After Sarah Jaffe’s 2010 album Suburban Nature, NPR said Jaffe has “the ability to relate to people’s daily lives and the wisdom to express emotions in new and powerful ways.” Jaffe has admitted surprise at her ability to write courageous songs during high school. Sarah’s new album, The Way Sound Leaves a Room, reflects her maturity and experience as a continuation of her bravery as a singer-songwriter. Jaffe’s CD and DVD, The Way Sound Leaves a Room, will hit store shelves on September 27. Her newest release is a documentation of her progressing journey, and proof of her relevance.
AV: You’ve done a mix of songs. You played guitar without much accompaniment, then played songs like “Clementine”, which is more upbeat and has an accompanying band. Is there a style you feel more comfortable with?
Sarah: Not particularly. Suburban Nature was a lot of older songs, and I started out playing the acoustics, but I’ve kind of ventured off into experimenting with other instruments, getting more into the electronic side of things. There’s not a side that I’m more comfortable with or inclined to. I’m obviously more familiar with the guitar, but not necessarily inclined to it.
AV: Have you seen an evolution in your sound, or are you just exploring different possibilities?
Sarah: I think so. Again, those songs were about seven years old, so I have to be a different person. So naturally, I’m going to write differently and have different tastes and try what sounds good sonically.
AV: In the music video for “Clementine”, there are a lot of things going on. You have your hood on, almost like a veil; you are being carried away by men, the baptism, and the nosebleed. There is a lot going on and a lot left to stimulate the imagination. Is there a message that you wanted to convey with those visual images?
Sarah: A lot of it has to do with this very strong desire to move on and to change, but also at the same time it’s very much acknowledging the past. The past is what puts you where you are. It was involved with the song, but I also wanted to leave some up for interpretation. There’s no set theme; I didn’t want to match it perfectly by any means. I did want something visually that could be open ended, but at the same time have meaning for me as well.
AV: Do you have a certain set of influences when you write? There are many parallels that can be drawn from your music to other artists, but is there a particular influence that has affected you more than another?
Sarah: I think at this point it is one big mesh pot of input. I grew up listening to folk music. My dad really turned me on to James Taylor and George Mitchell, so those were the staples growing up. Now it’s everything from Robyn to Harry Nilsson to Fleetwood Mac, and then back to James Taylor again. It’s hard not to be influenced by it all. There is so much out there and a lot of great music out there.
AV: Your new DVD, The Way Sound Leaves a Room, seems to be a recording of your journey through the whole process. Is that accurate?
Sarah: Yeah. We recorded the show at the Wyly Theatre, and we just compiled a lot of footage from my tour over the last year and Jon Collins put it all together and put it together beautifully. The promotional video is a snapshot of where I am right now, and I’ll just continue to move on and venture out. In the process of the new album, I was experimenting trying to play different instruments, and so it naturally sounded different because I was coming from a different perspective. In playing an instrument I’m not as comfortable with, I naturally got a different sound. This DVD is showing what has happened since Suburban Nature up until now.
AV: I won’t give away too much of it, but at the beginning and end of the DVD, there are points where it is only you on camera. You are looking into the camera. I got a feeling of loneliness or self-exploration from that. What were you hoping to convey with those still-scenes?
Sarah: I’m kind of confused as to what scenes you’re talking about, but honestly in any filming I’m not trying to convey one certain thing. I think my friend was just shooting footage of me and there was no theme or plot. I don’t know; I’m confused what you are specifically talking about.
AV: Those scenes at the very beginning and very end, in a field….
Sarah: Oh, yes. At the beginning of the album is the song “The Way Sound Leaves a Room.” That song was generally about isolating feelings. I definitely for that song wanted to capture isolation, so that was a lonely time that was intended. But at the end, my friend, Chris Phelps, just put the footage together and it was a happy accident. That one was unintended. But the title song, “The Way Sound Leaves a Room,” I definitely wanted to capture the lonely, isolating theme for sure.
AV: What is lonely about the process?
Sarah: At the time I was going through a breakup, and was going through a weird time in my head. My roommate at the time was having a very quiet conversation in the next room, and it just sounded very muffled. I remember feeling really, really isolated, but also very comforted that someone else was there. I was going through a sad time, but was also very comforted that all these things have been done before. So I tied in all these memories of me writing music in my room. I titled it “The Way Sound Leaves a Room” because I wanted to encompass what was going on. That’s where the lonely feeling comes from.
