Watch Out! Sara Rachele – “You Don’t Move Me” [VIDEO] / Interview

Sara Rachele - "You Don't Move Me"

Sara Rachele is more than a contemporary coffee house folkie crossed with deep-in-the groove rocker and her new single/video proves it.

“You Don’t Move Me” is a reverbed slice of retro girl-group pop layered over emotional
ennui. Director Paul Bray shot the video in sumptuous muted hues at an empty Plaza Theatre in her native Atlanta, GA.

Sara Rachele took time away from her busy schedule to answer a few questions.

Twang Nation: Being from Georgia, there’s a discernible Southern-Quality to your storytelling. How has moving to New York shaped your songwriting?

Sara Rachele: Ironically, moving to Manhattan brought out the southern-ness in my writing – I found it’s the thing I identify with most in the South – is the stories, the folklore. I come from a long line of southern women with big imaginations and even bigger mouths. New York has so many different kinds of folks – the Italian side of my family came through Ellis Island – and I relate to that too.
I think I stuck out as the southern writer of my friends – It just was kind of innately in what I do – in my physiology or something, I just started to stick out for being plain spoken, and I liked that.

TN:You’ve said “Diamond Street” is a result of dealing with loss. While making that album was the loss easier or harder to deal with?

SR:I guess that’s the thing about writers – I definitely always try to tell whatever my truth is, even if it doesn’t paint me in the best light. With Diamond Street – There were a couple years of pent up realizations, expository realizations, I really needed to hash out – It’s probably more confessional that it should be – But that is the thing that heals me, and I think a lot of people, about music. We get to realize that a lot of people have too gone through something similar. I met producer Trina Shoemaker once, and she just came up after a set and said ‘It doesn’t ever go away. But you get better at dealing with it.’ I like to think she’s right.

TN: Is it easier to writes songs when you’re happy or miserable?

SR: Oh, I’m my happiest when I’m miserable, ha. I think whatever space it is – that quiet space – I’m a big believer in intuition – that silence I find where the songs come from, that’s the spot that allows me to write. I think it’s the calm after the storm moments, the reflective post-miserable moments, where inspiration starts for me.

TN: What’s the most unusual place you’ve ever played a show or made a recording? How did the qualities of that event shape the show/recording?

SR: I cut all the vocals to ‘Diamond Street’ shut in a bathroom at the studio. It’s funny now, but honestly, that isolation was important for a few reasons. On Black Mile, I shut all the lights off for one of the takes, there were no windows in there, and it was complete darkness. I think you hear that in the song.

TN: There’s a view that these are exceptionally hard times to make music a vocation. Has this been your experience?

SR: You know – Yeah. It is, I think if you take no for an answer. I, have never been very good at doing that.

TN: What aspect of making music excites you the most right now?

SR: Fearlessly writing – writing without anticipating what anyone else wants to hear. Remembering that my only job, is to be honest with my work, and to create art. I’m into doing that, you know, forever.

TN: “You Don’t Move Me” has a Shangri-Las vibe to to. What are some of the bands/performers that have influenced you?

SR: Thank you. Gosh gosh who doesn’t love Rubin and Spector and girl groups – Carole King for sure, the Goffin/King songs really get into my soul. Maybe cause I’m a keys player first. But that I think, YDMM came from (Composer, Engineer, Producer) Kris Sampson’s head – he just is the coolest. He has a vintage thing about him, that speaks through that song – it was his idea to move it to keys.

TN:What are you up to right now, music-wise? Any current or upcoming recordings, collaborations, tours or top-secret projects, etc.

SR: Touring with Melissa Ferrick in April. OH, AND I HAVE A NEW SINGLE, 7 INCH VINYL, ‘Low (Cracker cover) and B side written byyours truly… out at the end of March!!

Watch the video for “You Don’t Move Me” below.

Purchase ‘Diamond Street’ on CD / cassette at Bandcamp.

Catch Sara Rachele live while she’s on tour.

One Reply to “Watch Out! Sara Rachele – “You Don’t Move Me” [VIDEO] / Interview”

  1. Pingback: Watch Out! Sara Rachele – “You Don’t Move Me” [VIDEO] / Interview | A Music Pavilion Site

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