Witchcraft pulsates through Sabrina Kennedy’s psyche, her life and music. Based in London, the Boston-born singer made many visits to nearby Salem throughout her childhood, which introduced her to all manner of alternative belief systems.
Paganism, with its close connection to the power of mother nature, also held an attraction, as did tarot card reading. Her identification as a witch has little to do with casting spells and issuing curses, however. In fact, it sees Sabrina celebrating the divine feminine and connection with natural and spiritual worlds. Growing up in Boston on the US East Coast with adoptive Irish-Italian parents, she’s always looked beyond the obvious to embrace the role of outsider. She was later to meet her birth-mother – live on TV no less – and learn that her grandfather was Bajan. Sabrina then moved to Nashville but realised after a while that her views put her directly at odds with some of the macho posturing still lurking in that music scene. She felt much more at home when she moved to London. Immersed in the city’s multi-genre tastes, she set to work building a band.
Her debut single ‘Hold Tight’, a tumultuous anthem about dealing with the trauma of her father’s death, was released in 2019. The introduction to Sabrina’s grand sound and songwriting was followed by ‘The Other Side’ in 2020. Her music has made its way onto the soundtracks of Love Island and Made In Chelsea, while she was also quick to make a strong presence on the London live scene, performing at Notting Hill Arts Club, Off The Cuff, Laylow and Paper Dress Vintage.
What first got you into music?
I trace my love of singing and performing back to being aged three when my father would take me along to the local bar. I would sit at the piano and pick out simple tunes or sing nursery rhymes, catching the performance bug early. I grew up being exposed to an eclectic array of music via my parents, who loved everything from Loretta Lynn to hard driving soul music and AC/DC.
What would you be doing right now if it weren’t for your music career?
I wouldn’t be doing anything else. You have to give your whole soul and being to this process. I tried early on to “do something else” and my soul was not having it. It’s music or nothing and here we are.
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
I honestly wish we were back in the times of buying records and the true roots of artists and their music. The internet has obviously had an influential impact. Maybe in a previous life, I was a 60s rock star who knows?
Have you got a ritual of sorts when writing and thinking about your music?
The candles get lit, the sage is burning and I’m connecting with the divine and channeling whatever messages want to come through. Mix that connection with a fair share of heartbreak and red wine.
What lead you to become a music artist and what advice can you give to others aspiring to make a hit?
A relentless need to spread my message. The best advice I can give is to stay true to who you are and don’t move away from your truth. Do what feels right deep down to your core and follow your heart. We’re a society that is trained to close ourselves off, no matter what keep your heart open and know your worth. Everyone has a unique purpose and is needed and their voice is needed. Also, you need to want it so bad that your self belief is through the roof.
Which famous musicians do you admire?
Yungblud, Machine Gun Kelly, Bring Me The Horizon, Post Malone, Janis Joplin, PJ Harvey, Johnny Cash, Patti Smith, Courtney Love, Lana del Rey, Halsey, Stevie Nicks, First Aid Kit, Sam Fender and Florence and the Machine
What’s next for you?
World domination, divination, and whatever is meant for me
What about your music is rebellious, unconventional, or unusual?
I am a wild woman who runs with wolves and listens to the calling of her soul. That in itself is rebellious, unconventional and unusual.
What sets your music apart? What is unique, or at least uncommon?
I am a witch that channels from the divine and turns pain into power
Has your musical journey had a deliberate direction or did it simply gradually evolve in whatever direction it found?
I had to fully surrender to this process because as much as I wanted to control the outcome this journey has taken me places I never could have imagined. Follow your heart and surrender because you will be led to where you are meant to be.
Was there a particular song/performance that made you say “Woah! I want to do that!”?
I remember seeing Patti Smith live at the Royal Albert Hall and it made me realize this is why I am doing this. She is phenomenal and that performance changed my life.
What can we expect from you within the next 6 months? Are any releases planned? Future gigs?
My EP Wheel of the Year will be released and as I said world domination is in the stars as well.
What is your current music project about?
My debut EP ‘The Wheel Of The Year’ is a glimpse of my life living through “the wheel of the year”- the Wiccan calendar that pre-dates our own, Roman-imposed one, a glimpse into the beginning of my journey through the different seasons of my life. There’s pain, power, sexuality, and triumph throughout the songs. It is a journey I am excited for the world to hear and just the beginning.
What is the most useless talent you have?
Being extremely in tune and psychic
What would be the ideal food to have cooked for you on a date night?
A steak with red wine and we need flowers
What would be a good theme song for your life?
Pour some sugar on me Def Leppard
What historical figure would you love to see in 21st century life?
Alistair Crowley a legendary chaos magic man
Tell us what your ideal partner might look like if you could order one from ‘Partners R Us’.
I do love myself an English northerner down to earth musically inclined and aligned anyone with magical energy and isn’t afraid of me
Which are cooler? Dinosaurs or Dragons?
Dragons… they burn everything in their path and fly in between dimensions
Do you have any lucky items, objects, or traditions?
I am a walking oracle … from sage, crystals and tarot cards I have it all
If you were talking to a younger version of you, what advice would you give yourself?
Stop sacrificing who you are for others and you are more powerful than you know
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