Sarah Blake – Food For Thought [interview]

The Tim Smal Show

Sarah Blake – Food For Thought

00:00 / 27:19

Sarah Blake discusses her record, Food For Thought.

🎙️ Episode Summary

In this episode, Tim sits down with bassist, vocalist, and songwriter Sarah Blake to discuss the release of her debut full-length album, Food For Thought. Sarah shares the deeply personal story behind her music, beginning with her time in New York and the poignant loss of her father, which became the catalyst for her songwriting journey.

From serendipitous meetings in Amsterdam to recording in a picturesque German farmhouse, Sarah explains how she collaborated with world-class musicians to create a record that blends jazz, soul, and Brazilian rhythms. It’s a conversation about grief, healing, and the importance of living a life “more than fantasizing over holidays and magazines.”

🎧 Key Takeaways

Music as Catharsis: Sarah discusses how writing her EP The Journey helped her process the loss of her father and connect with audiences on a deeper human level.
The Power of “Yes”: A chance meeting with producer Chris Weeda led to a six-week trip to Amsterdam and the eventual creation of a 14-track album.
Creative Spontaneity: Many of the album’s collaborations happened organically, with musicians joining the project simply for the love of the music.
Living Mindfully: The title track, Food For Thought, serves as a reminder to stop making excuses and start experiencing the life you want today.

⏱️ Timestamps

[00:00] – Introduction to Sarah Blake and her musical style.
[01:06] – Reflecting on Sarah’s early career and her time with the band Manouche.
[01:51] – The New York Experience: Studying at The Collective and culture shocks.
[03:20] – A Turning Point: Returning to Cape Town and the loss of her father.
[04:45] – The Journey EP: Writing through grief and the power of connection.
[07:15] – Serendipity in Amsterdam: Meeting producer Chris Weeda.
[09:00] – Recording at Fattoria Musica: The magic of the German studio sessions.
[10:30] – Collaborations: Working with Hermine Deurloo and Lilian Vieira.
[14:09] – Deep Dive: The inspiration behind the title track Food For Thought.
[16:57] – Breaking Boundaries: Singing in Portuguese on Ainda Penso Em Voce.
[18:59] – Song Stories: The quirky relatable truth behind Addicted.
[21:56] – The “Bryan with a Y” story: A whimsical look at romance and friendship.
[23:18] – Cantoluzer and Merry-Go-Round: Capturing nature and family dynamics.
[26:30] – Final thoughts and supporting local music.

🔗 Links

Bandcamp: sarahblake.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @sarahblake.music
YouTube: @sarahblakemusic

📃 Transcript

Tim Smal [host]: Hi there and welcome to the show today. My name is Tim Smal, and my guest today is Sarah Blake, I’m very excited to have her on the show today. Sarah Blake is a bassist, guitarist, and vocalist sharing soul soothing songs through honest lyrics and a sound as smooth as morning sunshine creeping through your curtains. Her music combines an education in jazz composition, playful vocal rhythm, and Brazilian grooves. Sarah will be playing shows in the Western Cape in South Africa to showcase her debut full length album, Food For Thought, which is out now on Zennez Records, before hitting off for a European tour in March, 2023. Recorded in the Netherlands, France, and Germany, Food For Thought has flavours of jazz, soul, folk, and Brazilian influences. It’s an album that brings together quirky backing vocals, groovy baselines, warm beds of harmony, and a sprinkling of tasty percussion. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the one and only, Sarah Blake.

Sarah Blake [guest]: Hi Tim, good to see you.

Tim [01:06]: Good to see you too, Sarah. I think the last time we did an official interview was roundabout 2014/2015, when I was on Assembly Radio – quite a while ago. And if I remember correctly, you were playing in the band Manouche at that time, right?

Sarah [01:20]: Yes, sir. Yeah, that was a long time ago – feels like ages.

Tim [01:25]: Yeah. A good seven odd years ago if my maths is correct. And quite a lot has happened in your life since that time, so we have quite a lot of ground to cover. We’re gonna lead up to talking about your latest full length record, Food For Thought, which I’m very excited to chat about. But perhaps we can kick off by chatting a little bit about some of the earlier years, perhaps around 2018 when you got an amazing opportunity to go to New York to do some work in the music industry.

