“Most of us are artists because we feel a lot, probably too much, but I think that's our biggest strength–we have a capacity to feel for so many different people,” says Sara Phillips as our conversation about her music veers into an impactful tangent covering everything from LGBTQ rights, reproductive rights, and racial equality. All matters she speaks on with compassion and authority.
The LA-based, Montreal-born singer-songwriter started doing fundraisers during the pandemic on IG live, an idea she integrated into web3 by donating 10% of the majority of her drops to various non-profits. “The Trevor Project is one organization that I've worked with before, they do incredible work for the LGBTQ community. I identify as part of that community and have a lot of people I love who are a part of that community,” says Sara. “We've come far in a lot of ways, but there's also a lot that still needs to be done, and a lot of people who really struggle and a lot of people who need help. I think it's easy to get in a bubble in progressive places where it feels queer friendly, but that's not the majority. It's really important work what they do with crisis and suicide prevention.”
When talking with Sara, her warmth is palpable and her capacity for empathy makes her incredibly easy to connect with. It’s her authentic ability to speak to the heart of things that makes her music and her voice so powerful. And as a bi-racial, queer woman, her voice is needed more than ever.
With nearly 400,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and 518 collectors on Sound, it's clear her music resonates. An active member in the web3 community since 2021, Sara is fostering a meaningful relationship with her audience through her undeniable talent and steadfast pursuit of her lifelong love for music. “I’ve always been a really big music fan. As a kid I listened to music all the time. Never thought I would sing or do music professionally. I didn't really think that was a career. In my town, I didn't know anyone who was an artist,” says Sara. “I played the flute in the school band, and then got a guitar when I was 16. My sister's boyfriend at the time taught me some chords, and I would lock myself in my room and play for like six hours at a time learning cover song after cover song.”
Beginning to write her own songs, she took up piano and eventually began posting covers online. “Any free time I had, that's what I was doing,” says Sara. “People started to like them, and that kind of gave me the confidence to keep doing it.”
After college in Canada she moved to New York with dreams of being an artist in the big city. “I didn't really know anybody. I just went and started gigging anywhere I could. I would go to places and be like, ‘Can I play a show here?’ I just started booking gigs and working whenever I could. I worked under the table as a bartender to make it work.”
The concrete jungle afforded her the space to thrive, an experience she describes as liberating. “I think in a way that was empowering, the fact that no one knew me. It was easier to set up my life there and not feel shy about being an artist.”
After releasing her first original song on iTunes, artists and producers began reaching out asking to collaborate, eventually leading her to LA. “I didn't know if I would feel as inspired in LA because New York just feels so alive with art and creativity. I came out for a couple of weeks and did some sessions, and I was like, ‘Oh, this kind of feels like where I could be.’ I moved for the summer–my plan was not to stay, but then I stayed,” says Sara. “It felt a little more structured, which after a few years of floating around in New York was what I needed.”
Her time here since has been a mixed bag, one that’s been ultimately positive but not without its challenges. “I didn't think I would love LA as much as I ended up loving it, even though my new song is about hating LA,” she laughs.
“Angel City,” track #2 on HIGH FREQUENCY Volume 2, paints a gloomier picture of the LA experience. Offering an honest rumination on the disillusionment of romanticizing pursuing an artist career in LA, Sara notes fair weather friends, vapid parties, FOMO and other soul-killing agents as causes of metaphorical death in the City of Angels.
Fully produced, written, and performed by Sara, the track’s minimal, moody, synth-laden beat shows off her blossoming production skills while her inviting vocals let her clever lyricism take center stage. “I've been getting more into production,” says Sara. “This one I did 100% by myself. I’ll be dropping it on DSPs as well, and it'll be the first song of mine on DSPs that I've both produced and written. I'm a little nervous, but very excited for that. I've done vocal production for a long time, but am still new to beat production. My LNRZ drop, “I don’t feel like dancing anymore,” was the first song I ever produced, and that was only a few months ago. I'm trying to get a little bit better as I go.”
Coming together over the course of a few months, “Angel City” is the marriage of two separate ideas that found their way to each other. “I had this idea for a really long time and had some of the lyrics but no melody. When I started this beat, I didn't go into it thinking it was for “Angel City,” but once I had most of the production fleshed out, I was like, ‘It kind of feels like driving through LA.’ Now that it's all together, it’s a perfect fit. Sometimes that happens, you have ideas swirling and then something new happens and they kind of marry each other.”
Her patience paid off. Tasteful and relaxed, the production choices feel appropriately introspective and comforting, indeed, perfect for soothing the often lonely journey she describes. “Everybody’s dying here, that’s why they call it Angel City. Everybody’s lying here, my god they make it look so pretty,” she sings, later offering a particularly relatable line: “I’m sick of the parties, but I still want to be invited.” A likely experience for anyone chasing success in Lalaland, Sara’s no stranger to this feeling. “It’s the dichotomy of being tired of it, but also wanting to still be a part of it,” says Sara. “You're still caught in the middle, not completely over it, frustrated and kind of jaded by it, but you still have this need or feel this pressure to show up because you feel like if you don't go, you're missing out, or they'll stop asking you.”
Luckily, finding web3 has alleviated some of the sentiment. “Through web3 I've made a lot more artist friends than I have in LA,” says Sara with a laugh. “The freshness of web3, I think, made a lot of people excited about their craft and about music again. At least it did for me. It's also a testament to people wanting to collaborate. It feels reinvigorated and way more exciting than the traditional space lately.”
Currently in album mode, Sara is hard at work on her first full-length effort, an endeavor she’s been eager to undertake for years. "I am an album girlie through and through. I think a lot of real music fans are album people, too. I just think streaming has not lent itself to that, so people's habits have changed. But I love a story and a cohesive project from beginning to end. That's why I've always wanted to do one. I’ve put out a few EPs, but never a full-length project. So that is coming next year. We're working on everything for it now. I'm very, very excited about that.”
In the meantime, Sara’s been impressively active with one off releases, collaborations, and live shows. Her LNRZ drop, “I don’t feel like dancing anymore,” racked up 1,5000 mints while her single “House On Fire” brought in 500 mints on Sound, and she’s collaborated with artists such as VALÉ, Tarot, Caly Bevier, Daniel Allan, Lucas Radouch, YULTRON, ONEIL, and Giorgio Gee. “It's been my highest year for streaming, which is kind of interesting. Keeping consistent is something I'll take forward, and try to do even as I get the album ready.”
Building momentum and making meaningful connections along the way, there’s no doubt that great things are ahead for Sara. As we eagerly await her next era, and a debut album that is sure to make waves, we’ll try to leave the fomo behind and get a good cry in the car to “Angel City,” instead.
****
Collect Music NFTs from HIGH FREQUENCY Volume 2. “Angel City” is the second track to be released from HIGH FREQUENCY Volume 2. “Angel City” is dropping via Sound at 2pm PST on October 5, 2023.
Collect and add HIGH FREQUENCY writing NFTs to your digital library.
Article by Wallace Morgan for HIGH FREQUENCY, NOISE’s weekly newsletter. Subscribe for more.