Maisie Strader
Special to The Leader
From naming her instruments to delving into her intrusive thoughts, singer-songwriter Sasha McCoy showcased her unique artistic talents in a recent episode of The Local Lo-Down.
The Local Lo-Down is a long-running radio show at Fredonia Radio Systems on campus. The podcast features local bands and artists who are interviewed on the show and play a set live in the studio. The show airs on Thursdays at 8 p.m. on 88.9 WCVF The Voice and 89.5 WDVL The Inferno.
In the interview segment of the show, listeners got an exclusive look at McCoy’s artistic style.
Her musical journey all started as a young child when she would loop her guitar and sing along with it, in something she would call ‘vines.’
“If you scroll back far enough you can still see them on my Instagram,” McCoy said.
McCoy’s musical interest flourished because of her experiences in her high school jazz band known as “Sasha and the Spoons.”
After high school, McCoy went to Boston College, where she met even more people who changed her life for good. “(They) are most of the reasons I took myself seriously,” she said.
Yet, Boston is far away and online relationships are hard to keep.
“I am still learning to be my own support system, you know they are 500 miles away,” she said.
One significant gig for McCoy was at a small bar in Buffalo with her friend Ryan Gurnett of WNYMusic.com.
“He seems to really believe in me, and I really appreciate that,” McCoy said. Apart from her collaboration and growth, nobody is holding her back from her goals.
McCoy began releasing her desire to pursue music professionally at the beginning of the pandemic. But just like anyone else, she is scared of the future.
“I am perpetually terrified of things I don’t know,” McCoy said.
McCoy’s creative music process begins with two instruments: “Stevie,” her guitar, and “Greg,” her ukulele. However, she stated her instruments make it all worth it, saying they, “[make] some pretty beautiful sounds.”
McCoy admitted that her career has been hard, and she is her own worst critic. She is still on a learning curve, which she described “as a new process.”
Now that McCoy is a part of the music community, she talks about how her family and friends are so supportive of her. She says everyone always talks about their memories at Nietzsche’s bar in Buffalo. McCoy then went on that stage and played, making it full circle.
For the second half of the show, McCoy played a set live, giving fans and various music lovers a taste of her life, inner thoughts and inner struggles as a 21-year-old. She describes her songs to be “a set list [of] her intrusive thoughts.” As a psychology major, McCoy has a lot of advice to give insight into the music world.
McCoy sang a total of five songs, including one unreleased song called “Sick of the Future, Sick of the Past.”
This song was followed by “Psychedelic,” which McCoy described as a reference to her intrusive thoughts. The guitar repeats the same rift over the entire song, and she frequently sings, “You’re lost and you know it, you’re scared and you’re alone.” She explains that a lot of these songs just have an organically repetitive nature, just like her thoughts and they keep coming back to the track.
In her next song, “I’ll Find My Voice Again,” McCoy softly articulates her voice. The song follows the same two riffs on the keyboard and drums. The Spanish phrase, “Ja no te quiero mas,” meaning “I don’t love you anymore,” is also repeated throughout.
The fourth song, “What I’m trying to say,” alludes to a feeling of longing as “Stay the same” and “Love for you” is repeated.
The artist ended with a song called “The end.” This song is a testimonial to the ‘war’ that used to go on inside her head with lines like, “Tell them it was peaceful in the end.”
To end the podcast, McCoy gave advice to future musicians and people who need a way to escape their intrusive thoughts. She acknowledges that even though she is “mostly clueless,” she does have some words of wisdom to offer.
“Do everything in your power to believe in yourself. Catch me on the wrong day, and I think my music is all trash,” McCoy said.
Her second piece of advice is to “carry the friends who believe in you always. It’s life changing.”
You can find McCoy on Spotify and on Instagram @sashamccoymusic.