Sarah Jane is a prolific Alt-Rock, Indie singer, songwriter from Sydney, Australia who has amassed a huge online following. ‘Lately’ is the first single from her new EP and is out now.
With over 290,000 subscribers and 30 million views on YouTube it would be accurate to call the young musician a viral sensation.
The new EP follows two solo albums “Absence’, an acoustic album released in 2019, and the album ‘Tainted Timeline” released late in 2020. Sarah Jane has released two full-length records with her band ‘The Violet Stones’ over the same period.
Sarah Jane has over 80,000 streams on her single ‘Backwards’, over 10,000 streams on both ‘Sleepwalking’ and ‘Control’ on Spotify and has been played on Home & Hosed on Triple J.
Sarah Jane – ‘‘Lately’ is about the anxiety felt when you feel like you’re not needed anymore in a relationship. Even when you know it’s in your head, it’s hard to bring yourself out of it. Tying in with the video, it shows the emptiness and the dark emotions that come with anxiety.”
Sarah played and recorded all the instruments on Lately. The track was mixed/mastered by George Pauley.
Where are you currently based?
I’m currently based in the Inner West of Sydney! I just moved to this area in January
How did you first start playing music?
I’ve always had an interest in music but it wasn’t until my dad pushed me to learn piano and over the years I slowly moved over to singing, guitar & drums.
What’s been happening recently and how has your Covid experience been?
This past year has really given me some time to just buckle down and record as much as I can. Sometimes it’s hard to balance playing shows & recording so I’m not sure if I would have released an album and be able to work on another EP if Covid didn’t happen. I did miss out on playing some really cool shows mid 2020 which is such a shame as I love playing live but there was a silver lining.
Your new single ‘Lately’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?
I wrote the song in March of 2020 and I had been listening to a lot of PJ Harvey and Hum at the time & what I love a lot about those bands are the dynamics and production. I guess I have been trying to match the vibe of PJ Harvey’s ‘Rid of Me’ & Hum’s ‘You’d prefer an Astronaut’.
Where and when did you record/produce/master?
I recorded everything myself in my (my dad’s) small home studio around September 2020. My dad’s a drummer so he has all the equipment which I’m super lucky to have access to as well as a bunch of recording gear. I also played all the instruments myself as it’s so much easier to come up with parts as I know what my vision is & there’s no messy communication.
I also got really into different recording techniques & I originally wanted to mix it myself but I decided I shouldn’t put too much pressure on myself. George Pauley ended up mixing and mastering it!
Please tell us about how the concept for the video came about:
The song is mainly about unreasonable anxiety and feeling as though you’re not needed anymore in a relationship. The way I see it connect to the video is that is a representation and visualisation of anxiety. Being in one room, just indulging in the feeling and then walking out like nothing ever happened can just visualise some anxieties. You know it’s unreasonable but you’re still anxious! We just wanted to portray a certain set of emotions that were connected to the songs meaning.
Where and when did you film and who did you work with?
The whole of the video (direction, concept, editing, filming etc.) was done by Jack Barratt. I wanted to have one less thing to worry about when it came to the release of the song so he basically come up with everything haha We filmed it in around 4 hours at a budget hotel in the Inner West. It was a tiny room and even smaller bathroom, but we made it work!
What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creation on the video?
100% the shower scene. It was so uncomfortable getting wet in clothes and it was even worse in the last scene where I had to walk out whilst I was still wet. It was so cold! But the shower shot is definitely my favourite so it was worth it!
How did you prepare for live shows?
I’m definitely a stress head when it comes to playing shows. I’m always scared of running late or forgetting how to play the songs so I definitely prepare by getting there early and just having some time to chill beforehand & making sure my voice is warmed up & drinking plenty of water.
You have an EP on the way, what can you tell us?
I’ve been nonstop working on new music! This EP will be a little bit different from my last album. It’s less full-on grunge, more light, a little post-rock, think Mogwai meets Failure…
Who are you listening to at the moment?
I’m listening to a lot of Failure, OH and Hayley Williams just released a new album and it’s been on repeat ever since. Some Queens of the Stone Age, A LOT of Radiohead (as usual) & Porcupine Tree.
What do you like to do away from music?
This is sort of lame but I love planning things & cleaning (super lame I know but it’s therapeutic!). I also just like to chill and watch TV shows, play games with friends or go thrift shopping.
Favourite food and place to hangout?
I love going to Newtown, so many yummy vegan restaurants to choose from. Gotta love Gigi’s Pizza!
Lately Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl0-5IrBVTY
Linktree
https://linktr.ee/sarahmusicjane
