SARAS: Late Bloomer

SARAS is a professional songwriter and independent artist. She recently released her debut EP, Late Bloomer. The album is accessible through Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music and others.

Her Investing was born after I spent almost a decade working in the finance industry to have only realized that life offers so much more textures than just hitting key milestones and checking off list. Instead of living in the moment, I placed happiness in the future and wished my life away. In late 2018, I decided to take a solo trip to Lofoten, Norway. This was a trip that I had anticipated for a long time. The goal for this trip was clear, under the instructions of a professional photographer, I would capture beautiful moments of sunrise and sunset. If I get lucky, I would see waves of dancing lights of aurora borealis. After many days in Lofoten chasing the serenity and beauty of fleeting moments that are so raw yet so liberating, it opened the door for me to imagine living a life that is original and authentic. It was during this trip that I met SARAS, an emerging artist who was on her way to Norway to embark on her music career.

I’m so grateful for SARAS opening herself and sharing her story. Through her journey, I’m reminded once again that there are so many ways of living life. Unlike building financial models, there is no formula or template that gives you the right answer. It’s about knowing who you are and what makes you happy, and ultimately finding a path that allows you to unleash your potential.

SARAS’ journey to becoming a professional artist hasn’t been easy. She struggled and questioned herself along the way. Through all these challenges, she found the courage to share with the world her talents. But most importantly, she found herself. 

SARAS’ latest EP: Late Bloomer

Can you tell us what you do related to music?

I’m an artist and a songwriter. I play different roles depending on whether I’m working for myself or helping someone else tell their stories. I consider myself a music creator and a storyteller.

How did you get into music?  

There is how I got into music and then there is how I got into the music business.

I started singing very young, my parents couldn’t shut me up. My parents would play music around the house all the time, and I was always listening to great vocalists and bands. I would constantly sing along to every song in the radio. I didn’t really know what I was doing, I just knew I liked to open my mouth and sing. In elementary school, I moved around a lot and had a lonely childhood. When I didn’t have friends to play with, I would sing songs to myself and make up stories that I wanted to believe in. I remember spending a lot of time mimicking, be it Christina Aguilera’s riff or Celine Dion songs.

When I started getting older, I tried to tell my own story through music. I have never considered doing anything else outside of music. When you are told you are good at something so young, and you know you are good at it, that’s just kind of it.

But how I got into the music business was a different story. Even though singing was innate for me, it took me a lot longer to figure this out as a career and as something I can confidently go after. Getting into the industry was a lot more challenging because I had a lot of anxieties that held me back from my music goals for a long time. I was navigating the world as somebody who was looking for validation from others. I just wasn’t in the right headspace for creating the music I could feel. It took a lot of growth as a person to be able to create music that I felt comfortable sharing.

I had a couple mentors along the way that I reached out for help. One of them is Drew Lawrence, a songwriter and piano coach. He encouraged my songwriting and took the time to go through the songs with me, which led me to finding my own way. Several years ago, I was accepted to the Lillehammer Institute of Music Production and Industries (aka LIMPI), a music program in Norway, and that was a real jumping off point for me.

What was the mind frame you were in when you decided that this is what you wanted to pursue?

I was in a place of desperation and had hit the bottom of barrel. I was at a point where I had been looking at my life through the lens of other people. I was trying to build my life through relationships with other people and thinking that it would give me the confidence to do what I wanted to do. I believed in other people’s beliefs more than my own, and I looked for romantic relationships as well as friendships to fill the void. I practically looked for any connection I could find that would tell me who I was, because I did not want to look closely enough at myself to know who I was, even though I knew what I could offer to the world. I did not have the confidence nor the drive to push myself because I was so focused on somebody else’s viewpoint.

When I finally got to the bone breaking point of looking at what I wanted to be in my life, I was so scared to go after it because of conventions of the music industry. I was thinking to myself: I’m the black sheep failure, nobody would like what I have to say, nobody would care.

I knew I had to push past that, and the only way I knew how was just keep going. I remember having conversations with people I love about pursuing a career in music, it drove me into a panic mode. I had all these questions that I didn’t have answers for: is this the right choice for me? is this worth the time and money? should I do something safer? I looked at those questions and it really came down to the core – I had to accept who I am. Who I am is somebody that is wildly emotional, somebody that is visually and musically driven. I decided to lean into these “bad parts” of me as a fuel. That’s kind of how I broke into it.

“Inspirations come from all different areas of life, there is no cap on what we can create.”

What was the very first piece of music you created?

My parents sent me to a band camp in sixth grade. Everybody had a role in this local music program. I was the vocalist and one of the writers. There were four or five of us and we were 10 or 11 years old, we got together and wrote a song. It’s called Manhattan Skyline. I remember the chorus line was “I’m as broken as a Manhattan skyline.” I thought that was the most poetic thing that ever happened.

How would you describe the music you create?

I put my music under the category of pop. I think in today’s world, pop could mean so many different things. It’s such a blending of genres. I don’t like to define my music as anything specifically because I think everything I have ever listened to, and everything I’m drawn to, form the backbone of what I make, which could mean so many different things. For example, I grew up listening to Motown, Madonna, Celine Dion. These artists have all influenced my ear and what I make now. I think everybody just have their own unique language of how we hear melody and how we sing it.

Who and what inspired you to make music?

I get inspirations from everything. I know it’s very vague but it’s so true. When I write songs, I’m usually telling my own stories, so it’s very personal to me. Because music is so multi-layered, it can really come from anywhere and anything. I think I’m a poetic songwriter, and I like to pull from different textures in my life. I pull a lot from memories – I try to remember how I sit in the room, how the fabric under my fingers feels, how the light hits certain way, and I dive into those things. I can also be watching a movie or hearing people talking in a cafe, somebody can say something in a clever way, and these become inspirations that lead me down to a thought process.

