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NOTES FROM SARAH KICKSTARTER PROJECT: Everything you always wanted to know but were afraid to ask... 6/28/10 In a world, where independent singer-songwriters are getting silenced one by one by corporate music-making-machinery.... where evil record executives are drinking Cristal purchased with the shattered dreams of independent musicians.... where every other song on the radio is the new Katy Perry single... Curious? THIS VIDEO reveals the top-secret mission I have undertaken! *** I shall now answer some of the many Frequently Asked Questions that everyone has been asking me. I know this whole thing can be confusing. If you're confused, read on! -Q: Sarah Tracey, you're already on a record label. Why do you need to raise this money? -Q: Sarah Tracey, if I contribute to your cause, what's in it for me? -Q: I want to pledge, but I won't get my next paycheck til next Friday... can I just do it then? -Q: I only can pledge $5, so I'm thinking I won't bother. $5 doesn't matter does it? -Q: I can't contribute any money at all, how else can I help? -Q: Sarah Tracey, if you raise $3,999 do you still get to keep it? -Q: Sarah Tracey, if this mission fails, what will you do? I hope these answers cleared up any confusion... feel free to message me if you have a question! Okay, so are you ready to pledge? Here you go: Sarah Tracey Saves The Universe on Kickstarter SUPER-SPIES UNITE!!!
KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED!... 6/1/10 Ah, we're finally launched and live! If you're wondering what on Earth I'm talking about, see my previous blog post or click on the widget below...
I'm a lot excited and a little scared... I really hope and pray I get the support I need to make this project a success! But, most things in life that are worthwhile involve taking a risk, a leap of faith- so here I go! It's been so much work already just to launch the project- and I wouldn't have been able to even do that without a lot of help. Hats off to Natalie Berning for writing, producing and directing a killer promo video; to my friends Jewel Elizabeth, Stephanie Klasa, Scott Takenaka, Joseph Sangiovanni, and Jim Glaub for donating some awesome prizes; Robyn Roberts for her content-editing advice and feedback, and Roger Wingfield for the spy-girl photo shoot. I'm just really hopeful and excited that this is gonna fly after all the love I've put into it. Stay tuned! Happy Birthday to Me! A birthday wish, and an exciting new project... 5/11/10 It's been a fun and eventful year for me since releasing my EP 'Cards On The Table' last spring! The response has blown me away- so many new friends on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter supporting me, and new faces at my shows. What's been really fun is watching those 6 little songs work their way into the world: they've been gigged all over town, they've been the backdrop to wine and chocolate tastings, they've been taken home in the gift bags of glitzy-glam soirees, they've been adopted by burlesque divas... Hopefully they have made their way into many of your hearts and homes (and I suppose your blogs and iPods too!) It's time to now take the next step and make a full-length album! You want it, so I shall give it to you... with your help! The days of the all-powerful Major Record Labels with their multi-million-dollar production budgets and promo campaigns are fading fast... which is actually wonderful news for artists like me who aren't easily pigeonholed into one specific genre or demographic, and have authentic music to offer- not just marketing appeal. Now the fans (that would be you) can directly support their favorite artists (hopefully me!), we'll give you the music that you love, and everybody wins ;-) It's a new world and we're still defining the rules. Thrilling! However, making quality recordings is still an expensive endeavor, and I've committed to making this new album without the support of a corporate conglomerate calling the shots- but rather with the help of a great new independent label that believes in my vision of the music I want to make. They're giving me an AMAZING head start: they have offered to finance ALL the studio time, production, engineering, mixing, and mastering of the record- 90% of what goes into the final product. Yes, I'm a lucky girl! 'THEN WHY does Sarah Tracey need my support?' you're probably thinking... (and maybe, 'WHY did she make me read a virtual novella about this?' Because, seeing as how we're about to become business partners, you need the background on how we got here and where we're going!) Here's the deal: some expenses are left to me- like paying my band, shooting the album cover, hiring a designer to create the artwork, a re-design and re-launch of my website, the duplication of physical CDs (and, my dream for this project- vinyl), and a promotional campaign to give the record the push it needs to be a success. Whew. Overwhelming. SO, I need your help. And that is why I am partnering with a wonderful company called Kickstarter to raise the funds. Starting on JUNE 1st, I will attempt to raise $4000 in 30 days from the generosity of all of you. I would never expect something for nothing though--- for every level you pledge I am offering up delicious prizes! Pledges can be anywhere from $5-$5000... and, depending on your pledge, you'll be rewarded with everything from copies of the finished album to bottles of limited-edition 'Que Sarah Syrah' wine; to burlesque dancing lessons from NYC's hottest all-girl burlesque troupe THE HOT BOXES... I'm