Sarah Lampsa Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music had another visitor! Sarah Lampsa is fresh off the release of her debut EP "Something Blue". I certainly imagine you've all been streaming that non-stop. I'm thrilled that Sarah wanted to visit with us to discuss the EP, her music, and more! I'm sure you'll love what she had to say.

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

I am absolutely loving your debut EP, “Something Blue”. What can you tell me about it?

Thank you! My goal as a songwriter has always been to help my listeners feel less alone in their feelings, so my songs are intimate, honest, and oftentimes evocative. I like to say that “Something Blue” contains my most prized pieces of my heart from the past few years. The EP revolves on themes of love, whether in relationships, friendships, grief, or family. The songs are most easily labelled as alt-pop, but span the genres of pop, alternative, contemporary, and rock. Thank you again for listening and I’m glad you enjoyed it! 

Do you have a favorite memory from the recording process?

My good friend, Isa Abadia, produced the EP, so the whole recording process was a fun time! My favorite memories were made in the studio recording vocals. Isa and I have a great banter so we basically laughed our way through, even with technical hiccups or late night recording sessions. I love working with my friends whenever possible, so this whole process felt like a big group hangout, and I think that that collaborative energy reflected in the songs! “Something Blue” is a culmination of the hard work of so many talented musicians and I’m so lucky to have had the team that I did. 

How did you come up with the cover art?

My sister took the cover photos. Her and I are five years apart, but we’re practically twins. We run marathons together and share a social media account (@lampsarunningsistas), so we’re used to working together! I played a few songs for her and described my general vision. I knew it needed to be blue (of course), and wanted to include a grand piano. From there, we collaborated on a Pinterest board to narrow down our idea. We took the photos at the Palmer House hotel in Chicago. I’m super super happy with how they turned out!

What was your biggest challenge with the creation of the album?

At times, my songs feel like my children, and bringing them into the studio feels like dropping them off on the first day of kindergarten! I knew the songs would have to change, but a lot of the development was out of my hands. I touch on this in “Dirty Laundry”, but I’m admittedly a bit of a control freak, so my biggest challenge was letting them grow without being a helicopter parent! Luckily, my producer Isa is fantastic and she did a great job of sharing my vision and adjusting based on my wants. I think we raised a great kid! 

You are currently attending Berklee College of Music. What made Berklee the right choice for you?

Growing up, I always had a natural inclination to the arts and to writing. I learned to sing and play violin, piano, guitar, and bass while in high school, and started writing poetry as a kid. I was really active in my high school’s arts department and started releasing music when I was seventeen, so no one was surprised when I decided to pursue music as a career. My family has always made education a priority, so Berklee was the perfect place to get a degree while studying the arts and working towards my dreams! My best friend from childhood also studies in Boston, at Northeastern, so she was a major help in preparing to make such a big move. I’ve met so many incredible people at Berklee and I’m so glad I made the choice that I did!

If you could cover any Disney song, which one would you choose? Why?

I absolutely adore “When She Loved Me”, from Toy Story. I’ve been compared a few times to Sarah McLachlan, and I’m really inspired by her storytelling ability. “When She Loved Me” is similar to my music in its emotional authenticity and intimacy, so I think it would be a cool cover!

What are your immediate musical goals?

I’m graduating Berklee in spring of 2027 and am planning to move out to Los Angeles. Until then, I’m going to do lots of co-writing and, of course, release more music! The songwriting talent at Berklee is truly insane and I have so much to learn from my peers. In Los Angeles, my goal is to have a calendar packed full of songwriting sessions, studio time, performances, and collaboration. I like to say that I’m happy doing whatever I can with a pen and a piano. To me, a successful life is a life that contains music in any way possible. 

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That sounds successful to me! 

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

I'm sure you’ll all want to follow her and see what she has going on. I would follow her on Instagram and Spotify to make sure you don't miss a thing. 

Thanks again Sarah, and good luck reaching your goals!