November 15, 2019 · 0 Comments
By Mike Baker
Almost 18 months on from the release of her debut album and Orangeville recording artist Sara Rose is moving full speed ahead as she attempts to establish herself amongst the elite in the Canadian music industry.
The talented 23-year-old musician sat down with the Citizen last week to discuss her ever-evolving relationship with music, and the significant impact it has had on her life so far.
“Music, I think, started out as something of a release for me. Whenever something good, or something bad happened, I’d pick up my guitar and play,” Ms. Rose said.
As time went on, Sara’s emotional outbursts matured into something more. They would go on to serve as the inspiration, the framework, for that successful first album, ‘Until Now’, which was released in June 2018. It was a successful debut collection, Mr. Rose noted, derived from her love for folk music.
Not one to rest on her laurels, or dwell too much on her accomplishments, Sara immediately set about working on a follow-up. After spending the best part of 12 months holed up in a recording studio, perfecting both her lyrics and her sound, Ms. Rose is on the cusp of sharing another piece of her soul with the world. ‘We Could Be Beautiful’ releases on all online platforms and formats tomorrow (Nov. 15).
“The idea behind this new album really stems from one of the songs I’ve been working on for a while, that really speaks to the belief that, if there was a little more love, and a little less hate in this world, then we would all be a whole lot better off,” Mr. Rose said.
She added, “The album is very honest. It’s a little different than the first one. ‘We Could Be Beautiful’ has a lot more upbeat songs on it, it’s a happier album. If I had to say, it’s definitely more pop-folk centric this time around.”
Included amongst the ten-song setlist is a single Sara is really excited about, entitled ‘Dancin’.
“It’s a love song. A few people I’ve shared the album with picked that one as a standout, so I sort of ran with it,” Sara said. “We put together a music video, which was shot right here in Orangeville. There’s a ballroom dance theme – a friend (Josh Szabo) and I took dancing lessons specifically for the video. I really didn’t want to do it at first, but decided to give it a try and it ended up being a lot of fun.”
The album was recorded in its entirety in Orangeville, under the guidance of Dennis Hahn of The Campfire Poets. All artwork was completed by Dufferin-based artist Aaron Ritter, while choreography for the music video was handled by local dance teacher Treisha Dinsdale. All said, ‘We Could Be Beautiful’ has a definite, distinct Dufferin County feel to it.
While she has several local performances lined up, Sara is especially excited about an upcoming album-signing at Chapter’s in Mississauga. While it was originally slated to be a book signing for a non-fiction piece Ms. Rose is currently working on, the event was re-jigged once it became apparent the album would be finished, and released, first. Sara will have a select number of albums available for purchase on Dec. 7, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. She will also be performing some of her new songs.
While Sara was praised for the quality of her debut album, with her songs performing reasonably well through online formats, she’s hoping ‘We Could Be Beautiful’ will serve as something of a springboard to bigger and better things within the industry.
“People always say ‘you’re only one song away from making it’, that’s something that has always been incredibly motivating for me. When I have the amazing people I have around me, helping me out every step of the way, to definitely helps to keep me going,” Sara said. “It’s a tough thing, and it’s scary trying to build something of yourself. I don’t want to say it’s all on chance, because there’s a lot of hard work put into these songs and into this album, but there is an element of luck involved when it comes to music. It’s all about getting the timing right, and, sometimes, knowing the right people.”
She added, “But, at the end of the day, I think if you can find something you’re passionate about, and love, and can make a living off of it, then that is the utmost, greatest thing I could ask for.”
While, in an ideal world, Sara would gain traction in Canada, she’s started to notice some interesting trends in the monthly reports she receives from services such as iTunes and Spotify, which tracks how often, and where, Sara’s songs are listened to around the world.
“There have been quite a few hits in Japan. The most obscure place on my report would probably be different areas of China, I’ve seen a good response there. Europe has been very good recently too,” Sara said. “It’s super cool to be able to see the back end in that way and see where my music is being played.”
To check out Sara’s new album, search ‘We Could Be Beautiful’ on any mainstream music delivery service starting Nov. 15.