Linnea Salte
Imagine sitting in a room with orange carpeting stretching up the walls and being surrounded by vintage guitars, an antique organ, microphones, synthesizers, lava lamps and a wall full of best-selling albums. This is where dreams are created and where art becomes a reality. This is where the musical fusion of Sara Bareilles, Metric, and Britt Nicole become a reality. This is where Linnea Salte began to meld together sound and lyrics that are drenched in imagery. But even though the artistic vision for her album may have started then…the real journey starts years before that.
When Linnea was first released from the Royal Alexandria Hospital where she was born…most parents would have taken their new bundle of joy to a quiet home. But Linnea’s family was not like most families. Her father, Arlen, was a touring musician and together with his wife, Elsa, they owned a record company and ran an international creative arts organization called Break Forth. So her first week out of the hospital, Linnea was surrounded by touring musicians and the vibrant sounds of creativity at work.
It is no surprise then that Linnea would begin to follow in the footsteps of her family and go on to put on shows that are not only musically engaging …but also inspiring.
“I think it would be safe to say that my childhood was different from most. I grew up around leather jackets, lighting rigs and ripped jeans. I didn’t have a lot of friends my age…I was more concerned with talking with artists who were passionate about their work…their artistic gifts. Most people when they were in elementary and up into high school were trying to figure out who they wanted to be. I already knew that music was my calling. At age three I had already begun to show the glimmers of a performer when I wrote my first song and started to play piano. When I was growing up my brother’s and I used to put on shows for my parents. We would turn off all the lights and I would play and sing to my Casio keyboard while my brothers would flicker a flashlight on and off quickly to imitate a strobe light. I’ve always wanted to put my fingerprint on the world. I want to inspire people and put on a concert that is not only engaging but also has depth and impact. I want people to walk out of the concert changed.”
But there would be a number of challenges that she would face along the way.
“There came a point in my life in junior high and high school when I felt so alone and disconnected. I started to struggle with depression to the point that I was suicidal. Everyday was a strain to get out of bed and face the world. I have never felt so lonely in my life. Almost every night I would scream into my pillow and cry out to God. Now that I have come through the other side…I have realized that my life is no longer my own. I have committed to help people who are struggling just as I was. I do this through what I know best…music.”
Linnea has gone on to place as a finalist in the world’s premier songwriting competition, the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Linnea Salte’s album “Pockets Full of Posies” was released in stores October 2009. Her songs are played on radio all across the nation. She is currently touring across North America sharing a message of God’s hope through captivating music and a powerful story of freedom.