A week before the official release of her new album, The Healing, Sarah De Vallière hosted a listening/release party at Tones Studios in Rochester, for fans who booked a spot, which turned out to be close to 60.
In collaboration with Tones Studios, where De Vallière recorded vocals, fans were able to listen to the new album, chat with the talented artist, as well as tour the three floor studio.
Born in Rhode Island and living in Rochester, Sarah has been passionate about music for most of her life, starting with piano at age 3, and eventually graduating from Berklee College of Music. Like many artists, she uses personal experience in her song writing and as well as topics she is passionate about.
Between listening sessions, I had a chance to sit with Sarah for a few questions.
Jamie Mohr: The first time I discovered you, you were portraying Pat Benatar. There is big difference in music between that and this album, which is very good by the way. Do you have any aspirations or ambition do more of that kind of music?
Sarah De Vallière: No at the moment, that doesn’t mean I would totally rule it out. I was in relatively popular local band 80s called the M-80s (as the keyboardist) but would do a bunch of female songs and I enjoy it, I do enjoy it. I’m very passionate about telling stories and for me music is a way that I do that. I originally had an interest in being a filmmaker, as I’m writing and being an author…. And actually, I really like writing music, and studied film scoring, and now I’m back to song writing. Long story short, I really have a passion for telling stories and telling my own story, as well as telling the story of others. Telling stories, that are not told as often. I have deep respect for people who do tributes and that kind of thing. I have deep respect for Pat Benatar, obviously. I want to first work on telling my own story, before I try to emulate a story of someone else.
JM: You mentioned that this is the first music/album that is truly you.
SD: Yes, it’s the fullest expression of me.
JM: The new music seems to have some deep meanings. Is this spiritual or religious based?
SD: Maybe Spiritual, I am not religious, although I did grow up in very religious household. So, even when I’m kind of making remarks, a lot of times that does kind of make its way into my story telling. That religious feeling probably comes from that one song in particular, “St Anne”, which is actually about Leonardo DaVinci, and it’s really about his art, and most of his art was religious themed…. I do have an interest in religious figures. I find them, from a historical perspective and storytelling perspective, very interesting. But usually when you really look into what I’m saying, its fairly contrary to what most religious people would want me to think…It is something I do think about a lot.
JM: First track, “Goddess of The River”…is there a story behind or more a life lesson?
SD: It’s a actually a true story of the extinction of the Chinese River Dolphin. They went extinct roughly around 2016… I had in interest in writing stories to kind of honor these lost species…I felt very connected to the idea of the species is lost but we can learn something from it. Yes its’s too late for this species to be able to ever come back, but perhaps in remembering its story and thinking of what it meant to the area where it is from, we can kind have resolve to do something about it and save what is still left. “Its’s never too late to fail, its never too late to mend” …In a way we failed that species, but we can take that story and feel empowered to do something about it.
JM: One last question. You sat there for 45 minutes or so, what is it like to sit there and listen to your own album it its entirety?
SD: It’s not as difficult as I thought it would be. I thought it would be gut wrenchingly terrible…. this is the first thing I’ve put out that I feel is truly me and because of that, it is a little weird, but I feel good. I feel like I’m looking in the mirror. When you look in the mirror, you notice all the flaws, and you’re like “I wish that or that” At the end of the day, you know, I like my music. You look good, you did a good job, you like nice today, you look beautiful. And I’m happy that I can share my true self with people.
JM: Like a gentleman said in there, be proud of this. It’s a great album, super mellow and chill but has very powerful meanings behind each song, which people will talk about.
The Healing is out June 7. Follow along on Facebook or Sarah De Vallière for shows including September 26 at Iron Smoke Distillery
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