Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Olmsted.
Sarah, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I came to music in a fairly roundabout way. As a child, I was surrounded by it. My father was a radio DJ for a time and had a music business for several years after that. As a result, there were tens of thousands of records in my house and music was always playing.
During those early years, music was like a drug. It could take me over and transport me to an alternate dimension. But like any really powerful drug… it also scared me. I had far too much anxiety to even consider the thought of performing. So, I pushed that idea away and moved toward visual art where I didn’t have to stand with the work in person.
It wasn’t until my subconscious threw this album at me that I realized the type of transformative space I’d always been trying to find in art, was actually in music.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Getting over that level of fear is never an easy road. After I had written the skeletons for what would become High On The Tide, I set a trap for myself. I knew that if I committed to recording the album, I would have to figure out how to deal with my anxiety to stand behind the work. So, while we were recording, mixing, and mastering, I was also investigating the inner workings of my brain. By the time the album came out, I’d re-structured my psyche into a more functional form.
ROWS ARC – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
At first glance, you wouldn’t necessarily pair the songs I wrote with musicians from the heavy scene. But that’s exactly why I loved working with Jason Gagovski (Sweet Cobra/Suicide Note) to build out the album, and why I love playing with Neeraj Kane (Hope Conspiracy/Hesitation Wounds). There’s something that happens when you push tenderness and vulnerability up against grit and power. The idiosyncratic juxtaposition forces definition. The world can make you fall in love or break your heart at any given moment. Walking the tightrope between those divergent vectors can lead you to interesting places.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success for me is about pushing your edges, it’s about finding comfort in the vulnerability of the unknown. Nothing truly great ever came from sticking to familiar landscapes. I feel successful when I’m challenging myself to find a new universe to live in.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rowsarc.com/
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/rowsarc
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKm4Jd5DL98
Image Credit:
Personal Photo Credit: Demetrius Fordham, Album Cover Photo Credit: Chris Turiello, High On The Tide Video Stills: Chris Turiello, Live Performance Images: Priscilla C. Scott
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