Sarah King Visits Section 36!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Sarah King is a fantastic singer, and I was excited that she wanted to visit with us and discuss her music, her goals, and more. I’m sure you’ll love everything she has to say.

So, let's see what happens when Sarah King visits Section 36!

I really enjoyed your album (with The Guilty Henchmen) “What Happened Last Night”. What was it like to put that together?

This record was SO much fun to put together. I flew down to Georgia (where I used to live) and recorded with my former bandmates. We hadn't been in a room together in eight years and it was a blast just to hang out again. We worked harder than I think any of us had ever worked since we only had 4 days to do everything - setting up, tracking, and mixing - but it didn't feel like work. We were exhausted but so proud at the end, and I am thrilled we pulled off the logistics to make it happen.

You have a single releasing on October 2nd. What can you tell me about it?

I sure do! This track is a whole different beast from WHLN.

WHLN was a solid blues-rock record, top to bottom. My new single, Nightstand, has a totally different feel. For this track, I worked with Simone Felice and David Baron (the producers for the Lumineers, Jade Bird, Matt Maeson, Bat for Lashes, etc) in the Catskill Mountains. It's got much darker overtones than the songs on WHLN, and it was produced with more of a trip-hop, dark alternative vibe. I loved being able to incorporate some different influences into this track and utilize different instrumentation than I've worked with before.

Nightstand is a slow but powerful burn, and it builds. It starts off casually enough, but if you listen to the words, it's a warning not to underestimate women. By the end you can hear the edge in my voice, especially in a line talking about how "the world's been trying to take me out since the day I first arrived." It wasn't written to be a political statement or anything, but it's certainly become a timely theme, and I'm looking forward to sharing it. 

What do you enjoy most about performing in front of an audience?

The energy and the feeling. Being able to share my stories - or interpret other stories - and have listeners feel something. From the time I started playing my own music, my goal has always been for listeners to feel something. I'm not up there to sing the loudest note or whatever. I want my stories to resonate with people so they know they're not alone.

Who/what would you consider to be your biggest musical influences?

I like to joke around that my biggest musical influences are bourbon and bad decisions, but that's not entirely a joke - I once read something like "bad decisions make good stories" and I totally agree. Who wants to hear a song about everything going perfectly? There's got to be some sort of challenge, some sort of growth or change in any good story, and songs are simply stories set to music. 

In terms of artists I'm into, the ones you'll hear on WHLN are the Black Keys and Jack White. On Nightstand we got a little deeper and you'll hear some Portishead, Alabama Shakes, and if you know him, maybe a little Greg Dulli. 

Other than COVID, what would you say is your biggest career challenge?

My biggest career challenge is probably figuring out where my music belongs. I've played and studied a variety of styles - literally from opera on up - and I enjoy getting out of my musical comfort zone. Right now, finding the right niche for my music, the right listeners is a challenge. My songs are catchy but the lyrics are often a little dark for mainstream pop/rock music. I like to say I have a good time singing about hard times, and it's true. My music isn't going to lift you up or inspire you - there are plenty of other musicians out there doing that - but it will help you feel like you're not alone. Now I need to find those people who need to hear my stories!

What are your immediate career goals?

My immediate career goals are to get Nightstand out to as many ears and eyes as possible on October 2nd! I'm then headed back to the Catskills to finish the EP with Simone and David, and those songs will be released over the coming months. 

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I’m sure we can help her reach those goals!

As always, I want to thank Sarah for visiting, and for sending along the pictures to accompany the interview.

I know you’ll all want to follow along with Sarah to see what she's up to. Especially with all the new releases coming up! The best way is to follow her online on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube. You should also be sure to listen to her music on Spotify as often as you can. It’s the perfect way to make sure you don't miss a thing.

You can also visit her Section 36 Music page. There you'll find more links, pictures, and samples of her music. It's a great way to enjoy everything Sarah has to offer all in one place.

Thanks again Sarah, and good luck in reaching your goals!