Interview with singer-songwriter Saree McIntosh

Welcome back to the Velvet Runway and our “Inspiring Women” series, with this exclusive interview with singer-songwriter, Saree McIntosh, who at just 15, is already taking the music world by storm.

Saree is an accomplished musician who is also a skilled pianist. Having grown up in a musical family, she developed an interest in singing at an early age and has already written several songs produced by Grammy nominated Producer Tommy Marolda that reflect her own life experiences.

One of her favorites is the original song Karma Baby and you can watch the music video here. A defining career moment for Saree thus far was having the opportunity to collaborate with her brother, Taylor, and guitar legend Richie Sambora from the iconic group Bon Jovi on Money on Your Deathbed.

Saree also recently released Color Outside The Lines and Trust Me Baby and you can listen to her tracks on Spotify here.  Saree is a multi-lingual artist with a deep appreciation for K-pop and has recorded several upcoming songs to be released in Korean as she takes her music worldwide.

She is also a talented dancer who is trained in hip-hop, jazz, and lyrical. Saree competes alongside Taylor with the breakdancing crew, Break Ninjaz. The team won USA Battle of the Year and went on to be placed 5th against teams from around the world in Battle of The Year, marking the highest finish for a U.S. team in nearly a decade. They also appeared on NBC’s World of Dance and you can watch a clip here.

Saree also showcases her talent in B-girl (A B-girl is a girl who breakdances) battles around the world as “Saree The Blondie”. She has made a name for herself as one of the best B-girl break dancers in America and has some impressive wins, including against WeaponX, one of the top B-boys in the world.

In addition to her musical and dance background, Saree is an up-and-coming actress. She guest-starred opposite Stephen Moyer and Amy Acker in FOX’s The Gifted, where she successfully navigated the challenge of playing five characters. Her other credits include the short films Cached, How We Live, and Pappy’s Vaudeville.

Take a read and find out more about Saree and what her next projects are:

Exclusive Interview with singer-songwriter, Saree McIntosh

Thank you so much for joining us, Saree.  Can you tell us a little more about yourself?

I’m 15 years old and the youngest child of my family. I was born in Colorado, and I’m a singer-songwriter, actress, and bgirl. I play guitar and piano, and I love all kinds of music. I speak, write, and sing in Korean.

I am a part of the breakdancing crew Break Ninjaz, and we’ve competed at Battle of The Year and on the TV show NBC World of Dance. I also have a 1-year-old Yorkie named Darla, and she is the cutest thing on this planet!

And can you tell us a little about your ‘‘backstory’? Have you always been creative, and did you always know you wanted to be a singer-songwriter and actress?

Creativity has always been a crucial part of my life. My dad was a musician, and my mom was a professional dancer. Since they both loved the arts, I was exposed to creative thinking from a very young age.

My dad would sing with me at the piano, and my mom would teach me dance moves. Those things made me love the arts and performing. Everything that I did, I just did for fun. I would write songs in my room and fake play guitar just because I enjoyed it. I didn’t put much thought into turning music and acting into a career.

When I was younger, I dreamt of doing many things like becoming a spy, veterinarian, working at Taco Bell. The list goes on and on. As I got older, singing/songwriting and acting became my top priority.

Who or what was your greatest inspiration in pursuing a career in the music industry?

The moment that I decided I wanted to pursue music as a career was after initially being terrified to sing. I don’t know what initially caused me to become so timid, but I know what helped me break free from that.

After seeing the movie Bohemian Rapsody with my family, I became instantly hooked on the band Queen. I can’t explain the feeling I got after seeing that movie. All my fears about singing disappeared.

I read many books about Freddie Mercury and the band, and their story inspired me. My dad got us tickets to see Queen with Adam Lambert live, and that was when I said to myself, “I have to do this!” After that, I started writing songs and working on my singing, piano playing, and guitar skills.

Who are your favorite musicians, and why?

Other than Queen, my dad, Adele, George Michael, The Backseat Lovers, and Jung Seung Hwan.

First, my dad because I genuinely do love his voice and his songs. He’s inspired me so much, and he is someone that I aspire to be like.

Adele has been my favorite since I was little. One of the first songs I learned was “Someone Like You.” I love George Michael. His lyrics and voice stuck with me, and I listen to his songs almost every day. The Backseat lovers is a band that my brother introduced to me. They have inspired the way I view songwriting.

