For the past two years, Sierra Sky Fisher has penned an intimate narrative of heartache and resilience after leaving a toxic relationship. Fisher, a senior majoring in music industry who makes music under the name “Sierra Sky,” released her debut single, “Broken,” Friday — the product of those two years of writing.

The idea behind “Broken” was born from a vivid, emotional memory Fisher has of the end of her relationship.

“I remember we were sitting in the kitchen and we were fighting about something and I just looked at him, and I told him, ‘This relationship is breaking,’” Fisher said. “And he looked at me dead in the eye and said, ‘You were already broken.’”

While those words hurt, Fisher spun them into creative inspiration, allowing her to process the feelings of the breakup through a productive, creative outlet such as her songwriting.

“I used that as kind of ammunition for my writing because when I heard that, the only thing I could think about was what to write about it, so I did,” Fisher said. “It became this whole story about me looking at the toxic relationship I was in and choosing to walk away from it.”

Fisher recalls a musical childhood: Her older sister and stepdad love to sing, and her grandmother was an opera singer. Fisher started playing the piano in first grade when her dad brought her grandmother’s old piano out of storage to surprise Fisher and her sister.

“We’ve kind of always had a musical household, but finding the piano and singing gave me the freedom to express myself with songwriting,” Fisher said. “Songwriting really helped me a lot because it gave me the ability to express myself in a world that I really didn’t understand.”

Fisher collaborated with producer Damon Elliott to flesh out “Broken” and worked with 840 West Records, USC’s student-run record label, to build her brand around the song.

“I found videographers and photographers through the club, who helped me build all the content that I’m using for the song, which was really awesome,” Fisher said. “They did a fantastic job, like incredible.”

The company began working with Fisher in February 2023 to produce Fisher’s first single. Madeline Bryant, a senior majoring in public relations, serves as a co-president of 840 West.

“Sierra wanted to start from the ground up, which was super cool because we hadn’t really done that before,” Bryant said. “She’s very all-in, and she’s very involved, and I really appreciate it.”

Allana Taghioff, co-president at 840 West and a senior majoring in music industry, said Fisher’s hands-on approach to producing the debut song made the collaboration much smoother.

“She’s so dedicated and passionate about her music,” Taghioff said. “That makes it that much easier to work on something like this because I know that she appreciates it just as much as we do.”

Fisher’s core values of authenticity and genuine communication factor into her songwriting skills. While some people might shy away from writing about personal issues, Fisher leans into that vulnerability to connect to more listeners.

“I express my truth in words, and I write them into lyrics,” Fisher said. “It’s my truth, and it’s my story. I’m happy to share it, and I really hope that people will connect to it and feel less alone.”

Bryant felt moved by the sensitivity and raw emotion of Fisher’s poignant lyrics in “Broken,” expressing her admiration for Fisher’s storytelling abilities.

“The one thing I’ve learned about her is that she’s just very real. The story that she has with the song coming up, ‘Broken,’ it’s so sad to me,” Bryant said. “When she told me why she chose the title, it just gave me chills. Like, ‘I’m broken.’”

Aside from growing her career as a singer-songwriter, Fisher also performs at The Georgian Hotel in Santa Monica on the last Saturday of every month, making her the first resident musician there.

“I’m so lucky and so proud of the fact that I have a residency going on,” Fisher said. “That has boosted my artistry [and] my confidence, and it’s really given me a safe space to share my thoughts and my story.”

Releasing “Broken” is just the first step for Fisher, whose journey as an artist will only continue to blossom.

“Something really cool about Sierra is that her sound is so different from some of the other artists and musicians that are trending right now,” Taghioff said. “She’s so personable in her lyrics, and it’s so easy to relate and feel the emotions that she’s feeling … I’m trying to think of artists that she sounds like, but I really can’t think of anyone. Sierra is her own artist. She’s paving her own lane.”