For example, I heard alarm going off the other day at the same time the toaster was clicking. The rhythm hit in almost a perfect parallel, but just a little bit off. It really inspired me and gave me an idea for a song that I was working on. This is all to say that you never know where and when something is going to come up and strike you.

The biggest thing as an artist is to keep your mind open. Let things come in and let yourself experience it.

What is your creative process like?

My creative process changes all the time, but always starts with something that triggers me in some way. When I initially think of a song idea, it usually comes from the wild. Either the lyric comes to me first, or the lyric and melody come to me the same time, and I will voice memo it. If I’m not near piano or guitar, I will just record it on my phone, write it down in whatever form it came in and save for later. Sometimes I like to sit by the piano and doodle around to build an idea from scratch.

This process looks very different when I’m in the studio with people. When I’m in the studio with people, we are usually sitting down to talk and really dig in. Writing session becomes a therapy in a way. You get to just sit and say whatever comes to mind. I don’t always know what we will make and what we will say, because every person in that room has equal experience and a lot of things to offer. Collaboration is a huge part of what I make. I like to lean on producers and musicians to create new songs. But the seed of idea usually starts with me in the room and the voice memo.

People don’t understand how much it takes as an artist and creator. It takes a lot of growth to make right things. It’s a mix of letting ideas coming out organically and marinating on them. On some days still, I don’t feel inspired. Even on those days, I remember to stay open and ready for whatever could come my way. I think this journey has really changed the way I experience life. 

If you could collaborate with any artist, who would that be and why?

There are so many people I’m excited to collaborate with one day. I’m just going to say excited to instead of hope to because I’m going to wish it into existence! There are people like Billy Joel, Elton John and others who I grew up listening to and learning from. When I was growing up, Sara Bareilles’ way with words would always crack me wide open. Then there are newer talents like Jacob Collier, who curates music in a way that I really admire. There are also people who I’m artistically inspired by – people who really push their own creativity and their own selves to the limit for art.

As an artist, it is about the music, but also about the kind of art we make. I want to find a bridge for both.

Do you sing in the shower? What songs?

I hope more people take advantage of singing in the shower because there is something very freeing about opening your mouth and allowing yourself to hear your own voice. Acoustics in shower is great and you are all alone, nobody cares. I personally don’t sing in the shower too often because I’m constantly singing everywhere. When I do, I usually go back to old favorites, like Summertime and Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Songs that have always made me feel at home and safe.

What would you be doing right now if it wasn’t for your music career?

I don’t know what I would be doing if music wasn’t an option, but I do know it will be something creative and helping others. I have always been drawn to working with kids and fashion. There is a part of my brain that likes order and accomplishment. I think there are two different ways in which we exist. Those who live to eat or eat to live. Same can be said to work. If I want to work to live, I would have a job like that where I just clock in every day, answer my emails and do my things, then experience life when I’m off the clock. But I really think I’m the kind of person who is not motivated unless I’m personally invested in something. So even though I could do a great job, I won’t do it unless I care. I want to be fully invested and give my whole self to a career. I can’t imagine a world where I just do things for money and existence. It just doesn’t work.

It’s important to say that I recognize the privilege I have coming from a background where I get a lot of support from my family. Still I’m working multiple jobs at a time and making my way through the world. I knew in the back of my mind that I always have a family I could lean on, that I always have a home to return to. It’s important to recognize that I have a lot of room to explore, fail and grow because I have the safe foundation. Not everyone does, and I’m grateful to have that.

What is your favorite venue to perform?

I just performed at a venue that I had been looking forward to performing since I moved to LA, which was a very big step for me. It’s called Moroccan Lounge. I have seen so many artists that I admire performed there, so having the chance to be there means a lot to me.

What is your favorite song to perform?

My favorite released song to perform is Fucks to Give. This song is fun and gets people out of their comfort zone. There is a little bit in the end where I get people to sing along, screaming back at me. I think it’s very liberating and I want everybody to feel that – the liberation of letting go.

Do you get nervous before getting on the stage?

Yes and no. I used to have very crippling stage fright. Every time I got on the stage, I would get this immediate rush of adrenaline that would take over my whole body. Even though I looked completely normal outside, but inside I was panicking. Now that I like myself, I don’t get stage fright anymore. I get good kind of nerves and it’s more about the hope that everything goes right during the performance. So many things can go wrong in live music. But I don’t get nervous in a way that I used to.

What is one message you would give to your fans?

Find the things that make you happy, no matter what it is. I looked for very long time for other people to fill me up and as a result, I got swept up in so many different directions. Finally, I slowed down and searched my soul – who am I, what do I enjoy, what brings me happiness, what fills me up. Once I figured out who I am, my world started filling with people who hold the same morals and values.

There is no right way of living life. Follow your dreams and move in those directions. At the end of the day, it’s all about intentions.

What is the best advice you have given?

The best advice I got is this: the way someone treats you is more of a reflection of them, than it is of you. As someone who took everything personally, whenever something happens, I would immediately go: what did I do wrong, what can I do better, what can I do to make you like me. It was always on me. I finally realized through those words and my own experiences that people are seeing the world through their own lenses and experiences, let’s not take it personally. That was truly the best advice that has freed me and changed my life.

What’s next?

Inspirations come from all different areas of life, there is no cap on what we can create. My dream life is to be able to tour the world for my music and putting my artistic hand on other people’s work. Maybe one day, I would like to go back to my musical theater root and write a musical. I would love to help other coming artists to find themselves and their stories.

Life is very long; I don’t know what else is out there. But if I just keep following things that make me happy, they will lead the path for me.