Sarah [01:51]: Yeah, well I think at that time I was in Manouche for about six or seven years or something around that time. And we reached a point where it was either like, go full in and try and make it a thing or, all of the band members would kind of just decide that this is it – it’s not really happening as much as we thought it would. So we gave it about six months and then in that time, I looked for different schools that I could go and further my studies at, in the States, because I have an American passport. And we gave it the six months and just decided that it would be better if we just like end the band with a bang. We had a final concert at The Bijou in Cape Town and it was awesome, and there were no hard feelings between the band members.

And I think a couple weeks after that, I first had a tour in Europe for three months, and then I headed off to New York with a double bass, an electric bass, a ukulele bass, and a small hand luggage bag. So it was quite the experience. I’m originally from Noordhoek, so being in a big city like that was quite the culture shock. And I learned many life lessons, as well as many musical lessons. I ended up going to a school called The Collective, and it was quite a small school on Sixth Avenue, but all very hands-on lecturers and you learn different aspects of the music industry and you basically just immerse yourself, as one does in the New York scene.

And then in 2019, around, I think it was June/July, I got a phone call from my sister saying that my dad had to be taken to hospital, and that he had a mass on his kidney. So in August I ended up coming back home to find out that my dad had cancer. And like that time of my life, there was a lot of stuff going on because, it was difficult for me to kind of adjust going from New York to Cape Town, also with this like feeling and this hectic life moment in my family’s life. But it was good that we were all together. Lockdown happened the next year, and my dad unfortunately passed away soon after that, in May of 2020.

And I ended up writing three songs for him, and that’s called The Journey – that was the EP that I released in 2021, I think it is. And it was the story of the beginning, the middle, and the end of his life. So the first song is about all of the beautiful things that I loved doing with him, and how precious time is and how you need to spend it with the people that you love. The middle song is more of a lullaby, which was written in the middle, or in the last week that he was alive, just because I wanted him to go gently into that beautiful abyss and not worry about where he was going, because wherever he was or is, will be a great place ’cause he’s a great dude. And then the last one was written about a month after he passed away, and it was just lots of anger and frustration and all of the emotions that you have to deal with after you lose someone.

And I didn’t really write a lot of my own music beforehand. I mean a few songs for Manouche, but I didn’t really give it the same amount of time and effort and energy as I did when I started writing for my dad. And it made me realize that it is such a beautiful process for working through certain things or giving a perspective on different situations, and how these three songs, and also a few of the other songs that I started writing after that, connected people in such a beautiful way. I started performing these songs more often as well, and it was such a cathartic moment for me. And also, after having a performance, I would start to speak to people and people would just open up to me about experiences and things that have happened to them and their family members or their loved ones. And I don’t know these people from a bar of soap, but there was just this beautiful connection between myself and just humans. And it just made me realize, “Okay, I need to do more of this stuff.”

Yeah, so I slowly started writing a bit more and kind of paying attention to the experiences that I have in life, because I feel like I’m very lucky in the life that I live – I get to experience a lot and I see the world in the way that I see it. I mean, it’s just nice to be aware of where you are and what you’re experiencing and what’s happening. And I ended up, at the end of 2021, going to an end-of-year function and meeting the man who I was put in contact with, through my bass teacher, who did the mixing and mastering of my dad’s students. And we both ended up working on this company, this music company. And he was busy talking to someone, like having a chat, having his arm kind of like on his hip. And I just stuck my head through the gap in his arm, and I’ve never met this man before in my life and I was just like, “Hi, how are you?” – just really playful and happy and excited to meet this guy because he helped so much, or made these songs sound as good as they do. And he was totally taken by surprise, and it ended up being Chris Weeda, who is also the co-producer and sound engineer on Food for Thought.

So, yeah we ended up hanging out a little bit and talking a lot about music and about different things. And yeah, I went for a few coffees in the morning and he eventually had to go back to Amsterdam, ’cause he is from Amsterdam. And then about two weeks after he left, we still kept talking in the morning around coffee time, and eventually he said, “I know that this is a far stretch, but if you would like to come for a coffee in Amsterdam, I will gladly get you a ticket and we can make it happen.” So I just decided, “Screw it. Why not? Let’s just do that. I have nothing to lose.” But I was meant to stay there for two weeks, I ended up staying for six. And in that time he booked a studio in Germany, at a place called Fattoria Musica, which is in Osnabrück. And it’s this beautiful studio, it’s kind of like this, but like high beam ceilings with oakwood floors and a grand piano on the far side and three different studio rooms and a separate mixing area and in the middle of nowhere in this farmy town. And we had the whole place to ourselves, and in two days we recorded three songs with no intention of making it into an album at all. We just wanted to see if we could work together in that kind of situation, and we ended up working really well together – like surprisingly well. I didn’t take anything personally like some singers or musicians sometimes do. And we were able to be like really direct and more for the music than the ego kind of thing. And it was awesome, I mean, we got a lot of stuff done. We got a lot of very good musical experience working together.