AV: Your voice is very light and airy; some would call it a “bedroom” voice. Is this a tone you strive for, or your natural delivery?
Sarah: I think it just depends on the song. I feel a lot of times there is more power in subtlety. That’s the beauty of recording. You can be as quiet or as subtle as you want. Live, I think is a little more full-throttle.
AV: The whole new album has a slow and gentle tone. Was it a decision to make the album like this, or just the nature of the songs and what fit? Are you going away from faster songs?
Sarah: No, actually I feel “A Sucker for Your Marketing” and another one I’m playing now live called “Halfway Right” are really sick beats and more upbeat. But I feel like these songs were the first handful of songs I’ve written after Suburban Nature. I think they just meshed well and made sense to me. There is no mission. It’s just how they are and how they came out.
AV: Do you have a favorite from your new album?
Sarah: Live, I really love playing “A Sucker for Your Marketing.”
AV: Would you say your songs are more a reflection of what you are going through at particular times, or do you strive for a universal message that goes across all songs?
Sarah: I would say I’ve written more in retrospect. I’ve never been one that can see things clearly in the moment, so I usually write the songs in retrospect, where I gain a little bit more clarity on the situation. I’ve probably drifted off into maybe not writing about myself or relational issues so much. I kind of want to veer away from that now. Especially with this album coming out, I have a clean slate where I can write about whatever I want. I’ve never thought about the writing process like that. I always felt I had to write from personal experience. But the simple idea that you can write about whatever you want, you can make up stories, has given me this freedom.
AV: You are an up and coming artist who has been around for a bit, but are just now beginning to receive more and more attention. How would you describe the journey that you have been on, and the process of being heard by more and more people?
Sarah: It has definitely been a slow progression. I’ve known that I wanted to play music since I was three. That is something that I have always been passionate about. Honestly, I’m really happy where I am right now. As long as I can be writing and get to travel and play in front of three people or 1000 or 2000 people or whatever. I’m really happy. I’m in a good place. It has been a slow progression; it hasn’t been an instantaneous thing. I’ve worked my ass off, and the people who work with me work their asses off. I’ve had a lot of in between jobs and I’m finally getting to the point where I can write full time, and travel full time and play shows. I feel like the years and years of weird, awkward songs are paying off. I finally get to do what I love. I really have no expectations of anything monumental. I love writing music and performing live, so there are no intentions, just want to continue what I’m doing now.
AV: You just went on tour with the Old 97’s. They are one of my personal favorites. Is there someone out there you would love to go on tour with?
Sarah: Old 97’s was definitely one of them. They are amazing guys. They have been in the business forever. They are some of the most humble, gracious group of guys that I’ve ever met. They have every right to be divas because they are badass. They’ve been doing it for about 20 years but they are genuinely amazing people. They were one of my favorites for sure. Every band I’ve ever toured with has been amazing; I’ve really lucked out. But yeah, there are a slew of bands or artists that I’d like to tour with. I’m a big Rufus Wainright fan; I love Magnetic Fields, Stephin Merritt. Yeah, there are a ton, but I feel like I’ve been pretty lucky with who I’ve toured with thus far.
AV: You said you don’t have a specific goal for your career so long as you can continue to write and perform, but is there something you want your listeners to take away from your music? Is there a particular feeling you want your audience to have as they walk away?
Sarah: There’s a certain delivery that has a universal feeling, expressing longing through a song. The fact that a song can instantly change your mood or the way you are thinking is powerful enough. I love that. I’m so lucky to be a part of that. When I listen to a song, when it is honest, I can immediately relate to it. I want to be that kind of artist as well. When you are performing and people are singing along to what you are saying… there is something really powerful about that. That’s what makes art in general so wonderful. I want people to be able to relate to what I’m saying and know that I am going to be as honest as possible and not try to be anything else. I guess it’s a matter of honesty and delivery.
Listen to Sarah Jaffe on Youtube, visit www.sarahjaffe.com and look for The Way Sound Leaves a Room on shelves September 27, 2011.
