Not in my wildest dreams would I have dreamt that through Wayne State College I would be able to interview an international artist. But here is the day those dreams come true.  

I have had the tremendous opportunity to interview Sabrina Fallah, who is a Canadian rock artist based out of Ottawa, Ontario. Not once, but twice I’ve had the chance to learn about her journey as a female rock singer, songwriter and guitarist making her way through a male-dominated industry.  

In my interview with Fallah, she mentioned that being a female and perusing a rock genre has been difficult because some people in the industry have tried to change her into a pop artist, but she said she continued to follow her path in the style of music she wanted – rock. 

I first heard Fallah on KWSC 91.9 The Cat when I was adding new music into our rotation, I immediately fell in love with her edgy singing as well as the deep meaning behind her songs. I reached out to Fallah in hopes of securing an interview that I could air on KWSC so the station’s listeners could connect with the artist behind the songs they were listening to. With little hope, I waited for a response but low and behold, when she did respond Fallah was excited to begin working with me to get her name out to Northeast Nebraska listeners. 

As the promotions and social media director for KWSC, this was an opportunity for me to show off the station that I have helped rebrand these past years and continue to expand our reach out of Northeast Nebraska. 

She said she grew up listening to Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson, Evanescence and Bryan Adams. She said her main influences include Green Day, Bon Jovi and Billy Idol. She said she has been told that when she sings with her raspy, edgy and powerful voice, she sounds like Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, The Cranberries and Melissa Etheridge. 

Fallah said she has worked with three producers throughout her career so far, including Stuart Epps who has worked with Elton John, Led Zeppelin and Twisted Sister, Chris Birkett who has worked with Peter Gabriel, Quincy Jones, Buffy Sainte Marie and Sinead O’Connor as well as Kent Wells who works with Dolly Parton. 

She said she has performed in Canada, the United States and in Barbados which included venues, charities, fundraisers, festivals, fairs, private events, etc. Even though Fallah has not been to Nebraska yet, she said she hopes to travel to all the radio stations that are playing her music and perform for those stations. 

Her song “Paradise Comes with a Price” was written the year Robin Williams passed away and she said she wanted to write a song to help people work through their depression. She said the song is about “not giving up and staying strong.” 

Fallah said Birkett gave her the 2019 song “Everything” which he had written with his daughter prior to meeting Fallah but thought the song suited her voice. She said when she was recording in Toronto years ago, he re-recorded the song just for her so she could perform it. “…this is my song, it fit my voice so well,” Fallah said while describing singing her song “Everything” for the first time in the recording studio.  

She said she wished she had gotten the song earlier in her career because the song is about teenage anxiety and about not knowing how to deal with all the drama and “having to put on a smile and fake it because they’re not having a good day,” Fallah said.  

In 2015 when Fallah was in Nashville recording, she said she recorded “Everything” and “Frontline” at the same time but only released the latter and kept “Everything” for another time. 

Her music has been played, featured and some are in rotation on mainstream stations internationally. Her music has also been featured on iHeartRadio stations. 

You can hear the previous interview I had with Fallah on her YouTube channel, and you can hear our second interview on KWSC 91.9 on April 6 at 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. Afterwards the interview will be available on Fallah’s YouTube channel.