Exclusive Interview with Sarah Mae Chilton

Thank you for joining us today! We are joined by Sarah Mae Chilton to chat about her music and future in the music industry! We’re excited to learn more about you! Let’s dive right in. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your latest release? What motivated you to create this particular piece of art? 

I have very vivid dreams at night. I swear they are whole story lines. One night an ex came to kill me, the next i’m by the ocean looking out as the tides moved in. 

I’ve realized my dreams sometimes reflect things I’ve not let go of or are still haunting me. ‘Dreamcatcher,’ is about dreaming toward the future and believing something better is on the way. My co writer on the song, hit songwriter Jan Buckingham,  gave me a dreamcatcher for christmas and it brought me so much comfort. 

I began to think ‘what if there was a song where the girl gets a dreamcatcher and the dreamcatcher turns into a handsome man who visits her in her dreams.’ And thus the story came to be. I shared the idea with Jan and we wrote a song about ‘dreamcatcher,’ the man who saves me in my dreams! 

It’s a whimsical dreamy song that takes the listener on a not so serious journey through the literal dreams of the narrator! 

What was the creative process like for this project? Did you face any challenges or breakthrough moments during its development? 

I’m like a lot of the Nashville songwriters here who have a group of people that they write and work really well with. If I’m not writing alone (which I love and get some of my more raw and vulnerable material) I’m probably at Jan Buckinghams house on a weekly basis. 

Jan Buckingham’s credits include Whitney Houston, Melissa Manchester, Air Supply, Journey, Crystal Gayle, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Pam Tillis, Tim McGraw, Lee Greenwood, Ronnie Milsap, Barbara Mandrell, and many others. I have other writers I’ve written with but she and I  have written a lot of material the past 6 years and Dreamcatcher is one of them. 

This song started as a conversation over coffee at her ‘Duck House,’  in green hills next to where kelsea ballerini used to live. I told her the concept I had about the dreamcatcher man who visits me and saves me from the monsters in my dreams. 

Then we would go to get the track created by the talented producer John Willis’s house who’s recording credits include Kenny Chesney, Shania Twain, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Luke Bryan, Taylor Swift, Florida Georgia Line, Rita Wilson, Willie Nelson, Gretchen Wilson, Blake Shelton, Alabama, Jewel, India Arie and more. 

This song was a breakthrough in my writing because it introduces a new perspective of hope and positivity. When we write about heartbreak we get to let it out and share the pain of the experience. I love writing songs about that. But I also love writing songs that tell a story and a positive hope for the future. 

Its such an honor to do what i do and have such a talented team of people to create music with. 

Your music has always been known for its unique style. How would you describe the sound and themes that listeners can expect from this release compared to your previous work? 

When I first came to Nashville I was an indie pop kid. Inspired by artists like Sylvan Esso and Marina and the Diamonds, I wanted to bring that to Nashville. But then my day job became country music and I fell in love with the genre. So now with a loyalty to the country music style of writing that reflects truth, I create pop. Southern Glitter Pop that is! 

Collaborations can bring a fresh perspective to an artist’s work. Were there any exciting collaborations involved in this project, and how did they impact the final product? 

Yes Jan Buckingham and John Willis whom i mentioned previously were my two big collaborators on this project for the writing and production. I also had Savannah Wilde help me create the visual aesthetic for this release which can be seen in my release photos. I told her I wanted the shoot to reflect dreams, glamor, and city life looking toward a bright future with the Dreamcatcher in my hand. She did a great job capturing that. 

As an artist, growth and evolution are essential. In what ways do you feel you’ve grown or evolved as an artist with this new release?

I feel that this song reflects me as a fully bloomed artist ready to keep releasing music to the world. I’m proud of the song and its writing, the track is beautiful, hello world I’m here. 

Thank you for joining us today Sarah! We are so excited to see your music career flourish! Lastly, where can our audience follow you on social media to stay updated on your future projects and connect with you? 

YOU ALL can follow me at @sarahmaemusic on tiktok and instagram 

Sarah Mae Chilton on Facebook! https://koji.to/@sarahmae

Thank you readers and everyone have a beautiful year!

End of Interview