Music Review – Sara James – Just Like Me
This one opens up with a bang, that great sounding collection of instruments and riffs, all played brilliantly – you know you’re in for a good few minutes of listening when a track opens so strongly. The lead vocal is beautiful, and quite unusual – it has a softness and depth to it all at once. The melody is a little slower than expected, based on the musical introduction, but it makes complete sense once you hear it. There are no wasted lyrics, only what needs to be said. It’s powerful in an intelligent and subtle kind of way. The flicks of guitar solo that play out just every now and then add a brilliantly atmospheric edge to the music, and help keep it musically interesting and entertaining as you listen.
You can get completely wrapped up in the poetry of this one, the lyrics can take over you, or, alternatively, you can press play and just let the music and the melodies fill up the room. It works well on a number of levels, and that makes it a great song. A couple of harmonies or extra vocals might have thickened up the bridge section a little, but when you turn the whole track right up, it’s a minor point – the poetry and the intimacy of the song stand tall within the expression of that single vocal. It all works really well, just the way that it is.
It’s actually one of those rare songs that you could easily hear on a number of underground radio stations, crossing the line between genres, bridging the gap between styles. It’s song writing at a wonderfully developed level, and it’s not like anything else I’ve heard in a while. Occasionally you realise you’ve been lost in the music, and then a particularly sharp lyric will re-capture your attention, so you have to go back and find out what you missed. A fantastic effect to have on your listeners. The kind of art that can’t merely be glanced at, it has to be investigated further, and a few more times after that.
By Rebecca Cullen
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist
Sara James: I am 15 years old and I have lived in Southampton NJ my entire life. I am currently a sophomore at Seneca High School.
I decided I wanted a guitar for Christmas when I was ten and it sat for a year. One day I decided to play it and asked for lessons when I was 11. I took private lessons for 2 years and then joined the performance program at School of Rock where I first started singing. That’s when I knew exactly what I wanted to do.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
Sara James: Well, it is my real name…
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
Sara James:
I think that online music sharing is beneficial to upcoming artist in todays society because it is a great way to get people to hear you. I currently have a song on SoundCloud and I am pretty happy that people are listening to it! I will be making CD’s of my new single and giving them away for free because my current goal is to be heard rather than be paid.
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
Sara James:
One of the most important things when having a band is practice. We got gigs because of how well our sets flowed. We took our transitions very seriously and were very professional which got us many amazing gigs.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
Sara James :
I get my songwriting inspiration from personal experience, relationships, observations of people. My songwriting process depends on where my inspiration comes from first. If I hear the music in my head, that is the first thing I finish. Then I move on to lyrics and I end with melody. The only other way I could write a song is with lyrics first and music second. Melody is always last for me because I find it to be the most difficult to match up with lyrics or chords.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
Sara James: Right now I am taking a break from my band to concentrate on my songwriting and solo acoustic gigs. Most of the stuff my band did was covers since we all have very different musical taste and some of the cool gigs are on my YouTube page.
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
Sara James: Wow! I would obviously write and record a bunch of music with all of that time 🙂 That’s probably where most of the money would go.
I would try to play as many gigs as I could and make good use of my time!
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
Sara James: Well so far, social media and live gigs have worked well for me. I have a facebook page for my music foundation, The Sara James Music Foundation https://www.facebook.com/SaraJamesMusicFoundation/?fref=ts and I post all of my upcoming events and gigs there. I just posted the link to my original on SoundCloud as well and it’s gotten a decent number of views so people are at least paying attention. I also posted a link to SoundCloud in my bio on Instagram and put it on Twitter as well 🙂 https://soundcloud.com/sarahjames-3/just-like-me-final-mix
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
Sara James: This is my first original (that I liked) so I am currently writing a few new songs so I can hopefully release an EP soon.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
Sara James: If I weren’t making music, I would be doing something musical! I honestly cannot imagine doing anything else.
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
Sara James: I take school extremely seriously so I make sure I get my work done quickly and efficiently so I have time in the evenings to practice and write.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?
Sara James: More music!!
