Musician to Watch >> Meet Sara Bareilles

Artist Brief: Hailing from L.A., Sara Bareilles (pronounced Buh-RELL-iss) is a singer-songwriter- pianist with a strong voice and witty words. Recently signed to Epic Records with an album set for release this summer, this jazz-pop-folk-rock musician is certainly one to keep an eye on.

Check her out at www.sarabmusic.com or myspace

My Thoughts: Only a few times in my life have I wished I lived in Los Angeles. It's nothing against L.A., but I'm just more of a New York City person, I guess. However, when I first heard Sara Bareilles, I truly longed to live in L.A. The reason? So I could see her live every Wednesday during her residencies at Hotel Cafe. I began listening to Sara Bareilles three years ago and at this point, her independently-released Careful Confessions is a staple of my music collection. Something about her sound just clicked with me. There's a certain easeful simplicity that her music conveys, as if she were just meant to be a musician. Nothing about Sara's music is forced. Her voice is amazingly versatile and very much her own, her lyrics are witty and relatable, yet original, and her skillful piano playing serves as a wonderful root for the rest of the musical composition. And because of this, after listening to her music, part of me was envious--I wanted to be Sara. Well, maybe not be her, but I certainly wished that I had the talent that she does.

From the moment I heard her, I knew it would be just a matter of time before she was discovered and snatched up by a record company. So it wasn't very surprising when in April 2005 Sara signed a deal with Epic Records, but with her diversely influenced music--she combines elements of soul, jazz, rock, and pop to create her multi-dimensional sound--it will be interesting to see in what direction she goes from here.

Her three song E.P., featuring the songs "Love Song", "Bottle It Up", and "Gravity", is a solid preview of what's to come. "Love Song" opens with a forceful chord progression that sets the mood of the song. It's clear that Sara's pounding the keys a little bit harder than usual in this one; she's strong, annoyed, and she's had enough. In "Bottle It Up", Sara showcases her composition skills, creating a unique rhythmic pattern for the lyrics. It's this type of originality that sets Sara apart from a slew of singer-songwriters with formulaic sounds. "Gravity", a song first featured on Careful Confessions, received an update for the E.P., and while in many times this would be source for complaint from fans, the song still maintains the sound that is so very much Sara's. With her powerful voice and skillful lyrics, Sara deserves to go far.

Sara Bareilles is supporting Mika for several dates in June. Her new album Little Voice is set for release this summer, so be sure to keep an eye out for it. You can be sure I'll be shouting about it here.