The Music Industry Lives Here: How Sierra Spirit Found Her Voice as an Indigenous Artist

Sierra Spirit, an indigenous artist from Tulsa, Oklahoma, speaks about storytelling, culture, honest connections, and writing songs based on personal experiences of love, loss, and heartbreak. “Life and music are symbiotic in that way.”

The following recaps an interview with Sierra Spirit as part of Downtown Music’s series, The Music Industry Lives Here. Downtown Music is a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

Sierra Spirit grew up in Oklahoma, heavily influenced by country music — Johnny Cash, Dwight Yoakam, Dolly Parton.

She found her way to music because ‘going to shows is one of the only things to do in small towns.’ “I saw artists like Phoebe Bridgers, Angel Olsen, and Julien Baker. And that’s how I hit the sweet spot in my music.”

Growing up indigenous, a massive part of her culture is storytelling. It played into Spirit’s passion for songwriting. “Storytelling comes very naturally within the community. It’s our history that’s passed down generations.”

“My grandmother was an incredible storyteller. I followed that tradition through songwriting. My favorite way to write a song is to come into a session and tell a story about a flash moment in my life. Then I decide how to turn it into a song.”

She reveals that a lot of her earlier tracks dove into pivotal life experiences that occur while one’s growing up, ‘such as heartbreak, loss, and grief.’

“The first time you fall in love, have your heart broken, or lose someone. These are such intense and concentrated feelings. I remember sitting down and telling the story about being heartbroken for the first time. Being able to paint this vivid picture and finding closure by using that as the basis for my songwriting. Life and music are symbiotic in that way.”

Spirit writes about ‘big feelings and big moments,’ and admits she was always an introverted and quiet person. “I feel like people have a hard time processing life experiences because they try to make sense of them by asking: What was this for? Why did this happen?”

So she finds peace by turning her emotion into a beautiful song. “And it helps me get closure that it wasn’t for nothing.”

When Spirit started writing music, she found happiness in knowing that other people could relate to her. And that’s why she feels her music has a personal impact on her audience. “Everyone knows what it’s like to feel love and loss. They remember what it was like to grow up and have these very key moments in their life.”

“Whoever listens to the track is going to have their unique spin on it. My story might not be their story, but it might give them an entirely new perspective and meaning. That’s my favorite thing.”

“As an artist, I think that’s what everybody aspires to be. Having a sense of, maybe what you’re doing can help someone else, to connect with people you’ve never met. Sharing honest moments with others through something that I worked so hard on is very gratifying.”

Spirit believes that the sonic imprint of country music breathes life into her music. From telling a story, adding a pedal steel, synth, or guitar, and molding it all into a beautiful vision is very special.’

Spirit also enjoys collaborating with artists to create a unique blend of creativity. Gushing over the ‘many valuable friendships developed by sharing creative moments,’ she says, “Working with someone and having this symbiotic trust between us is incredible.”

And her writing process never falters in its authenticity — whether she’s writing alone or alongside a peer. “When I’m working with other people, I challenge myself to work as honestly as I would if I were sitting in my bedroom alone to write. Trusting another artist with the entirety of yourself and being honest to every step of the process makes a better song.”

Spirit believes that artists who love collaborating truly do it for the joy of music and writing. “They trust that the person is going to share their life experiences, take care of their moments, and bring them together into a track.”

And her life and experiences are truly sacred to Spirit, because they’re colored vividly by her indigenous roots.

“When I was growing up, I didn’t see native people in the spaces that I wanted to inhabit. I wasn’t turning on the TV and seeing a native artist on MTV, or performing at an award show. I wasn’t watching movies with representations of native people.”

Due to that lack of representation, Spirit admits she struggled to visualize herself as part of the industry. But she channeled that missing link as determination to make her dreams come true.

For Spirit, making music is as much about the craft as it is about trying to make room ‘where there wasn’t a space for me.’ “Existing as a native person in this medium, in this day and age, is a huge part of what I’ve accomplished.”

“Today, maybe there’s a native kid in the audience, or is listening to my song on Spotify, and it gives them hope that they can also inhabit this space. That’s an integral part of why I love doing this.”

“Growing up within the Cherokee culture has been one of the most cherished parts of my life.”

“My grandmother was alive at the time that residential schools were in place. Cherokee was her first language, but people weren’t encouraged to speak the language. So by the time she was older, it was more like a second language.”

“It’s fascinating that something that was a ‘danger’ and a ‘setback’ within society has now become so cherished. And other native artists are joining the industry.”

She speaks of Sterlin Harjo, director of Reservation Dogs, who based the show on the place that Spirit grew up in. “It was shot and set in Oklahoma. And after hearing others talking about the show, I realize that they have no idea about the culture.”

“They’re seeing that native people are intelligent and funny — and human. It’s offering people this little window into what it’s like to be an indigenous person.”

Spirit recalls a specific moment when she felt that ‘this is what I’m supposed to be doing.’

“I played a festival in the town I grew up in. I didn’t know any people there anymore, but hearing them sing my songs back to me — made me feel like I still had a place there.”

“I think the end goal for me is to know that I lived life as honestly as I could. I connected with people that I might have ever met otherwise. And that I became a little part of their lives in the background — while they made dinner for their kids, or went for a drive with family.”

“Being able to play a small part in the soundtrack of people’s lives will be the most fulfilling thing for me. That’s what I’m most excited for.”

About The Music Industry Lives Here: Downtown Music’s interview series allows powerful conversations with the voices shaping the music industry. To gain weekly access to exclusive interviews with music executives, artists, record label owners, and influential figures who drive the rhythm of the industry, join here.