Los Angeles has long been the epicenter of musical art and exhibition honing in places like the once coveted major label key holders such as Warner Brothers and Capitol Records or live shows at many different renowned concert venues such as the Viper Room, the Whiskey A Go Go, or the Roxy. A quick trip to Hollywood Blvd. or Sunset Strip will reveal a peppered musical mass of fans and songwriters sculpting the lines to the many LA clichés. The sidewalk stationed folk rockers fend off conformity echoing their tunes street side complete with bare feet and change filled guitar cases while a certain vintage air permeates the next block in passing with girls in oversized shades sporting a retro sass that’s chic and fragrant of the 70’s. Young bands eager to succeed sell tickets through ticket agencies, hip hop artists perch outside Virgin Megastore, CD’s in hand, offering a listen to the “the up and coming” as they quest for recognition and just blocks further The Knitting Factory funnels a stream of punks clad in leather and spiked hair into yet another night of Hollywood Rock and Roll.
The relentless drive towards a major label record contract coupled with dreams of swarming fans and Rolling Stone renown in a city that holds 14 million people is enough to unbalance the musical climate and produce a good portion of achievers playing for the wrong reasons. For all the musical saturation, life in the LA music scene begs for something real and authentic- something unaffected by the hyper clamor that is this giant music capitol of the world.
Perhaps all these realities are what make Southern California born singer/pianist, Sarah Ault shine so much. Influenced heavily by jazz greats such Ella Fitzgerald and Bille Holiday, Sarah’s ability to connect to her profound truth while unveiling a soul that is both immersive and wise is an asset that permeates through her singing and playing. Tackling topics about life, gratitude, and facing fear, Ms. Ault reveals not only a rich depth in tone, but also a tremendous depth in character.
Sarah’s life growing up helped set the foundation for what would later be her most cherished release. “I’ve been listening to music since I was really young and I have pictures of me playing the piano as a baby. Both of my parents were musicians’s who chose other occupations. There was always a piano at my house throughout my childhood as a little girl, says the singer.
Sarah took piano lessons when she was young, but later opted into guitar lessons because they were “cool” after musing a teenage boyfriend who played guitar. “I always fancied myself as a rock musician. I listened to a lot of metal growing up, had a goth phase and all of that. Then, in high school after a string of events I went back to writing and playing on the piano and realized that I am a lot softer than I thought I was,” laughs Ault.
The musical “softness” Sarah talks of is smooth and endearing in nature and manifests itself as a woman who is in touch with herself as she unfolds and unlocks her life’s journey through beckoning words and charming sounds and rhythms. Sarah’s style and lyrics radiate with a lavish style that pierce right to the heart. Her songs are welcoming in the sense that within a moments listen a connection is formed like the reuniting with a long lost best friend. It’s hard to listen to Sarah Ault and not be reminded of intimate relationships forged in the past, some still churning and some broken along the way.
“I write about broken hearts,” she says with a smirk. “My first boyfriend was very emotionally abusive to me. A lot of songs came out of truly being angry at this person for being so bad to me, yet still being so in love with him. I believe people come into your life to be your muse,” confides the singer. “Certain people bring a poetic side out of me and even if I don’t feel a certain a way about them anymore, I can still tap back into the feeling and write about them.”
So much of music today, especially in Hollywood, is synthetic and based on a contrived image with secondary lyrics and sounds.
That is where Sarah Ault solidifies her presence with an honest, ‘what you see is what you get’ feel. “I just want to make music. Ever since I was a little kid I felt like there was nothing else for me to do. When I think of not making music for my career I get a sense of anxiety I don’t ever want to feel. I live and breathe music and that is all I want to do in life.”
Sarah Ault’s EP the Dekora sessions is slated for release in April and she is also in the process of recording a full length album due out later this year.
By CHRIS HOLEHOUSE
Photo by Jen Lauren Grant
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