“One Good Reason” Marks A Brilliant Follow-Up for Ojibwe Folk Artist Sara Kae After Top 10 Indigenous Music Countdown Hit “25”
Depression and mental health issues can be heavy topics to discuss. But with more awareness comes more empathy and ways to address these issues head on. Folksy singer-songwriter Sara Kae, an Ojibwe and Cree member of Ontario’s Lake Helen First Nation near Thunder Bay, has tackled the subject with the warm, almost criminally melodic single “One Good Reason.” The song should strike a chord with listeners as much as it did Kae.
“‘One Good Reason’ is a song of perseverance,” Kae says. “I had been struggling with mental health and the idea that it can be exhausting to keep yourself afloat through the confusion and heartache that can come with life. The song is about the temptation of falling deeper into spaces of sadness and hurt. That it sometimes feels as if situations in life and your mind are guiding you there.
“I wrote the line ‘one good reason’ as a challenge to the things in life that might try and knock me down and keep me there. I was trying to challenge my own thoughts of giving up and living in my own despair instead of trying my best to work towards happiness, which is easier said than done at times. I wrote this song knowing that many struggle with these same thoughts, and music is what allows us out of isolation a bit.”
Kae wrote “One Good Reason” at home and wanted a counterbalance to the song’s weightier issues “with optimism.” “I wanted both worlds to co-exist which is the reality of life,” she says. “We have to juggle the good with the bad and try and find our way through it.” As a result, the song’s music and melody are warm, engaging, and teeming with brighter sonic hues. With some sweet mandolin and guitar work in the song’s homestretch, combined with her excellent vocal delivery, Kae has crafted a song that recalls Kacey Musgraves, Alison Krauss Union Station, and The Be Good Tanyas.
“One Good Reason” is another fine release from Kae who also writes and performs. Kae’s career commenced at age 12, touring local schools and performing at community gatherings in Northern Ontario with her father, who was a counselor. Kae also performed in Rise with Sara Kae, a 2023 concert series in collaboration with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, and co-created Trading Places, a musical theatre production.
An honors graduate and Founders Award recipient from Mississauga’s Metalworks Institute, Kae received a Canadian Journalism Foundation-CBC Indigenous Journalism Fellowship in 2023 while based in Winnipeg. She’s appeared at Thunder Bay’s Wake the Giant Music Festival, headlined her own radio program with Aboriginal Peoples Television Network and partnered with Susan Aglukark’s Arctic Rose Foundation as a guest artist. Previous singles include 2022’s “Rise,” 2023’s “Constellations,” and “25” which was one of four songs from her Maadaadizi EP released in October. Plus, she made fun and insightful “Mini Car Series” video clips on Instagram regarding the material on Maadaadizi while seated in a passenger seat.
With its tasteful, tactful approach and sensitivity to a difficult topic, fans, and newcomers to Sara Kae’s music and story have several good reasons to listen to “One Good Reason.”
“One Good Reason” touches on deeply personal and universal themes of mental health. What inspired you to write this particular song, and how did the process help you navigate your own struggles?
I was in a pretty big rut with my self-esteem and worth. I felt overwhelmed and as if I had lost my spark. I thought following a route into deeper sadness was inevitable. I subconsciously started writing “One Good Reason” and began to reevaluate where the negative self-talk was coming from. I had been struggling more than I was even fully comprehending. I wanted to ensure the song emulated where my headspace was at, balancing all the emotions that come with taking on life. Mental health is such a complex topic. It doesn’t look one way and feel one way. The song helped me feel at peace with the fact that I am not always going to be 100%, but that is okay; I will find myself on the other side.
Your sound on this track has drawn comparisons to Kacey Musgraves, Alison Krauss, and The Be Good Tanyas. How do these artists influence your musical style, if at all?
I feel honoured to be compared to such talented, interesting artists. I want to be able to be diverse in the music I create by combining deeper lyrics with songs that feel fun. I believe Kacey Musgraves, Alison Krauss, and The Be Good Tanyas all have moments of complexity, whether that be lyrically or instrumentally, but they still have a familiarity that draws you in. Although I do not specifically take from the artist directly, I can see where our sounds have similar attributes that I enjoy about my music and theirs.
Your “Mini Car Series” on Instagram offered fun and insightful looks into your work. How important is it for you to connect with your audience in more informal and creative ways beyond your music?
I love music for the very reason that I can connect with people and myself more. Music feels vulnerable and sometimes feels like a mask to tackle all that I am feeling or thinking. It allows me to have conversations I may not be able to have otherwise. I have been on the receiving end of finding comfort in another artist’s music, interactions, and stories, and it helped me through hard and good times. I want to be able to have an exchange with the people who are able to relate to the stories I am sharing; it feels special.
As an Ojibwe and Cree artist, how do your heritage and cultural identity inform your music, and what role do they play in songs like “One Good Reason”?
As an Indigenous artist, my heritage and cultural identity are in every song I create; the stories come from my life experiences. “One Good Reason” touches on themes of self-