; attending the Aldeburgh Young Musicians Program at Trinity Laban and working with superb musicians such as Orphy Robinson, Dele Sosimi, and Cleveland Watkiss MBE. Pop, Jazz, RnB, and Neo Soul are genres that SAHRA combines to manufacture her unique sound...also reflected at her past gigs at the London Jazz Festival, Dimensions, WOMAD and We Out Here. As well as having inspirational icons such as Frida Marlo, Sade, Solange and Nina Simone, SAHRA can proudly name herself a vocalist, composer, and arranger, a true artist who can be found performing on stage or teaching singing part-time at the famed Trinity Laban College.

With her upcoming EP on the way, which includes the rapper Bawo, we can anticipate connecting with SAHRA and her emotions. Stolen Moments, one of the tracks, is about documenting crucial moments of growth in her life during lockdown, particularly through the perspective of her most recent breakup." I chose the name from Oliver Nelson's jazz standard "stolen moments". There is a version by Carmen McRae and Betty Carter where they sing, "How I miss all those stolen little moments the many times I’m not with you, they are such precious stolen moments that are meant only for us two." I wanted to share some of the intimate moments I’ve had over the past few years in the hope that people can relate and find some solace or comfort in knowing we all share difficult times." SAHRA is able to express her individuality via stories, capturing attention with her rich and flawless voice, courtesy of a PRS foundation called Women Make Music.

First Listen

The second we press play on the track, we are welcomed by guitar strums and lulls. It's enchanting and dreamy, which is somewhat contrasted by the truthful, poetic, and icy lyrics. SAHRA is taking accountability for trying to let go of the bitter relationship that she had been in as she sings, "Everyday is a struggle, times are quick, but I just can’t leave." From this, she unveils the clashing dynamic of thoughts that one experiences when in love. On the surface, SAHRA writes a love song, but going deeper, you can see how this track is essentially a song about coping with something as well as it being a therapeutic attempt to bring closure to her relationship, and also for other listeners that may be or have been through the same circumstance.

Artist Perception

“More than a break up song… Come with me is a song about self discovery. It’s about coming to terms with your own flaws and accepting that we all play a roll in the breakdown of our relationships.”

Touching on the single, SAHRA embraces the fact that a break up a creates a healing outlook and uses her own experience as an individual that can take a step back and realise the relationship dynamics in which she is experiencing.

Listen to the track below!