Sunday Diva/Three From The Hip: Sara Bareilles

Sunday Diva/Three From The Hip:

Sara Bareilles

In my own, personal, big gay church, there is a wing dedicated to Those of the Heart. These are the singers, songwriters and muses who have spent a lifetime capturing various aspects of the human condition. Frequently, due to the whims of the music industry, their lives were not always their own... but they persevered... ultimately remaining true to their roles as seers of the heart. One such soul?

Sara Bareilles

She spent her first years as an indie darling, a best kept secret. But her talent was too obvious, so the big leagues came calling.

Once she stepped into the mainstream, the industry immediately tried to tell her who she was and had to be. 

"Write me a love song," they demanded. 

And so she did. 

On her terms.

And she's lived her life and created her career that way ever since.

One wouldn't think that intelligence was something to be found in pop music, but that's exactly what this diva brings to the table; an emotional intelligence backed up with spunk and great chops.

Operating from the heart, she consistently places a bulls-eye on fleeting emotions and moments, capturing them perfectly in the process. 

Songwriting, for her, is like breathing; it comes naturally and she could not exist without it. 

And she has a lot to say. That drive, that spirit, that unending well of curiosity more than ensures her longevity. 

A more genuine person? A kinder soul?

You'd be hard pressed to find. 

Siphoning pearls from the universal human experience is something definitely in this icon's wheelhouse.

The gospel according to her?

Here are three from the hip, dropping from her lips.

The topic? Purpose

"I think I feel what a lot of people are feeling, which is a reawakening of a global consciousness, and an awareness of some of these really just primal themes that have been a part of every artistic expression since the dawn of time. Division and identity and hate and fear and love — all these things that are so alive in our social climate. I want songwriters to speak to that and not pretend they are not a very big part of what our community at large is experiencing."

"There is this epidemic of depression and anxiety, especially with young people. It’s a vulnerable time anyway, but now more than ever I feel the need to speak to these larger themes and try to parse them out a little bit and at least remind people, You’re not alone in that being a human is really hard, and we’re all trying to figure it out. You’re not alone if you’re confused or you’re fearful or you think you’ve failed in some way. We all end up in those places sometimes."

"In my perfect world there would be a nice balance. Looking through my canon of work I always have felt passionately about the female perspective. Young women are really important to me and giving them a reflection of themselves that is positive is something I’ve spent my whole career hopefully doing because it really matters to me. I want to continue that messaging, but there is a part of me that wants to speak to larger themes that transcend gender. As I’m writing for my next record, I want to go where the energy flows and don’t want anything to limit it."

Gravity - Sara Bareilles

Brave - Sara Bareilles

Fire - Sara Bareilles

And one last parting shot...

"I’m writing currently and it’s kind of one of those things where you want to press the pedal to the metal, and you don’t know where the car is going to go. I have a handful of songs that I’m proud of but still need some work, and then of course there’s the recording process. But I’m hopeful."