Sal Ly: Making Art Is Never A Mistake
- GolDee
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
With almost a decade of annually sharing her art with the world, in this conversation Sal Ly walks us through her inspirations, her process, and her hopes. Sal Ly's passion is not limited to releasing catchy songs... she is unapologetically in the pursuit of true artistry.
If you haven't already listened to her music that explores her personal experiences and the human condition, through the lens of her faith in Christ, you will definitely want to after reading what she had to share in our conversation!
Hi Sal Ly, lovely to meet you! Starting from the very beginning, we’d love to hear about the creative process behind deciding on your artist name. Do you think this is something artists should take their time with or do you think it shouldn’t be something that delays artists from starting their music journey?
Sal Ly: Hi! Thank you so much for having me. I’m a huge fan of Trip Lee and his music, so I decided to name myself Sal Lee, in a sort of homage to him. I was a little concerned about cultural appropriation though so I decided to change the second bit to “Ly” .
I think a person’s name is a very vital part of their identity, so the choice on what name to go by as an artist is something that should be considered seriously.
How has growing up in Jos, Nigeria, played a role in shaping your creative lens?
Sal Ly: One of the biggest things that Jos is well known for in Nigeria is, a love for and the creation of 'alternative' music. By 'alternative', I mean music that isn’t mainstream in Nigeria. Being in a city where musical uniqueness is not just celebrated, but encouraged has been such a vital part of my creative development.
When you decided to start making music, did you always know that it would be music about God and your Christian walk?
Sal Ly: Honestly, I didn’t think there was another option for me. I thought I had to be a worship leader or something. Coming into my own as an artist, and more importantly, understanding God’s plan for my artistry is what has led me to making music about my personal experiences, the human condition; all through the lens of my faith in Christ.
We identified an amazing statistic, you have released music consistently every year since 2018 which is wonderful! Is there a specific year in your journey as an artist that has stood out to you the most?
Sal Ly: This is an amazing statistic! I’m so grateful to have been able to create and release my art consistently. Each year has come with its joys and challenges, but I think 2020, when I made my debut project, PREMIERE, was such a wonderful year for me. It was so beautiful being able to focus on my art solely and be fully immersed in it.
We also love your latest EP OFFDAYS! Talk us through the inspiration behind it.
Sal Ly: Thank you! OFFDAYS is such a fantastic project. It was my first project with an entirely new producer, and we ate (if I do say so myself). The funny thing was that the inspiration for titling the project came as we worked on it and talked about it. The “talking” involved a lot of telling him my entire life story... His response to that was “Sal, your entire life has been an off day”. Naturally, we agreed to title it OFFDAYS. The project is the first half of a story that talks about having a hard (and maybe even sad) life as a believer, and how there’s comfort in the great love of God.
You flawlessly blend RnB, Afro, and pop, yet every track is still distinctively you. How do you maintain that signature sound while experimenting with so many different genres?
Sal Ly: Honestly, it isn’t a deliberate effort. Every artist has a vocabulary, if you will, of melodies, and if you sit in it long enough, that “signature sound” will almost always be the default. In fact, what I find is that at some point the artist has to make a deliberate effort to not create the same thing over and over again.
We have played many of your collaboration songs on repeat for years - “I’m good remix” “Love You’, “Blessings”. Tell us what is the key to a good collaboration ?
Sal Ly: I think that the key to a good collaboration is making music that both artists resonate with. I don’t think it gets more complicated than that.
To our delight more Christian Artists are releasing music videos. Is this something that you would encourage artists to prioritise?
Sal Ly: Honestly, from a fiscal point of view, it may not be the best decision for your books. However, in the pursuit of artistry, I’d say go for it. Making art is never a mistake.
We are building an online artist development and discipleship platform for Christian artists. At this stage in your journey what would you hope to see from Glory Gather?
Sal Ly: As always, I would love to see a good representation of women and alternative artists, and I would love to see those artists getting real, solid support from artists that have gone ahead.
The Putting You On Segment: what’s one Christian or faith-adjacent song you’ve been loving lately that people should check out?
Sal Ly: Joy by Raye. It just scratches an itch, and I love it so much.
Catching up with Sal Ly has reminded us of the importance of having our foundation built on Jesus, how He desires to engage, support, and inspire us in every aspect of our lives, including the creative parts. If you are looking for a like-minded community of artists whose foundation has been built on Jesus, make sure you check out our new online community space Glory Gather!
We will back with another incredible interview next month but in the meantime be sure to follow Sal Ly:
Go read up on all of our other artist interviews on our blog!