Finally, Korean artist Jung Seung Hwan. His song “Day and Night” was one of the reasons I started singing in Korean. Something about his voice is captivating. Every time I hear it, I have to stop and listen.

If you could perform with any musician (living or dead), who would you choose and why?

100% Freddie Mercury and Queen. You already know how much I love them; I can’t imagine performing with them. It would be INCREDIBLE!

Where do you find your inspiration for your music and songwriting? Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your songs “Karma Baby,” and “Color Outside the Lines?”

I find inspiration from everything. I’ve noticed that after watching movies, I feel inspired to write. I still have a lot left to experience, so I frequently get inspiration from other people’s lives and stories.

My dad and I yell Karma Baby when someone does something mean, and then it comes back to them. We thought that it had a nice ring, so we decided to write it into a song. I’ve had some experiences with mean girls in my life, and I’ve learned that not giving into their issues is the best way to deal with them. Just live your life, be happy and leave the rest up to karma.

“Color Outside the Lines” is a song that we didn’t rush writing. My dad and I wrote the song together after he came up with this fantastic guitar-picking pattern. The title lyrics and the music match the pure and sweet vibes of the song. I wanted to write a song that was about not caring what other people thought of you. There are so many stories that I’ve heard about people who never followed their dreams because of other people’s opinions, and I wanted a song that showed taking risks is what life is about!

And can you tell us a little more about your latest singles “Trust Me Baby” and 슬픔의 심로 (The Sad Anxiety)?

“Trust me Baby” is another song that I wrote with my dad. It’s about a guy who is all talk and no action. I got the idea for this song after overhearing a conversation my parents were having about relationships. 

“슬픔의 심로” is a song by the very famous Korean artist Kim Hak Rae. When my dad lived in Korea, he sang this song in a foreigner’s TV competition and won! After that, he appeared on more TV shows singing and gained a bit of fame. He ended up moving back to America and left that part of his life behind. About six months ago, I asked my dad if I could watch the old tapes of him singing in Korean. After seeing them, I decided I wanted to learn a song too. He taught me “슬픔의 심로“, and I surprisingly picked it up fast. I started studying the language, learning more songs, and eventually started writing original Korean songs. The song comes out on August 31^st, and I’m so excited!   

What is the most challenging part of the writing process for you?

I can be indecisive when it comes to writing. Sometimes I’ll write the 1^st verses three different times because I can’t decide if it’s good or not. That’s why writing with another person helps me out. Having someone there to be honest with about the quality of the song helps me finish a song a lot faster.

Do you read your music reviews, and if so, how do you deal with any negative feedback?

Honestly, I don’t even care to look. I want people to like my music, but music is so subjective anyway. I like what I’m writing, so I’m not letting other people’s opinions change that.

Can you tell us about how it feels to be working with Grammy-nominated Producer Tommy Marolda?

Tommy is an amazing man. I can’t express how talented he is. I met Tommy about a year and a half ago, and I remember being so excited to work with someone who was Grammy-nominated.

We sang some of our songs to him and then got right to business. A few days after meeting Tommy, I recorded my first song, “Right before my Eyes.” I’ve made so many great memories and learned so much from working with him, my brother, dad, and I call his house our happy place.

Do you ever get nervous before a performance, and, if so, can you share with us your techniques for overcoming nerves?

100% I get nervous all the time. Even just singing in front of my friends makes me nervous. I’ve noticed that if I just accept that I’m nervous and use the adrenaline that I have positively, it helps me get out of my head. My family makes fun of me because when I’m nervous, I giggle a lot. I don’t intentionally do it; it just happens!

And, can you tell us a little more about what first inspired you to consider an acting career, and how did you first get your start?

One night at breaking practice, my mom told me there was an audition for a commercial, and they wanted a dancer. I immediately said I wanted to audition. It was a video submission, and I recorded a video of me breaking.

When my mom went to submit it, she accidentally sent the wrong tape! She sent a funny video that I made of me pretending to promote a gym membership. It ended up helping me because I got the job!

Can you tell us about your work on FOX’s The Gifted and how you managed to navigate the challenge of playing five characters?

I played telepathic mutants with the role of the Young Frost Sisters. Skyler Samuels plays the older version of the Frost Sisters, and she taught me a lot about how to portray the young versions of those characters.

The day before my shoot day, I got to shadow Skyler on set. I watched how she differentiated each sister, and she also gave me some tips. My episode shows the backstory of their life, and that’s when it is revealed that there were initially five sisters! I won’t give away too much so you can go and watch the show, but it was a lot of fun!