And then, when we came back to Amsterdam, we listened to some of the tracks again and he heard, actually Food For Thought of all, he thought, “This tune could sound really nice with the harmonica on it. I actually know a harmonica player, I’m gonna quickly call my friend Hermine Deurloo.” So he called Hermine up and he said, “I have this South African songwriter here and she has written some beautiful music, and if I can send you the song, would you like to play on it?” And she listened to the song and she was like, “Of course, yes, that sounds beautiful. That would be amazing.” So this process of listening to each song and calling someone who we thought would be nice to feature on each song, happened I think six or seven times, and every single time the musician that we called was more than happy to be a part of the process and to be part of this awesome experience. And there were no expectations and there was nothing but creating good music, so it felt really good. It felt amazing that they don’t even know this person and they’re happy to play the music and they’re wanting to be part of this experience.

So for me, I was just sitting there and just thinking, “What is happening right now?” It’s like a snowball effect of stuff, or we’ve just gotten up onto the wave and we’re just riding it until whenever it stops, you know? Yeah, so we just kept this process going of calling people or producing it a bit more. In that time, I think I wrote three other songs that are also on the album. And eventually it just became what it was, which was amazing. Yeah, I think also in that time, actually at this coffee that we got together for, Chris saw a man named Arthur Schmidt, who happens to be the owner of, let’s just call it like a summer camp for artistic people. And he owns this thing called Buitenkunst. So he just happened to be walking past serendipitously, and he sat down and we told him a little bit of the story and he said, “Okay, I need to go quickly buy some bread, but I’ll come back.” And in that time he looked up my dad’s EP and came back and said, “Oh, it sounds lovely. Would you like a gig on the 24th of June?” And I said, “Let me think about it. Yes!” So I ended up staying in Amsterdam for six weeks and then coming back to Cape Town, ’cause I had a few gigs and a tour here, and then going back there from June till October. And we finished the album. I performed at Buitenkunst, and I also ended up teaching there as well because it’s for kids, it’s for adults, it’s for dancing, music, art, drama, etc. It’s an incredible situation that they’ve got going there.

And then we also met John Weijers, who is the owner of Zennez Records, who was more than excited to have a meeting and figure out how we were actually going to release this album. So I don’t know what else to say besides, it’s all been very serendipitous and kind of just like hanging on by the seat of my pants, like just waiting for the next exciting thing to happen, but also not having any expectations and just going with the flow and trying to make as most of it as possible. So that is like, that’s the story in a nutshell.

Tim [14:09]: Yeah, it’s a great story. I really enjoyed hearing more about that and certainly a lot has happened in your life in a very short space of time. So first off, I just wanted to say I’m sorry for the loss of your father. And as you mentioned, he was a great dude. So if we look at Food For Thought, the album pretty much starts out with that as the title track in the second place on the record. And I was listening to this when I was drinking some tea at the V & A Waterfront, I was in a really a peaceful environment, having a nice cup of tea at one of my favorite tea stores, and I listened to this track Food for Thought, and it was just such an amazing experience for me because it’s such a strong song and the production is so awesome that I can see why you called the album Food For Thought, because it’s just such a brilliant song. So, if I’m not mistaken, you have 14 tracks on there, so it’s certainly a full length, and I’m sure there are many tracks that we could chat about in just a moment. But would you like to tell us a little bit more about the title Track?