offering private wine and spirit tastings led by experts, and a romantic dinner for two at one of Manhattan's most charming wine bars... would you like your own private chef preparing a gourmet, multi-course dinner for 6 in your home, complete with wine pairings for every course? I've got that for you too! I'll bake you brownies, make you mix cds of some of my favorite music, and send you awesome obscure vintage books. I'll play a house concert for you, or sing at your cousin's bar mitzvah, or write a song to help you propose to your beloved! I will do whatever it takes to make this happen, because- here’s the catch- the project will ONLY be funded if I meet my fundraising goal. If we don't hit my goal by my deadline, no one is charged anything, no prizes go out, and I pack up and move to North Dakota and get a job in a diner somewhere...... Just kidding. Anyway, this is risky I know, but I believe in us and I KNOW we can do it! Thanks in advance for helping me make this happen. Love, Sarah
Oh, 2009... once you were mine... 1/6/10 I like to end the year not with making resolutions per se (I do that on my birthday in May), but with giving thanks for the blessings I have received over the past 12 months--- and perhaps even more importantly, giving thanks that I made it through the tough times that are inevitably a part of life. (God I'm philosophical today....) All in all, it was a very good year- there were challenges but I feel like I came out of it stronger, more resolved, and more focused than ever. Just for the books: In 2009 I released my second EP (the first with my current label, Modern Vintage); made my first music video; wrote my first full-length album (in production now, due Fall 2010!); had big exciting shows at the Bitter End, the Canal Room, Joe's Pub, Southpaw, and Ella; tired to learn Twitter (work in progress); saw my picture splashed up all over the InterWeb (iTunes, Amazon, lots of blogs, and all those fun milestones). I enjoyed being 'tri-coastal'- spending plenty of time in my 3 spiritual homes: New York, Chicago, and southern California. I toured the Northeast US with my side project (New York's Premiere Girl-Group Tribute Band, The Chiclettes) and made my Atlantic City debut with them, channelling Ronnie Specter at Caesar's Palace. Legendary moments! It was the year where I actually finished my summer reading list (better late than never), the year that gave us killer albums I love from Dirty Projectors and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the year of the best Mad Men season yet. I remember the time I baked 8 dozen red velvet cupcakes to bring to a gig, and one of my favorite birthdays ever, celebrated with all my friends on a Brooklyn rooftop, with the most incredible margaritas and Mexican food. In 2009 I made a truly excellent egg sandwich with avocado, eaten on a terrace with the most amazing company in San Diego. I remember watching Gold Diggers of 1933 under the stars in Bryant Park. Eating fried oysters in Montauk. Spontaneous dance parties started in the strangest places (the living room of 51 Leroy St., the most awkward bar in the Lower East Side or maybe anywhere, around a campfire somewhere in the Catskills). Jam sessions in front of various fireplaces (sometimes with a glass of DiSaronno, sometimes a bottle of Johnny Black, sometimes a snifter of grappa, but always a ball). Who could forget the time my friends and I got stranded at a club in Hollywood when our car mysteriously vanished? (Well, it was a slight improvement over 2007 when we got stranded in a remote Mexican village when our car mysteriously vanished.) In 2009 I drank some amazing wine and I hosted my first Thanksgiving dinner with delicious results and was reminded time and again that I have the most wonderful friends and family in the universe. Which is really the most important thing. So, 2009 thank you, and goodnight.
Les Feuilles Mortes... 10/17 I realize I am long overdue for an update here. The last couple months I have committed myself to attempting to learn the finer points of Twitter, and all my other social media... but there's nothing quite like sitting down and writing a detailed missive to my fans. Feels like writing a letter to an old friend; which I much prefer. (As you can probably guess, I have quite a collection of very elegant stationery and can easily spend a whole afternoon at Kate's Paperie...) Anyway, I have been a busy bee so far this fall! I failed at my summer reading project in case any of you were wondering (see last note) although I did make it through about 70% of my list by the deadline. I have also been writing my full-length album which is about to go into production with Eshy Gazit and Patrick Ermlich at the helm, and also working with Ruth Du (music-video auteur extraordinaire) on putting the finishing touches on the video for 'This Plum', which will debut next month. If any of you would like to come to the New York Premiere (which is looking like it will be quite the party!) please see the 'Live' page for details. I'd love to see my old fans there and also meet those of you who are new! I am very proud of the video and can't wait to share it with all of you. I just returned from a BEAUTIFUL country weekend upstate... we ate lots of Honeycrisp apples (which I have dubbed the 'It Apple') smothered in caramel sauce, pumpkin muffins, and lots of red wine in front of a roaring fire. The colors of the leaves were SPECTACULAR and reminded me all over again why fall is my favorite. So, I will leave you with this, my friends, in the spirit of the season.
