Sathiya (Suh-thee-ah) Sam has been leading worship since he was 19 years old and is currently serving at Selah Fire in Drayton, ON. Balancing a light-hearted approach with a serious passion for helping others encounter God, Sathiya hopes his music leads people to better understand themselves in the presence of God.

A self-taught musician with a strong understanding of both theoretical and practical elements of worship, Sathiya was a Worship Director for over four years in Niagara, Ontario. More recently, Sathiya has been involved with Catch The Fire in Toronto, Ontario where he led worship frequently and even taught in the School of Ministry. Sathiya has also led worship in a variety of regional and international settings including youth ministry events, weddings, funerals, retirement homes, and kid’s camps. These experiences have served as opportunities to encounter God alongside a vast array of people, giving Sathiya a deep appreciation for the global church community.  They’ve also established passion, anointing and excellence as some of his core values for worship leading.

Most recently, Sathiya has released his debut album, Deeper. Influenced by musicians such as Andrew McMahon, Matt Redman and Jesus Culture, Sathiya’s music comes to life from his private encounters with God. He hopes his songs and the stories behind them will launch others into radical God encounters and inspire them to use their own creative giftings.

Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?

Sathiya: I grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan in Western Canada. My dad played in a band when I was a kid. I remember going to their practices and being wowed by all the different instruments and sounds, and how they all worked together. I was hooked.

Since then, music’s been a part of my life. And really it’s only the last few years that I pursued it seriously. As it’s become a stronger passion of mine, I’m going for it.

Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?

Sathiya: I love my name! People always have a hard time pronouncing “Sathiya”, so they ask if I have a nickname. I don’t. Well, that’s not totally true. I worked at a camp for a while and they nicknamed me Brown Sugar (laughs). My name means “truthful one”, which is significant. My whole life revolves around knowing the Truth. When I was working on a name, I tried all kinds of different ideas, but kept coming back to Sathiya. Most artists use their first and last name, but I liked just my first name. It felt a bit different and could maybe even pass as a band name.

Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?

Sathiya: I think we’re blessed to have an online world that makes music so accessible. I give away CDs all the time, because I vowed that I would never make music for the purpose of profit. Don’t get me wrong, I am hoping to gain financially in this venture. But my hope is that my music makes people come alive, not money. I’m happy to freely give away music I believe in, knowing that it could benefit the listener’s life.

(Sathiya’s newly released album is available on YouTube: )
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?

Sathiya: Take every chance you get. Don’t be afraid of rejection or failure. Diligence and persistence will take you further than talent. Always treat people well. Never measure success by the size of the crowd or sales.

Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?

Sathiya: I love writing about what’s going on in my life. The songs I write help me process what I’m going through. My faith is a huge part of my life and writing. I like to have that thread woven into my songs.
I’m a lot more melody oriented and they come at the most random times. I have a collection of voice memos on my phone with melodies that have popped into my head over the years. Usually, I’ll lock myself in my room at least once a week, pull out the melody ideas and pay attention to what ‘jumps out’ at me. Then, I’ll work on developing a chord progression and lyrics around it.

Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?

Sathiya: Yes! www.sathiyamusic.com, which runs on a platform called Bandzoogle. I use all the major online music platforms: iTunes, Spotify and YouTube to name a few.

Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?

Sathiya: I would give away a good chunk of it to the people I love and people in need. With the rest, I would do some serious traveling and some even more serious relaxing! I love experiencing new cultures and travel in general gets me excited. Relaxing is important too and something I want to always do more of!

Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?

Sathiya: I’ve tried a few different avenues. I’m on the tail-end of a radio campaign that was surprisingly successful and it’s helped spread the word. Events have also been key for promoting my CD so far. However, I still think word of mouth is the best form of promotion.

(Hear Sathiya’s radio single:

Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?

Sathiya: Well, it’s funny you ask. It seems like everyone is asking me when my next album’s coming out, even though my first has only been out for 4 months! I’m always writing songs. Even while recording this past summer, I made sure that I kept on writing. No major projects coming up yet, but a second album is probably closer than I think.

Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?

Sathiya: A psychiatrist! That was my dream for a long time. I pursued it, but about half way through my pre-med degree I just didn’t feel the same passion I originally had going into it . Even now that I’m doing more music, I still miss science and mental health. I’d love to get back into it someday.

Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?

Sathiya: It’s a challenge, that’s for sure. I’m a HUGE planner. My days are always scheduled nearly hour by hour. I make sure that an appropriate amount of time is scheduled to invest in my music life. It’s been working out so far! Knowing your limits helps keep things in perspective, too. You can’t do everything but you can do a lot if you plan wisely.

Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?

Sathiya: This is a year of discovery and exposure. Expect to see the songs from my debut album popping up in all kinds of music avenues. Look for shows and events coming to your area as well.