Savoir Faire Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Savoir Faire is an amazing singer, whose recent single, "Machine With a Dream",has a beauty and power to it that you just have to experience for yourself. I was so excited that she was willing to visit with us and discuss her music, future goals, and more. I’m sure you’ll enjoy everything she has to say.

So, let's see what happens when Savoir Faire visits Section 36 Music!

I absolutely love your recent single, “Machine with a Dream”. What can you tell me about it? 

Thank you! This is a song about women's reproductive rights. I'd actually sat on the lyrics for quite some time, but I didn't have a melody or chord progression of it for quite some time. Lyrically, this song addresses some of the antiquated ideas concerning women's right to choose: that it's a woman's biological duty to become a mother, that she leaves no legacy on this Earth if she doesn't leave a bloodline, that child free women are selfish. Woman have a right to be mothers if they choose, but there are so many other ways to leave a lasting impact on our world. Living for our own bodies is enough.

What was your favorite part of the recording process? 

The collaboration. It's such a different way to build a song. I used to evolve my songs through live performances before Covid. Now, songs develop through the recording progress. I will record a demo and send it to Dave (Brophy, producer) and then he will send an idea back, etc. I can get really stuck in my head about ideas and it is helpful to have other people weigh in and help to push me in new directions.

The song also has a video to accompany it. What did you enjoy about putting that together? 

I had never done one before! Making a video for a song gives another medium to help set the tone and tell the story of a song. I hope that my music takes my listeners to another place and time, even though the lyrical content is always very present and pertinent to today. With the video, I was able to extend that: we took inspiration from aesthetics in Blade Runner, Twin Peaks, and even a little bit of some Broadway musicals like Chicago. Those influences gave the video, and therefore the song, a bit more of a "noir" feel that feels like it's from another time.

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences? 

Fiona Apple is definitely one of my biggest influences, as a songwriter and a singer. I am also heavily influenced by jazz artists: Ella Fitzgerald is the person that inspired me to start singing when I was studying jazz guitar. I discovered her duets with Joe Pass and started learning the guitar/vocal duets and performing. I think these singers also resonate with me because of their vocal range: I am often most comfortable in a low alto range, and those singers really rock that. I also grew up listening to a lot of artists that wrote about social issues, and carried that with me into my young adulthood in regards to who would inspire my own songwriting: Jewel, The Police, Muse, Radiohead, and of course, again....Ms. Apple.

What would you say is your biggest challenge with your music career? 

It's so  much easier now to put music out there, but it's a lot harder to get heard. Personally, I have my hand in a lot of careers, so it's often hard to balance it all! I am a full time educator, a part time adjunct professor, a part time music education consultant, and THEN I am a performer/songwriter. I care a lot about these other aspects of my life, but I am trying to honor the artist in my more, and find a balance. 

What are your immediate music goals? 

I want to connect with more people. I know I can't be the only person feeling these things! I don't write love songs, and I am well aware that those types of songs connect with lots of audiences. My music, however, is moreso the existential crisis of a millenial, wrapped up in nostalgia. Lovely, huh? But I do think that there is a generational collective of these types of thoughts, and musical connection, though it won't solve these issues- it can be comforting to know you aren't alone.

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Definitely listen to her music, and start making those connections!  

As always, I want to thank Savoir Faire for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to accompany the interview (photo credits Sasha Pedro).

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

Thanks again Savoir Faire, and good luck reaching your goals!

"Machine with a Dream” by Savoir Faire

 

"Machine with a Dream" - Single by Savoir Faire

Release Date: November 13, 2023

Video Release: November 13, 2023 on YouTube

What You Should Know:

“Machine with a Dream” is a response to the idea that a woman doesn’t reach her full potential without procreating: that being childless is empty and selfish, among other things people often say to childless women. Rather, the song offers ways in which women use their bodies and minds (their machine) to contribute to society and birth movements and ideas to others. It asks the listener: is a woman’s body enough if it lives for its own sake, and not for the sake of others?

The song was produced and mixed by Dave Brophy, who also plays drums and auxiliary instruments on the track. Andrew Moreau plays bass, with myself on guitar and vocals. “Machine with a Dream” started as a draft email of song lyrics, started on a flight back from Texas as women all over the nation braced for the eventual overturn of Roe vs. Wade. The lyrics eventually came to meet a guitar riff. From there, the song took form. The vocals of the song are heavily influenced by 60s girl groups, with vocal melismas and guitar lines borrowing from Persian pop music of the same era. Introducing the song, synthesizers lurk in the background of the production as a nod to the literary work that influenced both the lyrics and the video.

Find It:  Spotify

Previous Noteworthy Releases: “Only Fools (Betarseed)”

“Only Fools (Betarseed)” by Savoir Faire (Sep 16, 2023 Release)

 "Only Fools (Betarseed)" - Single by Savoir Faire

What You Should Know: "I will be releasing "Only Fools ( Betarseed)" in honor of Mahsa Amini. This will be the one year anniversary of her death. I will be raising funds for the Center for Human Rights that weekend. I encourage you to spread the word about what this day means. For the people fighting for justice in Iran, it is not just the 16th. It is every day.

Sadly, the meaning of this song transcends the struggle in Iran. Women's bodies are under attack all over the world. People are oppressed by cowards who hunger for control all. Over. The world.

But Iran is where I have roots. It is important to separate the people from the government."

Find It: Everywhere, like  Bandcamp or Spotify