December 28th, 2015
This series of features highlights the 2015 NewSong Music finalists. Each artist is invited to 14th Annual NewSong Music Showcase & Competition Finals – Lincoln Center (Jan 7th) for the opportunity to win the #NSM Grand Prize. We sat down with each finalist to learn more about their music and background. Hope you enjoy! #NewSongMusic #WhereGreatArtistsAreDiscovered
BIO
Story-telling through music has always been the heart of the matter for Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sarah Kervin. Schooled in jazz and classical, this Atlanta native came to New York with a soulful sound and inspired writing that blends modern and classic influences to “take you to the place where your heart is smiling” (MuzikReviews).
Equal parts Ella Fitzgerald and Sara Bareilles, her music has history, soul and the optimism of a small town girl making her way in the big city. With strong, soulful vocals, dense textures, and driving rhythms, Sarah’s sound embodies the depth of self-exploration, discovery, and independence. Into the City, her 2015 sophomore album, tells stories of the shared human experience: trying to making it through life without totally screwing everything up. It’s about coming to the big city with stars in your eyes and pulling yourself back up when it doesn’t turn out like you thought it would. Her music is influenced by the complex harmonies of jazz, the inspired messiness of gospel, the melancholy passion of the blues, and the frankness and openness of storytelling.
Sarah has received international recognition as a soloist, guest artist, composer, and bandleader, including six Downbeat Student Music Awards, the Jazz Education Network Composition Award, and research grants in Vocal Pedagogy from the Magellan Foundation. She has performed with great artists such as Jon Hendricks, the Manhattan Transfer, Ben Folds, the Fort Worth Symphony, and Afro Blue. Sarah also teaches voice both in the New York area and as a member of the voice faculty at the renowned Berklee College of Music.
Q:What does it mean to you to be selected as a NewSong finalist, and what do you hope to get out of the experience?
A: I was incredibly excited and honored to be named a New Song Finalist! It has been one of my dreams since I was a little girl to perform at Lincoln Center, and I can’t believe that I’ll finally be able to realize that.I can’t wait to share my music and my story!
I’m already struck by the positivity with which NewSong has been presented – from the first email, it was all about joining with other singer-songwriters and celebrating our music and our stories. I’m humbled to be a part of this group, and I think the most rewarding part will be getting to meet and create with everyone.
Q: What is your songwriting process?
A: Some of my best memories are of listening to music in the car with my folks on long road trips through the mountains. Carole King, James Taylor, Steely Dan, Bonnie Raitt, even Stevie Wonder… I couldn’t get enough of the nostalgic and heartfelt stories while I was looking out the window watching the world go by. I feel like I always think about those trips a little bit when I’m writing.
I usually start with a single line that gets stuck in my head. I make obsessive voice memos and notes on my phone – in the middle of the night, in the car, walking down the street – they’re just stuck in my head going over and over again like a broken record. That almost always ends up being the first line of the song. Or the main hook. I like to compose music and lyrics together, and when I’ve got enough to start taking on the shape of a song, I fill out the rest of the music so I have a framework. Sometimes the lyrics come as soon as I sing a line, flowing effortlessly right onto the page without needing a lot of editing. Everything comes together like a math problem; I’ve just got to solve it and write it down, like I’m a vessel for a song that already exists. I call those “thirty-minute songs.” Sometimes, though, the songs are long and a little arduous; I have whole notebooks filled with crossed out and scratched out lyrics and days and weeks and months go by and I’m still chipping away at them. The first type of song feels like it was already written for me, while the second is something I fought for; both rewarding, just different types of stories.
Q: What is currently happening with your music?
A: In 2015 I released my sophomore album, Into the City. The record is a set of stories, sort of a catalog of my life moving from a small town to New York. It’s all about just keeping going no matter what life throws at you. It features a special song, “The Least You Could Do,” that I made into a music video to raise awareness for survivors of domestic violence. Written as part of my own healing process from an abusive relationship, I hope the song can lend catharsis to others and help them find inner strength to keep moving forward. All the proceeds from the single go to benefit the Joyful Heart Foundation, which does tremendous work offering support for survivors, education, and advocacy.
I’m writing for a new original musical, “Hot Mess In Manhattan,” starring Cait Doyle. Coming soon in 2016. You can find out more at hotmessinmanhattan.com.
