Writing Sad Girl Songs with Victoria Staff

Born and raised in Toronto, Victoria Staff was always an “anxious child”. The string that connected much of her young life was using music to communicate with family, friends, teachers, and even therapists. Over time, this coping mechanism developed into a passion for music that would lead to her career as an indie-pop artist. Staff continues to use the written word to communicate with her audience the complex themes of love, loss, and her struggle with mental health. Her debut project “Records & Honesty” was released in 2023, under the guidance of Canadian music producer Dan Hosh. The heavy undertones of her music are offset by her comedic personality on stage, on social media, and amongst her peers. Her new song From My Side of the Table tells the story of watching your relationship fall apart at the seams. Produced by Johnathan Karkar, this song is the next step in Staff’s career as a storyteller.

Victoria shared the process behind her song My Side of the Table. Download the lyrics to follow along.

We talked about:

• Being Human Now – Music | Spark with Nora Young | Live Radio | CBC Listen
• How some songs fall out of you quickly and some take a labour of love over months or years
• Capturing your raw emotions into a song when you first experience it, before the fires dies out
• Having a trusted, patient person to vet your songs and give feedback
• If you write you title last, finding one that encapsulates the song best
• Bringing songs that are not super personal to a collaboration