Meet Sagan Petr Smith | Producer & Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sagan Petr Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sagan Petr, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
The single most important decision that I made that contributed to my success was before I even made my first album, hell it was back when I was just 14-year-old releasing music from my laptop onto Soundcloud. It was when I decided that no matter how long the process takes, and that no matter what I encounter on the way towards my path to success, that I would never give up on myself. Even when I would feel like that I would be better off without music in my life. Then I would have to remind myself, that those thoughts are completely invalid, and that I love the world of art and music, and I would stop at nothing to keep myself immersed within that environment, and I think that thinking will lead me to more success.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Art is the purest form of expression in my opinion, and it has absolutely proven to be my outlet for expressing my feelings and what’s coming from within my soul, whether that be love and euphoria, or pain and lonliness. I try my best to express myself through the production that I create and with lyricism, and collaboration, I feel like I can allow my music to grow even further. When it comes to where I’m at today, It has not been easy. The last few years really have defined me, and have turned me into someone I’m proud of, but simultaneously, I faced levels of adversity I didn’t think I would see. Throughout middle school, I would face horrendous bullying and harrasment from my peers, and sometimes I would feel completely misunderstood and mistreated by the majority of my teachers. I was surrounded by people who believed in ideologies that were inherently racist, homophobic, among many other things, and this led me to be the odd man out. It was impossible to express myself without feeling targeted by everyone. Then, I found my passion for music, and the beauty that exists within it, and then all I wanted to do was learn more about how I could create it. It had always been around me, and I had always loved it, but It because of my dad’s belief in me and my drive to learn more about it that allowed me to create.

I originally wanted to make EDM, but then, I had sort of a Hip Hop Renaissance. It was April of 2017. I was 14. I was just getting into Old School hip hop, like The Notorious B.I.G and Tupac, the essentials. But then, Kendrick dropped “HUMBLE.” Originally, I was skeptical, because, at this point, I wasn’t really all that familiar with Kendricks’s music, besides hearing the songs “Swimming Pools”, “m.a.ad City” and “Alright” which were occasionally played on the radio, or were in some of the Vines I used to watch as a middle schooler. I pressed play on the music video, and I was completely blown away by what I was hearing. And then, I listened to “DAMN.” in full, and I was, even more, blown away by what I was hearing. Then I decided to do a deep dive into his Discography, and I stumbled upon “To Pimp A Butterfly”. That album singlehandedly changed my perspective on not only Hip Hop as a whole, but it set the pace for the type of music I wanted to create. Because of Kendrick’s insane storytelling and production, I wanted to incorporate his message and his sense of Soul into my music as well.

I faced a lot of hardship while I was in High School too. in November of 2018, My mom was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer and had two surgeries within the span of 2019, to try and combat and eliminate cancer from her system. Thankfully, she was able to defeat cancer, but that didn’t come without months of hardship, pain, and heartbreak that were incorporated into what she was going through. The only way I could express how I was feeling, was through music, and I was able to create something that was truly beautiful.

I released my debut album ‘The Surface of The Moon LP” in May of 2019, and the right after I released that album,
I started working on “Transportation: An Album By SPS”, which would be the start of a trilogy of albums, called “The Transportation Trilogy”. I finished Transportation in February of 2020, and then I release it in March of the same year. Shortly after, COVID ravaged our world and put us into a lockdown that changed us forever. While I was in lockdown, I used my time and space from the world to create “The Introspection Dialogue” which was released in July of that year. That album was a deep dive into my conscious, and how I was feeling when it came to Depression, Anxiety, and uncertainty, while also trying to express hope in this grim world. It was something I wanted the world to see as a beacon of hope in desperate times, especially when it came to the positive contributions of Westside Elliot, and One Peace. I then made “the Wildfire Ether” to finish the trilogy, which touched on the Environmental Crisis the world was facing when it came to our climate, which in turn has been causing massive wildfires across the world, including Colorado. I released that album in January of this year.

Because of Music, I have learned how to be myself. I have learned that it is okay to mess up, as that is a part of the journey, and because of that, nothing should stop you from making the Art you want to create, even if you want to be leftfield or abstract with the art you create. Having that approach to music saved me from being someone I didn’t want to be.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
In the Fort Collins area, if you find the right people, there’s no way you’re going to have a bad time. When it comes to places I like to kick it at, I really like any of the Cafes in Old Town, but especially, The Alley Cat. The Vibes There are unmatched. Everyone who works there is so nice and there is a lounge right underneath the cafe. There’s also a really nice hookah bar underneath the cafe too called Algiers, I always try and hit that place up when I get the chance. My favorite Pizza Place in town is on that same block, and it goes by the name of Pizza Casbah. They have huge New York-style pizzas. In my humble opinion, their Pizza never misses. You also got amazing Nature in the area too, Like the Poudre Trail, Horsetooth Reservoir, or pretty much any nature area that’s in the Mountains. It is truly beautiful stuff to witness, even if you’ve lived here for a long time.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Man, where do I even start? If I didn’t have the love and support of my Mom, my Dad, and my Sister, I would be lost. My Dad was the one who initially inspired me to become a musician. The moment he figured out that I want to make music, he taught me so much about Frequencies, EQs, Mixers, how Studios, and the Equipment inside them, function, and so much more. His love for music inspired me to be myself, and because of that, I found myself. My mother has also been just as supportive through her love and through her support. I have unconditional love for her, and that goes for my sister as well.

My Dearest Friends, Milo, Sam, Forrest, Goose, Josh aka One Peace, Siah, Max, Matan, Logan, Jung Lov, Mikey, and all of the real ones in my life. You know exactly who you are. Yall are my inspiration.

Shoutout Kendrick Lamar too.

Website: https://solo.to/producedbysps

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/producedbysps/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeP2eF_h7lfTaf6ljyqRL-g

Image Credits
Max Hendrickson & Shenandoah Place