How do you juggle being at high school with your career as a singer-songwriter and actress?

Thankfully I’m homeschooled, so it gives me more time to focus on my career. There are a few upsides to homeschooling since I can make my schedule.

The downside, however,  is I lose the social aspect of regular high school. In a way, homeschool is easier since I can do what I want whenever, but it is also harder to stay motivated since I have so much freedom. My school only takes up about 2-4 hours of my day, and right when I wake up, I try to finish all of my homework to focus on music and acting the rest of the day.

What do you think of social media, and how does it impact your career?

Social media has advantages and disadvantages. One of the first questions that record labels or people in the industry ask is, “How many followers do you have?”

Before social media, a musician’s responsibility was to work on your voice, learn an instrument, and maybe write some songs. Now they’re taking social media stars and turning them into musicians, just based on how many followers they have.

It forces you as a singer-songwriter to focus not only on your music but primarily on your socials. It can be a good thing, though, because it allows you to reach a ton of people quickly. So, if you can breakthrough on social media, it could help your career immensely.

This series is all about representing and empowering dynamic women everywhere; can you recall a particular moment in the last year that influenced your growth and evolution as a woman?

This year I feel like I’ve grown a lot, not just as a person but as a woman. I’ve always been a little bit of a tom-boy. I never entirely accepted my femininity.

I had an awkward stage where I felt so uncomfortable in myself and my body since I started developing and maturing. Most girls look forward to that stuff, but I was terrified.

Until this year, I felt comfortable and confident about who I was and what I looked like. Getting closer to my mom in a more woman-to-woman sense helped me mature. She was open about everything, and the conversations we had helped me feel comfortable in myself.

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of our lives today. Can you tell us what the biggest challenges you are facing during this pandemic are? And how are you overcoming them?

I started getting serious about music a few months before COVID hit. The lockdown gave me a lot of time to work on my songwriting, singing, piano, and guitar.

COVID helped me improve my abilities, but it made it harder to grow my audience. There were no shows that I could play as an upcoming artist; that’s a big part of getting your music out there. Luckily shows are opening up again, and I am excited to get back out there.

Also, can you share your strategies about how to stay calm and sane during these difficult times?

I am fortunate to have a family that supports me not just in my career but emotionally too. If I ever feel anxious or stressed, my family is there to help me out. Baths are also a great stress reliever for me!

What has been the biggest challenge/ hurdle you have faced so far?

The constant rejection. In this industry, many people are constantly telling you, “no.” There have been times where it’s felt impossible.

I just have to remind myself once in a while that even the most famous, talented musicians and actors had a time where a ton of people were telling them no. So, I’ve just got to keep being persistent.

What are you most proud of so far?

Working with  Richie Sambora from Bon Jovi on the song my brother and I wrote, “Money on Your Deathbed,” was a big highlight of mine. 

Richie is a legend, and to be able to say that he shreds on one of my songs is incredible. Booking the role of the Young Frost sisters on “The Gifted” was a memorable moment in my career as well.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing or acting?

I like to be outside, playing tennis, spike ball, basketball, swimming, working out, and going on little adventures. When I just want to rest, I’ll watch TV shows and movies. My favorite shows right now are “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” and “Demon Slayer!”

What are your aspirations for the future? Where would you like to see yourself five years from now, and are there any imminent plans that you’d like to share?

I want to record an entire album that has collaborations with some of my favorite artists. Then I want to tour it all over the world!

I would like to see myself with an established career, singing and writing every day. Having the leading role on a TV show or movie would be nice. Right now, I’m putting together a band so I can play live shows! I’m super excited and am ready to be on stage!

Finally, what advice do you have for young women who are aspiring to launch a creative career?

If you love what you’re doing, don’t let anyone discourage you not to make it happen! Be patient, work as hard as you can, and don’t lose passion. You can do it!

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today, Saree?

I’m going to be releasing a lot of new music, in English and Korean! You can follow me on Instagram to stay updated its, @Sareemcintosh! Thank you so much!

I hope you enjoyed this inspiring interview with singer-songwriter, Saree McIntosh, and don’t forget to check out our other inspiring women posts.

Photo Credit:  Araya Doheny Photography : @araya_photo

Glam : Allison Noelle Mesa (@allisonnoellemakeup)