We recently had the chance to connect with Sinead Angele and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Sinead, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
One of the most frequent questions I get asked about being a tribute artist online, and even sometimes at the shows themselves, is “why not make your own music instead of singing someone else’s songs?” It’s frustrating that so many people assume that I must only be doing this one thing and that this must be my entire personality when, in fact, I have an entire catalogue of released original music that I have built up over the past decade. I have been a gigging musician for my entire adult life and learned very quickly that cover gigs are what will pay the bills and that if I want to make singing my career, then I have to take the gigs that pay. Most of the cover bands you see out at the bars and clubs have original music they are dying to play. Some of them do mix their originals into the cover song sets (I do when I’m on any gig that’s not specifically Taylor Swift centered), but those songs often get forgotten by the crowd right away since it’s not something they already know. So while we continue to try to get and keep people’s attention with our own music, we play the songs people know and love and hope that our performance hooks them into wanting to hear more from us. With the tribute, it’s been both more difficult and easier to do that at the same time. Because of the costumes and the impersonation aspect involved, it’s harder to show my true self and personality on stage because that would be breaking character. But, at the same time, it gets me in front of the largest audiences I’ve ever had the privilege of performing in front of and at least a few people from every show enjoy the performance so much that they go and find my original music. So, am I impersonating the biggest pop star of my generation because I have no personality or music of my own? No. I’m doing it because maybe it will get your attention and inspire you to go find out who I am and what else I’m capable of. But also because it’s a really fun gig!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Sinead Angele and I’m a singer/songwriter and performer based in St. Louis, but currently touring nationally as the “Taylor” in Taylorville, a tribute band dedicated to celebrating Taylor Swift’s iconic Eras Tour. What makes us stand out from the rest of all of the other tributes is our high production shows. We are doing everything in our power and budget to put on a true, high quality pop show for our audience because we want this to be an experience they can remember forever. I have a little bit of a background in musical theatre so this show provides an outlet for that part of my skill set as well. When I’m not performing in Taylorville, I am working on building an audience for my original music and hoping to become a known staple in the music scene here in St. Louis. I just released my second EP titled “Self Sabotage” and am now planning on pivoting my focus from music creation to booking as many live performance opportunities as I can so that people can start becoming familiar with my songs. I love being “Taylor” but my goal is to be performing those same kind of productions with my own music within the next five years.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My husband, Michael Rosato. He met me at a time where life had really just put me through the ringer. My soul was tired and my spirit was broken. I was having nothing but doubts about my future as a musician and was honestly thinking of giving up. Mike used to produce music festivals and said one of his favorite parts of the experience was scouting the talent. He’ll be the first to tell you that he knows talent when he sees it and he saw it in me even at my lowest. His genuine, unshakable belief in me inspired me to keep pursuing music as a career and now I’m finding the success he always told me I was capable of. Now he tells me that this is just the beginning, so I’ll keep striving for more because he was right the first time!
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me who I am at my lowest. It taught me that I’m a survivor. It taught me that I’m not a quitter, that I’m resourceful, that I’m strong even when I’m crumbling. It taught me that chasing dreams was a coping mechanism. I wasn’t actually running towards something; I was running away from myself. But success actually came when I stood still for a second and fully embraced who I am and everything that shaped me. Now the dream chasing feels more like stepping into my power.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
I used to believe that getting a record deal from a major label was the only way a music artist could skyrocket their career. Now, I don’t see much value in labels unless the artist has a ton of leverage in the deal. And even then, an artist who has already found success on their own, built their own team, created their own definitive brand…beyond money to fund bigger projects, what do they need a label for? I’d encourage any artist out there to stay as independent as possible for as long as possible. Don’t ever sign a deal that benefits the other side more than it benefits you.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
I understand the importance of sitting with your uncomfortable feelings. I’m talking about your deepest sadness, your anger, your anxieties. We spend so much of our time trying to escape or distract or deflect from these feelings but if we sit with them and really try to understand what’s causing them, that’s where growth happens. I think we all know this to be true, but we don’t actually do it enough. Some of my best revelations come from allowing myself to be sad for a while.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sineadangele.com
- Instagram: @sineadangele
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sinead-angele-fahey/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sineadangele/
