Sarahbeth Taite, a still relatively unknown singer-songwriter, stands out for her silky smooth vocals and her simple, yet powerful lyrics. Taite released her best song yet, "Thick Skin" recently, and chatted with Queens of Country about the creation of the track.
Queens of Country: Where did the inspiration for this song come from? What was the process of writing it?
Sarahbeth Taite: "I wrote 'Thick Skin' with my co-writer/friend Scott Stepakoff. It was one of our first days writing together, and Scott came in with the title idea. I was so moved by it, and we had the whole song written a few hours later. I knew it was going to be special."
What’s your favorite lyric in the song?
"I think my favorite lyric is 'I’ve done a lot of healing since then.' My co-writer, Scott, and I had been stuck on the first verse for a little while when we came up with it. In my mind, it ties everything together and says so much."
When putting together the sound of the song, what other artists did you draw inspiration from in terms of the production?
"My friend Luke Dejaynes produced it and did such a great job. I’ve been really musically inspired by Lee Ann Womack and Kacey Musgraves. Luke had one of Lee Ann’s guitar players come in and play on 'Thick Skin.' It was fun to see the track come to life and be unique in its own way."
Is this going to be on an upcoming project? If so, how do you feel that this song fits in with the rest of the songs on that project?
"I am working on putting out more music as we speak! Right now, it's likely there will be more singles, instead of a larger project. But, I think 'Thick Skin' does a great job representing who I am as an artist and setting a precedent for what’s to come."
Why did you decide to release this song?
"Releasing 'Thick Skin' was a no brainer for me because of how I felt after writing it. How my whole team felt, really. I showed them a work tape from my iPhone, and it stood out right away, before we had even recorded it."
Do you see yourself as more of a songwriter or an artist?
"I hope I'll always see myself as a songwriter first. Songs are what make a great artist, and writing what I want to sing has always been what inspires me most."
Sarahbeth Taite: "I wrote 'Thick Skin' with my co-writer/friend Scott Stepakoff. It was one of our first days writing together, and Scott came in with the title idea. I was so moved by it, and we had the whole song written a few hours later. I knew it was going to be special."
What’s your favorite lyric in the song?
"I think my favorite lyric is 'I’ve done a lot of healing since then.' My co-writer, Scott, and I had been stuck on the first verse for a little while when we came up with it. In my mind, it ties everything together and says so much."
When putting together the sound of the song, what other artists did you draw inspiration from in terms of the production?
"My friend Luke Dejaynes produced it and did such a great job. I’ve been really musically inspired by Lee Ann Womack and Kacey Musgraves. Luke had one of Lee Ann’s guitar players come in and play on 'Thick Skin.' It was fun to see the track come to life and be unique in its own way."
Is this going to be on an upcoming project? If so, how do you feel that this song fits in with the rest of the songs on that project?
"I am working on putting out more music as we speak! Right now, it's likely there will be more singles, instead of a larger project. But, I think 'Thick Skin' does a great job representing who I am as an artist and setting a precedent for what’s to come."
Why did you decide to release this song?
"Releasing 'Thick Skin' was a no brainer for me because of how I felt after writing it. How my whole team felt, really. I showed them a work tape from my iPhone, and it stood out right away, before we had even recorded it."
Do you see yourself as more of a songwriter or an artist?
"I hope I'll always see myself as a songwriter first. Songs are what make a great artist, and writing what I want to sing has always been what inspires me most."