Dead Sara
An interview with Singer/Songwriter Emily Armstrong
by Tina Hall
April 2011
Dead Sara
Los Angeles based Dead Sara is made up of Emily Armstrong (Vocals, Guitar), Siouxsie Medley (Guitar, Vocals), Chris Null (Bass), and Sean Friday (Drums). The band offers rock done right: uncompromising, heavy, and soulful. Their self titled debut album, produced by Noah Shain is due out this summer. Maximum Ink recently caught up with them to talk about the latest happenings with band.
Maximum Ink: Since there isn’t that much out there about you yet, can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?
Emily Armstrong: Sioux and I met through a mutual friend when we were about 16 and with passion for music primarily in common, it didn’t take too long for us to start a band. We just loved hanging out, listening to music, and writing together. It wasn’t up until about a couple years ago that we decided to really do this the right way. Thus, we got our current drummer and bass player on board. It has been really solid and very fun.
MI: Who were some of your earliest influences? What first made you want to become a musician?
EA: Stevie Nicks made a huge impact in my life, changing it forever. I mean, I started out as a guitar player and songwriter, so it was her that I was able to identify with to get enough confidence to even become a singer or performer. I just wanted to be in the background. It also helped that my mom would sing Fleetwood Mac songs to me with her guitar. I thought she wrote them. So, it was my mom who introduced me to the classic rock era.
MI: How did you come up with the name Dead Sara, and how would you describe the sound of this band?
EA: It comes from the Fleetwood Mac song “Sara” where she sings “said Sara,” but Sioux and I thought it sounded better as “Dead Sara.” It was also the one name that we both agreed on. The sound of the band is heavy rock with an emotional tendency and a bit of the blues. There are influences from folk to power ballads for the softer side of us.
MI: What is it like to work with the rest of the group?
EA: Easy. I mean, Sioux and I have worked with a bunch of other guys being in the band throughout the years, and this has just been great. It really is a fortunate lineup for us where we all get along and work well together.
MI: I read various industry folks have suggested a more pop sound. How do you feel about that?
EA: Bias. There is too much of that or enough of that sound already I think it’s almost an easy route to go. I want to be a part of something original, something that will move you. It takes a more work but a lot more rewarding in the long run,
MI: Do you find people seem to view bands differently that are fronted by females?
EA: That’s a hard question. I don’t know what it’s like being in a guy fronted band so it’s tough to know the difference. There have been female fronted bands that have paved the way for us to do this already. So, they probably have a lot more to say on this subject. But female fronted bands are a lot more common now, and I don’t really see a big difference being a female fronted band or an all guy band.
MI: Are you excited to be showing the world what you can do with this debut album?
EA: Absolutely. I’ve always dreamed of finishing and releasing a record. I know creating an album is done all the time, but I feel we have been waiting a long time to get this record done. Having found the rest of the lineup about two years ago, we worked non-stop to get this album done. Everything just seemed to have fallen in place for us, and I am fortunate with the way things ended up.
MI: What do you hope your fans take away from your work, and what projects are you looking forward to bringing your fans next?
EA: I hope my fans take something real away from my work. In relation to projects, we are already thinking in ways of how our next record will sound for the better, and what we can do to get there. So, I guess time will only tell.