Exclusive interview with Saree McIntosh on her music career, time on NBC's World of Dance, and upcoming projects.
Saree McIntosh grew up with music throughout her household. Her father and older brother, Taylor McIntosh, are both accomplished singer/ songwriters, so it was just natural for her to follow in her family's footsteps. In her young professional life, Saree has accomplished so much, from working with Bon Jovi member Richie Sambora to performing on World of Dance. We were honored to chat with the growing superstar! See our interview below:
Growing up just a few years younger than your brother, did you always know you wanted to be in the music industry as well? What separates you two?
"The funny thing is, I was interested in music before my brother was. Growing up my brother liked playing piano and loved music, but he wasn’t into singing. So, I guess I was the first one to start singing, but he was the one who started writing songs first. As I got older, I was interested in writings songs as well and started following in his footsteps.
I’ve always thought that being a musician would be such a cool job, but it wasn’t until I was 13 that I realized music is my ultimate passion and that I wouldn’t want to do anything else. The thing that separates us the most is that Taylor is naturally good at writing songs, while I am naturally good at singing. He had to work a little harder with his voice, and I had to work a little harder in my songwriting. It is a really good thing that my brother pursuing the same career as me, not only do we relate on the struggles of being musicians, but we both work together to make our music the best it can be!"
We love your song "Trust Me Baby." What was your inspiration behind that song?
“Trust Me Baby” is a song that I wrote with my dad, and it is about a guy who is all talk and no action. He will say things like you can trust me but proves himself to be
untrustworthy. It’s from the girls POV as she is realizing that he really isn’t a good guy to be in a relationship with. It all started off one night when I was really bored and decided to write a song. I grabbed my guitar and started messing around with some chords/melodies. I wasn’t sure what type of song I wanted to write, but then I remembered something my parents were talking about earlier that day. Without spilling too much tea, they were saying how in their past relationships their significant other would say that they would change and be better to them, but in the end, they never actually followed through. I wrote the first verse and decided that the song would sound better on the piano. I was playing it and my dad asked me what I was writing.
Originally the title of the song was, “Actions Speak Louder than Words.” But then he read the lyrics and said, “You should call it Trust Me Baby!” I thought that it sounded like a great title, so we went with it. He sat down with me, and we finished writing the song in like an hour. We were so excited that we made my mom and Taylor come listen! I really do love this song and hope others like it too!"
What has been a top moment of your career thus far? You seem to have so many BIG moments!
"With music, I think it would be having Richie Sambora from Bon Jovi featured on the song my brother and I wrote, Money on Your Deathbed. Richie is a legend and to be able to say that he shreds on one of my songs is incredible. With acting, it would be booking the role of the Young Frost sisters on The Gifted. I booked it with one video audition, even though I didn’t have prior roles as a co-star or guest-star. I felt proud of myself when I saw the outcome of the TV show, and it has been one of the most memorable moments in my career."
What was it like performing on World of Dance? Do you think that has helped your musical career?
"It was a super fun, yet stressful of an experience being on World of Dance. The preparation and practice period before appearing on the show was intense, I had 8-hour dance practices almost every day for two months straight. My crew and I had already undergone about three auditions before we had a spot on the TV audition. So, the whole process of making it onto the show took us about six months. We also lost our dance studio halfway through the process, so after that we had to bounce back and forth between random studios just to train. We did it somehow though! We flew out to LA to film. It was amazing to have the opportunity to dance in front of JLO, Derek Hough, and Ne-Yo. Even though it was a stressful time, I made some great memories and had a lot of fun. I think that World of Dance helped my music career in the sense that I got quite a few followers after the show aired, it really helped spread my music to more people."
You are truly a triple threat- singing, dancing and acting! What are your goals as you branch into the TV industry?
"I absolutely love acting and would love to be on a TV show as a regular. It has definitely been a dream of mine. After filming The Gifted I realized that my acting had improved a lot, so my ultimate goal is to keep improving my craft and I think that booking a consistent role will be a great way to do that. Plus, it would be incredibly fun!"
Are you working on anything new you can share?
"Yes, I am! I have been learning and singing in Korean for the past six months, and I recently released my first Korean song. It is a cover of a Kim Hak-Rae song called “슬픔의 심로” aka “Heart of Sorrow.” I am writing original Korean songs too, so I’ll also be releasing those!"
We can't wait for Saree's new music! Keep up with her on Instagram (@sareemcintosh) and listen to her on Spotify here.