Sierra Spirit Faces the "ghost" of Her Past in Quietly Stunning Debut Single
Native American singer-songwriter Sierra Spirit bares her soul in her debut single "ghost." Drawing equal inspiration from songwriters like Phoebe Bridgers and Ethel Cain and her upbringing within the Native communities of the Otoe-Missouria and Keetoowah Cherokee, the single props up her raw lyrics and knack for using melancholic instrumentals to paint a detailed and unique portrait of her one-of-a-kind and budding talent.
"'ghost' is about wasting time in a relationship you aren't valued in, and you know it, so you'd rather cover yourself up and hide than face the fact that you're in something so one-sided," shares Spirit. "The fear that you're wasting so much of your time with this person that they know you better than anyone is crippling. So much so that you'd rather walk home down the highway than get back in their car and feel that shame of putting yourself in a situation like this."
Ones To Watch had the chance to talk with Spirit further about the single, the upcoming EP, and, of course, her thoughts on ghosts.
Ones To Watch: Can you share with me more about the origins of "ghost?" Was it a song that poured out of you and came together quickly or was it more of a meticulous process?
Sierra Spirit: "ghost" was the first song I wrote for the EP, and it's one that I was adding bits and pieces to for years, but it started after my first heartbreak, and I just needed a place to say all the mean things I wanted to say to them into a blaze of Notes app fury because I didn't have it in me to be bitter towards them (even though they totally deserved it).
What is your favorite lyric on "ghost?"
My favorite lyric on the track is "Cutting holes in my sheets and hiding underneath / The only place that I can breathe, a Halloween ghost in the streets."
Yeah, that lyric got me right in the feels.
At the time in my life, I based this song around, I was expertly skilled at finding one of the few redeeming qualities of the less-than-stellar people I decided to fall for. I cut these little holes in my common sense so that I could just barely see the idea of someone rather than who they truly were to me. It was really easy to ignore the red flags with this metaphorical sheet over my head. If I just behaved like I was naive, I could pretend not to see the heartbreak that would inevitably come for me.
I know this track will be featured on your upcoming EP coin toss, how does this single fit into the overall project? Is there a narrative that you're trying to tell on the EP?
"ghost" and the coin toss ep as a whole are about growing up as an Indigenous person. "ghost" in particular is about my more formative years where leaning hard on my culture gave me a sense of meaning and self when I was so lost giving pieces of myself to other people I had to find ways to get myself back. I remember thinking about my Grandma a lot at that time, who was full-blooded Cherokee and taught me everything I know about our community, and thinking "Would she be proud of me for treating myself this way? Would my aunties and uncles and my ancestors be proud of me? If the answer was no, it was time to smudge and move on. This whole EP is about being Native and finding my place in the world leading with who I am and what I stand for, highlighting my culture and community were at the forethought of every choice I made creating this EP.
How did you develop the music video concept and what was the most fun or challenging aspect of shooting it?
My partner Pierce Pyrzenski actually came to me with a vision for this video, and I followed his lead. He directed the video and played a huge part in the visuals for this project as a whole.
That's awesome you had someone you trusted so much in your corner.
I'm lucky enough to have an amazing group of creatives surrounding me who wanted to help me bring this EP to life. We had an absolute blast, but dude it was like 98 degrees and muggy as hell and we were all about to pass out but we crushed the whole shoot in a day and went home sweaty and exhausted but super excited that we made something sick.
Just for funsies, do you believe in ghosts? I know I definitely do.
I definitely believe in ghosts... but I don't want the universe to prove it to me, or I'd probably pee my pants. I grew up hearing my Grandma telling me scary Cherokee folklore, so I think I'm far more afraid of the Deer Woman than I am of ghosts... feel free to google that you'll be geeked too.
