Rising Artist Sheyda Talks Quarantine, Inspiration and Brand New Single “GTG”

Singer-songwriter Sheyda has burst onto the scene first with a powerful and deeply meaningful single “The Dragon” and now with a female anthem of sorts – her brand new single, “GTG.” The title – an abbreviation for get the guns – sets the tone for a strong and sassy beat-driven tune. We chatted with Sheyda about the inspiration behind her writing, her time in COVID lockdown and her lifelong love affair with music. Check it out below and stream “GTG” now!

Stage Right Secrets | Hey Sheyda, can you share the story behind your single, “The Dragon” and what the writing process was like?
Sheyda | “The Dragon” is a song I wrote about someone I love who was dealing with addiction. About two years ago I was walking into a write and I received a phone call that this person had reached a breaking point. It was after organizing their care that I walked in to the writing room (I was writing with good friends) and I told them about what was happening and from that came, “The Dragon”.

What do you hope listeners take away from this single?
That they are not alone. Whether they are watching someone they love struggle or they are the person who is dealing with their own “Dragon” – there are many people out there who understand and they have the power to overcome whatever it is in their life.

Could you walk us through your typical songwriting process? Is it generally alone or with co-writers? Where do you find most of your inspiration?
Since moving to Nashville and being around so many other writers and musicians I’ve generally written with others. I often find inspiration in my own life or the life of my friends. I also will often find inspiration in what people say. I usually will write down ideas as they come to me and when I’m in a session I will openly talk about my life and ask about theirs all while sharing what I’ve written down. From there we usually all gravitate towards a topic and start building from there. I feel it’s super important to be really open in a writing room because that’s how I’ve found the best songs come through.

We’ve had a crazy past year, how has quarantine changed or impacted your artistry?
It was honestly really bittersweet. I have been in Nashville since 2014 and I basically moved home to my family’s house in California for several months. It was really wonderful to be able to be with my family again in that way. It was also really hard as I had to put my music and life completely on hold and finish school online and never really got to celebrate. A lot of people suffered and lost though, and I think that was the hardest to watch.

Was there anything specific this last year taught you about yourself?
With all the shutdowns, once I came back to Nashville, I spent a lot of time alone. I learned that while I’m very extroverted I loved the solitude as well. I was worried it was going to be a problem but now it’s something I kind of need to recharge.

Thinking back to when you first started out – how did your friends and family encourage and inspire you to love and pursue music?
I grew up surrounded by music. My family always had stuff playing. My mom loved Led Zeppelin and Rush, Stevie Nicks and anything Motown. My grandfather loved Bob Dylan and classic country and my father loved KISS and ABBA. Before I could even really talk I was dancing and singing to everything and my family would call me ‘Hollywood’ and let me put on performances. At a young age they put in dancing and singing lessons and always supported my love for the arts. It wasn’t until high school that I really thought that music was going to be my full focus and my family never hesitated to do everything they could to help, they’ve always been amazing that way.

Can you pinpoint the specific moment you knew you’d like to pursue music as a career?
I always spoke about being a performer, even when I was little, I told people I wanted to be a singer, but I think my passion and desire to truly educate myself and decide to pursue it came in high school. I had an amazing music teacher who had such a love for life and art, and he made me look at music on a truly different level. I will always appreciate him for that.

How have your vast musical influences shaped your own sound?
I definitely have a blended sound and thinking back at how vast the genres of music were that I was exposed to from such a young age I’m not surprised that you can find a lot of different strains in my music. I made a decision a long time ago that I never wanted to be put in one genre box and I think that can be attributed to the fact that I’ve loved so many different types of music from the start.

As we start getting closer and closer to life as “normal” again, what are you looking forward to most?
Being able to see people’s faces and being able to walk around without people fearing one another. I feel like people are so cautious that it’s creating so much distance between everyone. I heard someone today say they hadn’t been able to hug or be in the same room as their mother for over a year. I look forward to those things not being people’s reality anymore.

What can fans expect from you next?
More music! I just released my brand new single “GTG” and I’m so excited to keep getting more of my stuff out into the world.

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