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10 Questions with ... Sara Hartman
May 30, 2016
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1. How's 2016 been treating you so far? What were some of the highlights of 2015 for you and your music?
So far, 2016 has been way too good to me. I found out in January that I was opening for Ellie Goulding in Europe and I've had to pinch myself quite often since then. I feel like 2015 was the year I decided to put it all on the line and 2016 is when it's starting to look like it was not a terrible decision! But it means so much to release these songs that document one of the biggest changes in my life to date. It's very exciting.
2. Growing up, did you always know that you wanted to be a musician?
I didn't always want to be a musician but I always had a deep desire to make stuff and share it with people. I remember getting a drum set for Christmas when I was 11 and realizing I could use musical instruments to do just that. It became a form of therapeutic expression. I started playing in restaurants and bars in the Hamptons as a summer job and ended up playing for a man who introduced me to a producer in Berlin, Tobias Kuhn. He ended up being my creative partner in crime for my album. I was so excited about the music we were making and I had a chance to follow my dream of sharing it with the world, so to me there wasn't really a choice. I had to go.
3. You recently released your debut EP, Satellite. How long had you been working on it?
The release of the Satellite EP is huge for me emotionally. It's just the first taste of the album to come, but it starts to tell the story. I have been working on it for almost a year now and these songs have kept me going when I get homesick or scared. It's pretty intense to share these songs but I am very proud of them.
4. Tell us about the title track
It started as a small chain of thought lyrically, but then became a kind of anthem for me. It's a call to arms disguised as a love song. It made me feel strong in being honest and vulnerable which set a tone for the rest of the record.
5. How exactly did that song on the EP set the tone for the whole collection?
"Satellite" was one of the first songs I wrote for the album. It was my first time being in Berlin and everything was so new and exhilarating. I put that directly into the lyrics. Before these songs, I was writing stories about other people and places. With this album I wanted to tell my story
6. Generally, what do you think it is that inspires you to write music?
Now more than ever I write to process everything that is going on around me. I've been keeping journals on tour with me so I can document all of these crazy experiences I'm having. But people always inspire me. Peoples' stories, peoples' feelings, the way people look at things, the things people think are important ... I could go on forever.
7. Are you excited to head out on tour with X-Ambassadors next month?
Beyond excited for X Ambassadors! I finally get to play a tour in the U.S. And on the East Coast! So excited to bring the show back home. I loved touring in Europe. It was such an adventure being on tour with Ellie, I will never forget playing those stages.
8. What do you think makes a perfect gig?
No question the audience makes the perfect gig. You can have good sound, lights, guitar sound etc. ... but I only get real chills when the audience is giving you everything. The exchange of energy is what I live for as a performer. There was a show in Zurich where people took out their phones during a song about my sister (she's 7 and I was missing her particularly bad that day) and to see an arena full of little lights shining back at me moved me to shed a happy tear on stage.
9. What was it like playing at SXSW this year?
This was my first year at SXSW and I have to say the vibe is contagious there. The whole city is buzzing with new and creative ideas. It was crazy chaotic and I loved it!
10. What do you hope listeners take away from your songs?
At the end of the day, I am sharing a part of my story. A part with lots of homesickness and getting lost in a big city. Also a part I get to spend with some of the coolest people I have ever met, making and performing the music I believe in all over the world. I know I can't be alone in feeling small and scared while trying to learn to stand up on my own. I hope these songs can help people the way they helped me get through a lot.
Interview by Leah Adams
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