Thank you for taking the time to have this interview with IMAAI.
Tell us about your music.
I’m going with Alternative Americana. I tend to bounce around a lot, I can be a bit of a genre slut, but this new album has a garage-rock feel to it, with a few oddities and quirks in some part. There are some country-ish moments, some pop-punk jams, a little sweet crooning and some grimy guitars. The live show kinda depends on whether it’s solo or full band, but the essence remains the same.
When did you start performing?
I started performing 20 years ago. I secretly wanted to be a singer forever. I was an extremely shy kid though. So it wasn’t until a friend pretty much held my hand, took me to the open mic, helped me make a demo, that I realized it could be a reality for me. My fear of performing went away immediately, it just felt like I had finally found my place in the world. But I still had a lot of work to do in understanding how to become a performer, much less run a business as a musician. I went with the flow, and the flow was choppy – sometimes I got caught in an eddy – sometimes I got exhausted from swimming too hard (sometimes I swam in the wrong direction) and sometimes it all went swimmingly. Anyway, I’m still swimming now, but I’ve played I don’t know, a couple thousand shows at this point, making mistakes and having breakthroughs and learning along the way. And you know, living.
What do you consider to be your hometown and how does that affect your music?
This has been a tough question for me for quite some time. I came up in Toronto for most of the first decade of my career – about 2006 – 2016. I did some stints in the Rocky Mountains and in Montreal, but other than that I was in Toronto. I began touring more over the years and developed great friendships all over Canada. So my hometown is Toronto, but I feel at home in a lot of different places. I currently live in Austin and it feels like home. I just don’t know if I’ve lived here long enough to claim it as my home though, you know? I’m still learning how to get around, I feel like a newby in the music scene and it’s fun getting to know a new place more intimately. Terlingua, TX is also home, where I moved in 2016 and stayed for 3 years. It’s also still home.
What performers have been your inspiration?
Gram Parsons – I just loved songwriting and vibe. He had a certain mystique and even a little goofiness that I just really fell in love with. He kinda got me into the country/rock/folk sound.
Jenny Lewis – Since her old band, Rilo Kiley I’ve been a fan of her pop sensibility, kinda quirky lyrics, and plaintiff vocal sound. And she is just so cool.
Chuck Prophet – I didn’t hear Chuck Prophet much until I was recording this last album and I just fell in love with his lyrics and diverse sound. Then I saw him live this year at SXSW and he blew my mind – excellent show.
Fruitbats – I fell in love with Fruitbats in 2020 – I listened on repeat anytime I was feeling stressed or overwhelmed and it just brought me back to earth.
Beck – I saw Beck in 1995 play a solo show in Toronto, right around the time when “Where it’s at” came out. It was just him on guitar with a drum machine and it was so great. We all sat cross-legged on the floor. I was just a kid. Next time I saw him was 2005 at Bonnaroo (with his full band) and it was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen – complete with a puppet show and a choreographed routine where the whole band pretended to eat dinner and used their utensils as percussion. It was fun and weird and perfect.
Patrick Watson – I saw Patrick Watson at Montreal Jazz fest in 2009 and it was incredible – a very ambitious show with lots of bells and whistles, but mostly he is a captivating performer himself.
What do you base your success on?
I think the fact that I see music as just as much a trade as it is an art. At least for me. I know how to make a living by performing so I just need to go out and get enough work. Just like I love different genres, I love playing different kinds of shows. The show you see me play in a seated theatre, vs the show in a dive bar, vs a festival show…they’re all going to dictate a different kind of performance. I love fitting into the puzzle that a space provides.
What was your latest musical release?
I just released a new album called 64 Magic Queens. The story of this album centers mainly around an overseas long-distance relationship – one that eventually came to an end, in part because of the global pandemic. There are a few songs that came from a time before this story starts, but they fit in so well, almost like foreshadowing to the story, that I had to include them here.
Do you have any news to share?
I’m really excited about this release! I will also be releasing a video soon to go with the lead single “I hate goodbyes.” I just hope people get a chance to listen and enjoy this music.
How can fans find you?
sarahburton.bandcamp.com/album/64-magic-queens
www.sarahburton.ca/
hype.co/@sarahburtonshow
www.instagram.com/sarahburtonshow/
www.facebook.com/sarahburtonshow
Lastly, please share some final words with the fans.
Life is short! Fill it with good times, good people and good music!