Catching Up With Sarah Borges

Sarah Borges has a new record out and man, its a good one. Trust me when I quote myself and say “There is literally no one else with a voice like Sarah Borges. Literally. I mean listen to even one of this artist’s songs and then spend a few days trying to come up with something. I have spent countless hours trying to draw up some sort of comparison, but this gal and her voice are just in a world all her own. A world I am very thankful exists.”

I caught up with Ms. Borges to talk about the new record, the road, and what’s next for her. Check it out below.

RLR:  I feel like I sort of know the answer already but…who is Sarah Borges?

SB: I’m a singer and guitar player from Taunton, MA. I’ve put out a bunch of records, both with my band, the Broken Singles, and by myself. The newest one, ‘Good and Dirty’, is out today (3/5). I’ve spent the majority of my adult life on tour. (Hello from Omaha!). I’m also a mom, a friend, a daughter, and a big believer in following your gut feeling.

RLR:  You have been called everything from rock n roll goddess to bluesy badass and dabble in countrified chicken pickin and punk influences. Where does this latest record see you fitting in?

SB: It’s definitely a rock record with some twang thrown in. I write songs that I’d like to listen to, so there are some indie rock elements, as well as some Roots music leanings.

RLR:  How was your songwriting process for these songs? Was it a slow over time type of collection of experiences or a “I am writing x amount of songs for a record” kind of exercise for you…or something totally different?

SB: This was the first record that I wrote on demand. I set a goal of a song a day for a week or two, didn’t always hit it, but made myself sit at the kitchen table and do it, even if I thought the stuff I was turning out was crap. Usually I just wait until the mood strikes me to write a song, but I’m a fan of this new way.

RLR:  How about the studio and recording process? Where, when, how long? All that good stuff

SB: I recorded at Cowboy Technical Services in Brooklyn with Eric Ambel, who produced the record and played lead guitar. I  used his rhythm section, met them on day one of the session. We did it in several few day blocks in the spring and summer of 2015. It’s the first record I’ve ever made in a place other than Boston.

RLR:  As you are well aware (with your involvement in our Locals Covering Locals project) a big focus of Red Line Roots is fostering and creating a community here in town and throughout the Northeast under the “love/hate” moniker of Americana music. You have been a staple around town for quite some time now. How have you seen the community aspect change (for better or worse) around town over the past few years?

SB: It can probably be summed up by this story: in 2000 or 2001 I was living in a house with a bunch of band mates from an indie rock outfit I was in. Some other friends of mine and I were in the kitchen playing country music one night for fun. My band mate roommate found the twangy music so offensive that he rode his bicycle into the kitchen, yelling for us to cut that crap out. He ended up putting his upper body through the kitchen window in the process, but we did definitely stop. I think Boston had become more welcoming for Americana music since then.

RLR:  So, what does 2016 hold for Sarah Borges?

SB: Tour. More tour. Start thinking about new record.