Sarah [15:07]: Food For Thought was written, or the idea started when I was sitting on the couch with my mom and we were clearing out a lot of stuff as one does, because we accumulate stuff. And she was looking through one of these Getaway magazines, and she started saying, “You know, your dad always wanted to go on these holidays. He wanted to go to the Seychelles or like this five-day getaway special in the bush, you know, insert special here kind of situation.” But we never really ended up going, for some excuse or another. And it just made me think that you have to take advantage of whatever you feel like you want to – live the life that you want to live. You’re always concerned about this bill or that expense or this thing, or there’s always something that’s gonna stop you from saying yes to something that really makes you happy, or that you think will make you happy. And it’s not saying that you have to spend lavish money on a holiday, but it just means that you have to be a bit more present in terms of what you want, or how you want to live your life. Yeah, the opening words are, “Let’s do more than fantasize over holidays and magazines.” So let’s just do the stuff that you wanna do and stop making excuses about it, in a nice way.

Tim [16:46]: Awesome. And in terms of songwriting for this record, did you write most of the songs yourself, including the lyrics, or did you collaborate with a lot of other songwriters?

Sarah [16:57]: I wrote all of the songs myself. The only song that I collaborated on with, in terms of lyrics, is Ainda Penso Em Voce, which is in Portuguese. And originally the lyrics were in English, but the tune was very Brazilian. And again, I ended up meeting a singer called Lilian Vieira, who also lives in Amsterdam, but she’s Brazilian originally. And Chris and I thought that it would be a good idea to see if she could translate the lyrics into Portuguese. And it just fit the song so much better than singing in English, because it’s got this kind of like… [sings] It just like, it feels good, you know? And she said she was keen to do it and she wrote the lyrics, and I think in two days she taught me how to sing in Portuguese – I’ve never sung in Portuguese before. And then while we were practicing, I sang one verse and then she sang the next, and then we ended up singing the chorus together. And I was like, “You need to sing on the album with me.” And then she said “Yes,” and now she’s on the album. So, yeah.

Tim [18:12]: Yeah, well it’s amazing that you learnt Portuguese in such a short space of time, and that track on the record is certainly a standout track. I was actually driving in my car when I heard that track for the first time and I was like, “Wow, Sarah’s really breaking boundaries on this record.” It really brought a smile to my face – I guess I smile a lot when I listen to this record, as I’m sure all the other listeners will too. But there are one or two tracks I just wanted to chat about because they’re just so interesting from a lyrical point of view. And the first one is called Addicted, and if I’m not mistaken, it’s about just being addicted to using your cell phone, which is something that we can all relate to, and it’s just such a fun song. And yeah, when I heard it for the first time, I thought, “Wow, people are really gonna like this one,” because it’s so relatable, it’s so fun, and it’s so clever and quirky too. So yeah, maybe you can just chat about that track for a moment.

Sarah [18:59]: Yeah. Well, I mean, I’m totally addicted to my phone, which is terrible, and I was trying to think of how I could make a tune about it, but not make it so obvious that I’m talking about my cell phone immediately. So I kind of play with the idea that it’s this partner or this relationship that you’re in that you don’t like anymore, but you can’t get rid of this person or this thing, because as soon as you do, then you miss it. And it’s like this toxic give and take, or like take and take, of your time and your energy and your friends don’t wanna be around you anymore because this thing is just taking all of your attention.

And I purposefully don’t mention the words “cell phone” or anything like that in the first two verses, because when you start singing, everyone’s thinking, “Oh, it’s probably just another ex-boyfriend of hers,” you know, something like that. And then you start with the chorus of, “Take away my phone, just leave me alone.” And the fact that it’s so fast and so upbeat and just like rushy, is also the fact that, whenever you’re looking at this thing, it takes so much of your time and energy and it’s just too much going on. And I dig that tune, I think it’s so much fun. And the times that I play it live, people just laugh, ’cause it’s funny, but it’s also like, “Hmm, okay, she has a point there. Maybe we should think about it,” which is also, I mean, Food For Thought, you know – things that I’m discussing in the album in general, they’re all little bits of something that you can actually think about, that you can ponder after you’ve listened to the music. But yeah, Addicted is a good one.

Tim [20:57]: Yeah, I guess you’re doing a great job of getting everyone to think about the really important issues in life. So they’re enjoying the music, but also pondering some of the deeper meanings of our existence here on earth, which is great. And speaking of boyfriends and romance, which is always a fantastic topic, there’s another track on the album, which I just have to mention because I’m sure you know which one it is. I was busy walking through the V & A Waterfront, watching the seals, the sunset and the water – it was a really great evening at the V & A Waterfront, and this track came on from your record, called Bryan with a Y. And, I was like, “Wow, this is another really cool song” because, I guess it’s about a guy that you spend some time with and, you know, you don’t have to divulge all the information, but it’s certainly a very interesting track. And when I heard it for the first time, I thought the chap’s name was Ryan with a R. So I was like, “I wonder if I know this guy, Ryan?” There’s a lot of like clues in the song, and then I saw he’s called Bryan. So now I’m really confused and, you don’t have to tell me, but what a fun track. I’m sure everyone’s gonna be really interested in that track too, right?