Hot Town... 07/07 Hello Gorgeous! I figured it was high time I gave an update in this here forum of mine. It's been a very very busy past few months for me, as we have quietly released my EP... it gave me so much pride to see it on Amazon, CdBaby, and iTunes (all that would like to contribute a review, I'd absolutely love to read your thoughts!) I've been all around NYC gigging it live, I've been on some blogs and such, and I really want to thank everyone at my label, Modern Vintage Recordings, for all their commitment and hard work getting it out there! It's been amazing to get so many words of encouragement and praise from all my new friends on MySpace, Facebook, PureVolume and all the other sites that have been hosting my songs. I'm really so grateful for everybody's support and enthusiasm. Right now plans are in full swing to shoot my first music video (for 'This Plum') at the end of the month. We will soon begin pre-production for my next batch of recordings (working title: Cards On The Table: Part Deux), and stay tuned for the release of a very cool live in-studio video session that I shot a few weeks ago that's quite raw and unplugged as part of a new series called 'The Stripped Sessions'. Calm down--- nobody takes off their clothes ;-) Anyway, it's an exciting time and THANK YOU all for being part of this voyage with me. On a personal note, June was disappointing for me in one regard: the constant rain! I love stormy days when writing songs, don't get me wrong--- but I had a vision for this summer. I bought an ADORABLE little retro-style beach cruiser bicycle. It's red and sparkly with sparkly red rims and painted with white flowers. I had visions of myself zipping around NYC like the heroine of a Jacques Demy film, in a cute little sundress and scarf, the bike's cute little basket filled with fresh flowers, baguettes, a wheel of cheese and a bottle or two of wine... (cue the Michel Legrand soundtrack!) on the way to a lovely riverside picnic... or maybe a chamber music concert in the park... However, as we had only four days of sunshine these visions were quickly scuttled. Instead I decided to take on a daunting weatherproof task: I'm an avid reader but have the odd habit of buying books all the time, way more books than I actually take time to read. I vowed to read every last book on my night-table by Memorial Day. Think I can make it??? I'm posting the list below. Happy Summer everyone! Sarah Tracey's Summer Reading List: Dreams of Dead Women's Handbags, Shena McKay I Put A Spell On You: The Autobiography of Nina Simone The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy Farewell My Lovely, Raymond Chandler The Bolter, Francis Osborne Wonderful Tonight, Pattie Boyd The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Steig Larsson Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh Kissing In Manhattan, David Schickler Swann's Way, Marcel Proust Perfume, Patrick Suskind Sin In The Second City, Karen Abbott The Mystery Of The Blue Train, Agatha Christie George Sand: A Biography, Curtis Kate Frequently Asked Questions What were your primary inspirations when writing your new EP? Lauren Bacall in The Big Sleep, Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder, Marlene Dietrich singing Kurt Weill, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, the 007 films, the Greek myth of Hero and Leander, Judy Garland's rendition of 'The Man That Got Away', the Tango, high-stakes poker. What was your most memorable gig? The top three: performing a solo set after this guy in NYC's Lower East Side Festival of the Arts; singing Verdi's Requiem with the Interschool Orchestras of New York at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall; and backing up legends The Drifters, The Coasters, the 'Duke Of Earl', and so many more during my stint as a professional Doo-Wop Girl. Do you write music or lyrics first? Songs are like lovers: no two behave the same way. But usually music... and then the rhythm of the lyric shapes the melody as the song evolves. Does music add to your life or complete it? My life would not be complete without music; I don't want to even imagine a world in which music does not exist. What are your greatest hidden talents? Assembling pre-fabricated furniture, reading tarot cards, & mini-golf. What is your most irrational fear? The Loch Ness Monster. No mythical being is more frightening to me.Who is your celebrity crush? Nick Cave. If you could collaborate with any living musician who would it be? Elvis Costello. If you could have lunch with any deceased historical figure, who would it be? Mae West. What is your cocktail of choice? Jameson neat, or Perrier-Jouet Fleur de Champagne Rose What is your favorite vacation destination? Tulum, Mexico. With what character in literature do you most identify? Lewis Carroll's Alice and Austen's Emma.
If you were a Crayola crayon what color would you be? 'Tickle Me Pink'. What are your top 3 favorite movie soundtracks? The zither score of The Third Man composed by Anton Karas; Waking Life, and Back To The Future. Did you have any outfits or accessories from childhood that you wish you still had... in your current size? I only wish I still had a Bedazzler! Favorite Song Ever? That's a tie between 'My Funny Valentine' and 'Sara Smile' by Hall and Oates. Favorite Superhero? Wonder Woman, she has a killer theme tune. What shade of red lipstick do you most recommend? Chanel Rouge Allure in 'Dazzling'. What is your favorite recipe? Would you rather be Snowbunny Barbie or Lakehouse Barbie? As much as I love leisurely lakeside campfires, my big straw hat, and turquiose polka-dot bikini--- I adore the mountains, frolicking in the snow and a nice hot toddy a SMIDGE more. SO- Snowbunny Barbie. What's one vice that you will never give up? Breaking hearts. Have a burning question to ask Miss Tracey? Email us! Nothing is off-limits...
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