CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS 103: SAMMI CONSTANTINE ON FEELING LIKE A 'WANNABE'
Interview by Brooke Gibbs.
Being a musician, isn’t easy, but it is worthwhile.
Sydney-based pop icon, Sammi Constantine, has been on Futuremag Music’s radar for a while now. Releasing banger after banger, it’s clear to us this ambitious artist has star potential! However, there’s more than meets the eye behind the scenes.
When people are constantly telling you to just give up, or to find a “real job.” It’s hard to not feel like a wannabe in the music industry.
Sammi Constantine opens up to Futuremag about what’s it’s like to feel like a wannabe, following the release of her latest single, Wannabe.
FMM: Wannabe is an open letter to everybody who has ever told you to give up on your dreams. What are some things people have said to you about your music pursuit?
Sammi: Oh, where do I start? The main issue is that people are scared of anything that’s different. Outsiders have seen me struggle with the challenges of being independent and say things like “If you’re so unhappy, just quit. Stop spending your life savings on a pipe dream,” and “maybe if you go and get a degree or something, you’ll have something to fall back on. Music is an unrealistic career goal. Within the industry, it’s all politics, toxic standards and tall poppy. “You're too thin, you’re too fat, you’re not original, you’re too different, you’re too old, you’re not ready.” The list goes on and none of it makes any sense.
FMM: What message do you hope these people take away from this open letter to them?
Sammi: Truly, I just want people to hear a fight song; a song that they can put on when they feel pressures like this in their lives, and come out with the attitude of “call me what you want, but “I'm going to do it whether you like it or not.”
FMM: What does feeling like a wannabe in the music industry look like to you?
Sammi: It feels like frustration, anxiety, deep depression, confusion and the intense urge to quit. But, it also gives me drive, motivation to prove them all wrong and a passion to keep being real with myself and my audience. Everything I go through, experience or survive, is ammo for another good song.
FMM: Has there ever been a time you’ve taken their opinions to heart and felt like giving up?
Sammi: Absolutely! I’m not going to pretend that I don't want to quit almost every single day. Most of being an independent artist isn’t glamorous. It's really hard work, it's exhausting and you do it all for so little reward. But, I always get pulled back in when the people listening to my music tell me what it means to them.
FMM: How would you define your own success in the music scene? Is it comfortable knowing there’s people listening to the music you have worked so hard to create? Or do these people who call you a ‘wannabe’ expect success to mean sold out shows every time?
Sammi: I know that I’ve done a lot of really cool things in my time as a musician. I’ve met people I didn't think I ever would, played stages i could only ever dream of, and built a network of people I know have my back and love what i do. But, to anyone looking in without knowing where I’ve come from, it might look like I’m constantly putting out music, getting an average amount of streams, selling 80-100 caps rooms and not progressing. But, the fact is, 15-year-old Sammi would die if you told her I have 20+ songs on Spotify. Even that is amazing to me when I really think about it.
FMM: I feel like this would be a song a lot of musicians can relate to regardless of what stage in their musical career they are up to. What advice do you have for other musicians who may be feeling like they are a wannabe?
Sammi: Since releasing Wannabe, the amount of artists that have come forward and told me they relate is heartbreaking. My best advice is, let the pressure challenge you, but don’t let it consume you. Chances are you’ll write your best songs from your absolute worst hardships. Use those hardships for good.
FMM: I’ve seen some trolls critique you on TikTok when you’ve used the platform to connect with music fans and promote your music. I’m sorry to see you go through that. However, I admire that you keep strong and don’t let that stop you from releasing banger after banger. What keeps you going?
Sammi: I love getting hate comments. They challenge me to take a breath, ground myself and realise it is completely impossible to make everyone in the world like you. So, just learn to be okay with that. Besides, most of these keyboard warriors and kids with iPads are looking for attention. I try to respond with a comedic attitude to lighten the mood. I’ve even turned haters into fans by just talking them through why they decided to leave an unsolicited hate comment. It’s quite funny.
FMM: I love the visual representation that accompanies this release - the green tape. Can you please walk us through what this representation means and why you went for this look?
Sammi: Thank you. This was actually the work of my amazing stylist, Charissa Trokis. I told her the name of the song and let her listen to the lyrics and she came out with this. We wanted a nostalgic 2000’s pop star vibe, meets DIY bedroom pop star wannabe. I think she nailed it.
FMM: You worked with Just a Gent for this release, who also worked with you for Trip to Mars. How did you know he was also the perfect fit for Wannabe?
Sammi: Jacob is not only one of the most talented people I know, he’s also one of the kindest. He is actually one of the reasons I decided to start this new era of music for Sammi Constantine. We caught up a few times and his carefree attitude of “Sammi, stop listening to everybody else, just release the music and things will fall into place,” really just hit me. Jacob and I have known each other for over seven years now. I highly respect his opinion and trust him with my music. It just made sense for us.
FMM: In Wannabe, you mention that you’ve been at this since you were 15. What are some of the hardest things you’ve faced about pursuing a music career?
Sammi: I fell into music when I was unwell and couldn’t dance anymore, so music for me was super cathartic and helped me out of a really dark space. It was fun and didn’t feel like work. Over the years, I think I let the opinions of others and the comparison of somebody else's success get me down. I think most of us do this. I also make a massive effort to show love to all of my music friends because I know how hard we all work, but it does get hard when you constantly support other people, but don’t get the same support back. I have never really let that show, but the people close to me see it and try to tell me all the time not to give so much. That's been hard for me, especially post Covid, while trying to find my feet again.
FMM: What are some of the best things about being a musician?
Sammi: Meeting amazing people, and being able to express things you simply couldn’t without the help of music and collaboration. I think overall, music is an incredible universal language that brings people together.
FMM: You’re performing at the Lansdowne in Sydney on Dec 8. Futuremag is really excited to attend this and see your art come to life. What can we expect from this show?
Sammi: I’m so excited that you are coming! A lot of fun and new music. I just want fun energy. It’s been too long and we all need a boogie!
FMM: The message I take away from this release is that you’re not leaving the music scene anytime soon and we can expect more from you. What would you like to achieve next in the music scene?
Sammi: ’m not going anywhere. There's so much more music coming. Stay tuned! I wouldn’t mind another tour soon though. If anyone will have me, I'm ready!
Buy tickets to see Sammi Constantine at The Lansdowne on December 8 HERE.