Artist Spotlight: Sanaz Shares The Story Of Her Life In Debut EP, “Chapters”
Iranian singer-songwriter—Sanaz—speaks to the human experience in her retrospective debut EP, Chapters. As the title suggests, each of the six tracks on the EP represent a different chapter in Sanaz’s story. For as long as Sanaz can remember, music has been an integral force in her life. She studied opera and served as a co-music director in a collegiate a cappella group, then shifted to being a singer-songwriter during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sanaz, surrounded by a wall of paintings as colorful as her personality and discography, chatted with EnVi via Zoom for her very first interview.
Using Her Voice
Sanaz embraces her Iranian culture in both small and grand gestures through her music. Sanaz hails from Iran, and immigrated to the United States when she was 12. Her first language is Farsi, and she tries to incorporate the emotion the language carries into her lyrics. “When I think of Iranian culture [and] language, everything about it is just so emotional,” she shared.
“There’s so much storytelling and also the culture itself is so beautiful. So I try to put that storytelling and emotion into my music a lot.” Her music draws inspiration from the melodies found in the Iranian music she grew up listening to. With half of her life spent in Iran, she feels a strong affinity towards her Iranian heritage.
Sanaz is also a passionate advocate for women’s rights in Iran. Following the Women, Life, Freedom movement in Iran for women’s liberation, Sanaz sought to be a voice for those being silenced. “In The Name Of God,” Sanaz’s 2023 collaboration with fellow Iranian artist Maia Moham, garnered recognition for its advocacy for human rights in Iran. Sanaz acknowledged how fortunate she is to be a female artist—to have the creative freedom that the women from her home country are restricted from. “I just hope that I can be the voice for people that don’t have that voice,” she said. “I hope that anyone, no matter what source of art it is, can be empowered enough to share their story—because I think it is so important to get our story out there.”
Story Of Our Lives
Sanaz’s debut EP, Chapters, is emblematic of Sanaz’s narrative abilities. Chapters features organic compositions with fully realized instrumentals. Coming from a classical background, Sanaz wanted to incorporate authentic instrumental sounds in the age of MIDI heavy tracks. Sanaz works with musicians like pianists and violinists to help her visions come alive. She thrives from the collaborative opportunity this sparks, making the studio sessions almost like a creative seminar. “We bounce off of each other’s ideas, everybody comes in and creates this beautiful project together,” she said. “So even though the project is just ‘my project,’ everybody was part of this. It’s all of our projects, because everybody had a little say in it.”
Chapters features the singles “Our Little Home,” “Three Steps,” and “Rest” — all pre-released this year. “Our Little Home” was the first song to be unveiled, and she described this track as the current chapter in her life. Sanaz shared with a smile that she recently moved in with her boyfriend, and is in the process of building her very own little home. “Three Steps” and “Rest” are folk-pop tracks more serious in tone, respectively speaking about moving on and finding peace amidst exhaustion.
“Mirror” is about someone projecting their insecurities onto you when you’re vulnerable. When you are so enamored by someone, you look past their flaws and start to become a reflection of their greed. This sentimental track features hard-hitting lyrics like “Pointing out all my flaws / But I come back, though it hurts / Your enchanting force pulls me in like a curse / Even if I’ll never be the star in your universe.” The following track,“Hold On,” is about no longer holding onto someone’s heart, but rather holding onto the memories. Sanaz’s vocal ability truly shines in “Hold On.” After the second chorus, her impressive vocal runs prove her talent as a professionally trained singer.
Just Another Chapter
The focus track, “Just Another Chapter,” is a soulful anthem about healing and moving onto a new chapter of life. The track was initially conceived as a mournful ballad, coming from a dark place in Sanaz’s life. She wrote the track about how heartbreaking it can be to close a chapter in your life that no longer serves you. After listening to Sanaz’s first rendition, her producer, Ronny Katz, had an epiphany. “It’s so funny because the way you’re singing it is so sad,” Sanaz said, quoting her producer. “But the lyrics are empowering, because you’re closing a chapter; you’re moving on.” From that realization, “Just Another Chapter” underwent a complete transformation in the studio.
The track starts off slow, then picks up in pace as it leads into a powerful chorus. As the song progresses, more instruments are introduced, creating a sonorous soundscape in perfect harmony with her vocal belts. The instrumental outro is nothing short of epic, with strong guitar riffs and dramatic violin. “Just Another Chapter” embodies the reflective sentiment of Chapters. Sanaz shared that this song inspired the whole EP. One of her favorite lyrics from the entire EP comes from “Just Another Chapter.” In the pre-chorus she sings, “This is not the end of my book / It’s just another chapter, I hope.”
“Sure, I have those scars from the past relationship with me—and you’ll always have them—but at the same time, you’ll cherish them,” she shared. “You’ll realize, ‘I’m never going back to what happened to me, because I still have these scars on me, and I don’t want more of the same scars.’ When they’re scars, that means you’re past them and you’re moved on to better things.”
It’s Only The Beginning Of Sanaz’s Book
Sanaz’s story is only beginning, and this debut EP is a huge milestone for her. Sanaz shared her excitement about opening up “new chapters” for herself and her career through the release of Chapters. She wants Chapters to connect to a wider audience—whether it’s through the rich sonic elements, or compelling personal narratives. “This is just the beginning of my journey,” she said. “I hope to put out bigger and better things, and just grow from who I am right now.”
Chapters is not just Sanaz’s story, it’s also her words of comfort for those experiencing life-changing events. “Looking back, now that I finished it, it’s so beautiful to look back and be like, ‘Wow, that was my life journey, and I went through that, and I’m able to see all the growth that I’ve done through it,’” she said.
“I can look back to that and appreciate those moments, even though, at the time, it was really hard. Grief is just something you have to go through. It’s just a part of your life, and that’s just the way it is. It’s really sad, but at the same time, it’s beautiful when you look back to all these amazing memories you had with the person you lost, and cherish all of those moments.” Sanaz encourages listeners to reflect on the chapters of their lives, and hopefully, be inspired to share their own.
You can listen to Chapters on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. Want to follow along for Sanaz’s future chapters? Be sure to follow her on Instagram and TikTok.
Interested in more emerging artists championing their heritage through music? Check out our Artist Spotlight with Mexican indie duo Juanpalitoschinos here!
