Sarah Carey has finally released her debut EP via Wolf Town DIY. The Birmingham-based artist also runs Not Cool DIY which puts on some of the best shows in the Midlands. We had a chat to Sarah about the new EP which can be streamed at the bottom of this article!
First off, how was it supporting Koji and Bob Nanna?!
I really enjoyed it! It was particularly stressful as it was probably the most important gig I’ve done in all my time playing live shows. But everyone was very supportive and attentive, and that’s really encouraging to see. Koji and Bob Nanna are influential to me in their own right, so having the chance to play with them was a dream come true. Both of their sets were brilliant and thoroughly engaging; they really set the bar high when it comes to their music and their performance too.
Do you want to describe the EP a bit?
The EP is basically a very personal narrative of my first year and a half living in Birmingham. The songs comprise some common anxieties a lot of university students face when they leave home and are faced with difficult decisions about their future. They also touch upon everything from difficult relationships to depression and bereavement, all of which I’ve been unfortunate enough to encounter in the time I have spent here. I guess in a lot of ways it could be considered self-indulgent, but the songs on the EP offered a kind of cathartic release for me, especially at the time of writing them. I think that honesty is something that no musician or artist should be afraid to hide from people who might listen to their music or engage with their work in any way. I hope that whoever listens to my music doesn’t feel alone if they share similar concerns.
What are your main influences?
My influences are all over the place! I love everything from folk music to screamo. Some of my favourite bands include Brand New, Into It. Over It., Brave Bird, Cøllege, Johnny Foreigner, The Xcerts, Los Campesinos and tonnes more. I think the EP kind of captures my love of punk and emo, as well as the folk side of things that I grew up with.
How are you juggling doing the music and all of your work for Not Cool?
Honestly, I don’t really think about it all that much. Anything music related takes priority in my life; regardless of the impact it might have on other areas of it. I think the main problem is juggling putting on shows with uni work and academic commitments. I can’t see a version of myself that would ever not want to put on shows because it gives me so much satisfaction to be part of the music community here. Having said that though, Facebook isn’t exactly making it easy for artists and labels at the minute in regard to reach. That’s something that’s really frustrating as it is pretty much the main way that we can get information to the right people in such a competitive arena.
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