Local country music artist releases new EP

By Courtney Bachar/The Oshawa Express/LJI Reporter

A local singer and songwriter who grew up surrounded by and loving all things country has released a new EP.

Sacha (Sacha Visagie) released her new EP, The Best Thing, on July 24. The album includes six songs and is available across all streaming services.

The EP “takes listeners on a musical journey of life’s unpredictable twists and turns. From wanting to escape the difficulties of love to raising to the good old times, there’s something everyone can relate to with this EP,” states the press release.

While this EP release is not Sacha’s first, it is her first debut EP in the country music realm.

Country music has always been a part of Sacha’s life. She was born in Montreal but her family moved to Warkworth, a small town in rural Ontario.

“My parents were in a band and music was all around us playing almost 24/7, rehearsals in the house, and at times we’d go to gigs of theirs,” she says.

Sacha’s first EP release was in 2012, which included a song she wrote called Sticks and Stones, which went viral as an anti-bullying anthem. She spent the next several years touring and visiting schools to share her story, her song and messages of inspiration.

“That video went viral and connected with people worldwide,” she says. “As an independent artist with no connections, that set a foundation for the platform I have today.”

Sacha continued writing songs, travelling to Nashville and performing shows, and in 2016 landed an opportunity on a show called The Next Country Music Star.

“The Next Country Music Star was an interesting competition,” she says. “It was myself, who really was not known to the community as well, and a lot of bands were male acts, which has a little bit more predominance in the country music community.”

Sacha won the contest, which she says opened the door to her for the country music industry.

As part of the winning prize, Sacha played in the Havelock Country Jamboree.

“I was sharing stages with Terri Clark, The Band Perry was playing that night, HayDay, and other Canadian and American bands,” she says, noting it was then people started taking her more seriously as a country artist.

“Until I got that opportunity, I don’t think people really got that chance to authenticate me as a country artist,” she says. “I feel like I have been embraced by the community. I think once people heard me and I became authenticated as a country music artist is what won them over.”

Sacha continued her music career with the release of her hit single “Good Times Going” in 2018.

Sacha says her new EP involves some other great Canadian country artists.

“I’ve got credible producers and hit song writers and artists contributing on this album,” she says, adding the project was about two-and-a-half years in the making.

“I reached out to some writers and they sent a pitch – I’ve always been used to writing and singing my own songs,” she explains, adding she’s always been into traditional country music.

“Things have been progressively going a little more pop country, so I reached out to some song writers and they sent me a few songs from their catalogues,” she says. “I’m in good company. It’s a collaborative effort of some incredible Canadian songwriters.

She says the sound is interesting because of her more traditional country music background, however, she says to get to commercial radio you have to keep with the times.

“So this is actually quite a new sound,” she says of the album. “I don’t think I’ve heard anything like it on country radio yet where it’s kind of an electrifying country tune with just a little bit of funk in it,” she adds.

Sacha’s EP, The Best Thing, is available now on all streaming services.