Los Angeles has long been a hub for musical art, honing in places like the once coveted major label key holders such as Warner Brothers and Capitol Records, as well as the live shows at many different renowned concert venues such as the Viper Room, the Whiskey A Go Go, and 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 L.A. 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 1970s.
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. Just blocks further down, 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 L.A. music scene begs for something real and authentic- something unaffected by the hyper clamor that is this giant music capitol of the world. From this setting comes a diamond in the rough—Sarah Ault.
Influenced heavily by jazz greats such as Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, Southern California born singer/pianist, Sarah Ault has the unique ability to connect to a musical truth 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 of character.
Her upbringing set the foundation for her to become a musician. “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 who chose other occupations. There was always a piano at my house throughout my childhood as a little girl” says the singer.
She took piano lessons when she was young, but later opted into guitar lessons because she admired her 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” Ms. Ault 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. Her style and lyrics radiate with a lavish delivery that pierces right to the heart. Her songs are welcoming. 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.”
Speaking of her future aspirations, she says “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.
To hear a sample, visit www.myspace.com/sarahault
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