In this episode of Solo Spotlight, Ryan sits down with Sara Steeves for a powerful and deeply personal conversation about survival, reclaiming your voice, healing after abuse, and turning lived experience into advocacy.

Sara opens up about the path that led her to speak publicly, the role sobriety played in changing her life, the realities of coercive control, and the importance of creating safe spaces for survivors to be heard. She also shares how her platform has grown into a community, the message behind her Trauma Tees / REALM collaboration, and why she’s currently working on a book called Canadian Soil.

This is an honest conversation about pain, resilience, accountability, healing, and what it means to use your story to help someone else feel seen.

Solo Spotlight is part of Spare Bedroom Studios — real conversations with people who have real stories.

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keep up with our guest:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sara_12636_steeves/

REALM - https://realmshakercup.com/sara/

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@saramsteeves/video/7532408330069871928

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In this episode of Solo Spotlight, I sit down with Edmonton-based music duo Murdock Altas to break down their journey, creative process, and the mindset behind their sound.

We dive into how both artists developed individually before coming together as a duo, what influences shaped their music, and how they approach creating something authentic in a space that often rewards trends.

We also talk about the realities of making music today — from production and lyricism to live performance and building a fanbase that actually connects with the work.

Their upcoming album “Believe It” drops April 19, and this conversation gives a real look into what went into building that project and where they’re headed next.

If you’re an artist, creative, or just someone who appreciates real conversations about the process behind the work — this episode is for you.

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🎶 Check out Murdock Altas — “Believe It” dropping April 19 -

https://linktr.ee/murdockaltas?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

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In this episode of Solo Spotlight, Ryan sits down with Lameese Smaili to talk about growing up between Canada and Lebanon, living through crisis, teaching in Lebanon, witnessing the impact of war and displacement, returning to Canada, and building a career in journalism and long-form storytelling. The conversation also dives into media trust, journalistic ethics, and her work hosting Pop-Up Conversations. A powerful, honest episode about resilience, identity, and telling human stories.

Make sure to follow Lameese Smaili and check out Pop-Up Conversations for more long-form artist interviews and human stories. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Solo Spotlight, leave a comment with your biggest takeaway, and share this episode with someone who cares about storytelling, journalism, and real conversations.

#SoloSpotlight #SpareBedroomStudios #LameeseSmaili #Journalism #Storytelling #Media #Podcast #PodcastInterview #LongFormConversation #Edmonton #YEG #CanadianMedia #PopUpConversations #RealStories