Sarah [21:56]: Yeah, I mean, you know, you sometimes meet someone and have a really good time, and then you both realize that you’re not really meant to be something. And Bryan was one of those guys. And yeah, I wrote it for fun. We met in South Africa and we ended up traveling together. But before he left South Africa, I wrote him this little fun thing, because I really enjoyed spending time with him and it just came out pretty nice and easy, and he is a very whimsical, fun dude. So I thought like whimsical, fun, Bryan with a Y. It’s, you know… it’s fun, it’s nice, it’s feel-good, and definitely made him cry. Yeah, but we are actually still friends, which is great. And he came to Cape Town a little while ago and there’s a jam session at Open Wine every Sunday in town, and we ended up going to this jam session and everyone made me play the song in front of him. And you have never seen someone go so red as Bryan did, hearing me playing the song with everybody around him, like scruffing him up and like giving him a little bit of an elbow or something. It was fun, it was a good time.

Tim [23:14]: Are there any other tracks that are standout tracks for you on the album?

Sarah [23:18]: Yeah, two come to mind. The one is the first song on the album called Cantoluzer, which actually means “Singing Lizard”, which is a place in France, and Chris and I ended up going there. It’s basically just a house in the middle of a meadow, in the middle of a forest. It’s the most picturesque place you’ve ever imagined in your life. And this house is called Cantoluzer, and it just stole my heart. It’s cobble stones everywhere and little bugs flying around and flowers and, for a nature girl like me, it felt like such a beautiful home space. And I ended up writing that song there. But the recording that’s on the album is actually… we recorded it outside on the patio with just one heirloom microphone. And all of the noises that you hear everywhere is just the surroundings of that place. So every time I listen to that song, I’m taken back to that beautiful place. So that was really nice.

And, another song that I think of is, Merry-Go-Round, which I also finished while I was in Amsterdam. But it is dedicated to my sister, and we went through a very tumultuous part of our relationship. And in the spirit of processing through writing, and knowing that a lot of people go through similar stuff to what I go through, ended up writing a song about it and I really love the way that tune came out. I mean, it is like a merry-go-round – it’s like all of these things that just keep happening and you get like a little bit dizzy and then, you know, you kind of step off and you’re kind of just dazed and wondering what is going to happen, you know, or how is this all going to work out? Just in terms of lyrical content and harmony, and the production of it as well, it’s one of my more favorite tunes, yeah.

Tim [25:29]: Wow. Yeah, it’s really, really cool that you’ve had the opportunity to travel around France, Germany, and the Netherlands, and have the opportunity to write songs in interesting locations, collaborate with other amazing musicians, meet different kinds of people, work at a summer school, do some performances, and really put so much of yourself into this record, especially after a couple of very difficult years. So to be able to come out of that and have this amazing opportunity and, essentially be encouraged and lifted up by so many people who see your talent and your hard work ethic is really, really incredible. And so I encourage all the listeners to pick up a copy of this album, Food For Thought, it really will give you a lot to think about. And the fact that there are 14 tracks on the album, it’s certainly an album that you’ll want to really absorb and listen to many, many times. And yeah, I guess, I’m just really excited for you for 2023 and everything that lies ahead, so do you have any final words for the fans?

Sarah [26:30]: Ooh, geez. Any final words for the fans? Thank you. And keep listening to local music and supporting local musicians. And yeah, have a great 2023. And thank you, Tim, for the podcast and the interview. It’s awesome to see you again, and it’s nice to talk. It’s great, nice prep.

Tim [26:55]: Yeah, I’m sure there’s gonna be many more interviews ahead. So, yeah, all the best for the European tour, for the release of the record. And, I guess I will see you really soon when you release your second album.

Sarah [27:06]: Yeah, I like the way you think. Thanks man, I really appreciate the time and everything that you’re doing as well, putting this podcast together, it’s awesome for a lot of people.