Sacha

For Sacha, country music has never really been about image or performance first. The Canadian singer-songwriter has built her career by writing from real experiences — the difficult years, the rebuilding, the moments of self-doubt and the feeling of finally finding stability after chaos. That honesty is a big part of why her music continues to connect so deeply with listeners.

Over the last few years, Sacha’s career has steadily grown from writing sessions and smaller stages to major festival appearances at CMA Fest and Boots and Hearts, along with arena tours alongside acts like Old Dominion. Songs like “What the Truck” helped introduce her to a wider audience, but tracks like “Hey Mom I Made It” revealed a much more personal side of her songwriting, reflecting on homelessness, survival and personal transformation. Her latest project, Woman In The Mirror, pushes even further into vulnerability, opening up about the realities behind the milestones.

As part of Future of Music Canada, Sacha talks about finally making her Grand Ole Opry debut, staying grounded while her career grows, turning difficult memories into music and why she believes Canada will continue producing artists with global impact.

You’ve gone from smaller stages and writing sessions to performing at festivals like CMA Fest and Boots and Hearts, while records like “What the Truck” and “Hey Mom I Made It” introduced you to a much wider audience. Was there a particular moment recently where everything suddenly felt real to you?

The most recent moment where everything suddenly came into focus was when I had my Grand Ole Opry debut. That has been a long-time-coming dream, and I still can’t believe it finally came true. Standing in that circle was indescribable. Additionally, I just got off my first arena tour with Old Dominion, which was more of a pinch-me moment.

“Hey Mom I Made It” connected with people in such an emotional way because it wasn’t really about fame — it was about finally feeling seen after years of working toward something. Did writing that song change the way you looked at your own journey?

The song “Hey Mom I Made” it is less about feeling seen and more about navigating the most challenging and reckless times of my youth, including homelessness, and celebrating the transformation and redemption of being on a straight path and living my best life, in hopes of inspiring anyone else out there who feels like they are disqualified from living their truth and pursuing their dreams because of their environment and circumstances. Singing the song definitely keeps me grounded and constantly reminds me of where I came from.

Woman In The Mirror feels more vulnerable and self-reflective than some of your earlier music. What were the hardest parts of yourself to confront while making this project?

I feel like this album was the easiest to craft because I approached it as a ‘pull the curtain back’ exercise to give the audience a script from the journal of my heart and my life experiences. I found that in doing so, I was confronted with summoning the courage to speak about some of my experiences without fear of judgment.

Your songs balance emotional storytelling with these huge, singalong-ready hooks. When you’re making music, are you thinking more about the personal truth of a song or how it’s going to feel when thousands of people sing it back live?

When making music, it’s natural to think about both. When coming from a place of personal truth and how it is going to feel, I find that in my experience anything coming from an intimate place usually resonates. I’m all for hooks and earworms, which I like to weave into very personal songs as well.

A lot of artists talk about how difficult it is to stay grounded once their career starts accelerating publicly. As your audience keeps growing, what’s helped you stay connected to who you were before all of this started happening?

My personal journey has been a slow, progressively inclining journey and certainly not an overnight success, which has definitely served me in keeping me grounded and connected to who I am and where I started from. I am also no stranger to the unglamorous responsibilities and challenges of building and sustaining a career in music. That work is a constant anchor, influencing how I view public achievements and always making me genuinely grateful.

What can you tell us about upcoming projects and plans this year?

Summer festivals, working on new music and second album!

Your thoughts on the Future of Music in Canada.

Canada has contributed the world’s biggest stars in the music industry with a wide array of undiscovered and upcoming talent. I can only imagine that trend continuing, especially given the fact that our online platforms generate the ability for artists to reach and build a global fanbase.