A “LoveStory” that’s different – new video & more!

Dear everyone,

I’m really happy to share with you the video for my new single “LoveStory” out of my solo debut LP Who Am I.

The video is directed by award-winning director Eftychia Iosifidou and I’m co-starring next to my cousin Clio Arvaniti. Clio and I grew up together. Despite us being only one year apart, I always looked up to her, seeing her as my big sister. Both of us being only children, our relationship was the closest thing to having a sister. So it’s indeed a love story – perhaps a different one from what one would expect.

Sarah P. - LoveStory - Cover
Watch the video on YouTube
Stream / Buy “LoveStory”:
Spotify: Spotify | Deezer | iTunes | Amazon | GooglePlay

 

When writing “LoveStory”, I decided I wanted it to be a love letter but not necessarily to a romantic partner. Love is way more than romance, anyway. Filming a video while in Greece and doing that together with Clio felt just as right. I wanted it to depict warmth – a homely feeling, and I think we succeeded in this. I’m so grateful to my girls – Eftychia and Clio, for reminding me that creation and fun can go very well hand in hand.

As you probably noticed, I’ve been relatively silent on world events lately – which seems quite unlike to what you’re used from me. My heart’s always with all those who’ve experienced a fair amount of injustice and feel weary and angry – I hear you, I talk to you every day, I read about you on the news. I might as well be one of you – another person put in a sealed box of stereotypes. But hey, I’ve only been seemingly silent. I’ve been non-stop working at the studio all summer to finish recording my next album. I figured why not put all my energy and frustration into creating something artful. Once again inspired by current events, once again a record that’s going to speak out a truth that many don’t want to hear. But we do, right?

Seeing so much despair in the world and an alarming endorsement of hateful views by many, we can’t keep quiet. We shouldn’t keep quiet. Each and every one of us can make a change through our daily actions of kindness and respect. When we feel put down and in fear, we should just think of our favorite people on earth. What would they do or say? Let’s channel their amazingness!

“LoveStory” is a sweet tune to remind us that we’re capable of loving and being loved. We all have wounds – some of us have deeper scars than others, but we’re all in this together. May the song and the video soothe you as much as it soothes me to interact with you and exchange opinions. To those writing to me, keep doing so! To those who haven’t written me yet, I’m always here!

Sending you much love,

Sarah

PS: If you want to contact me, write me on sarah [at] sarahpofficial [dot] com x
PPS: Make sure to also check out the “LoveStory” remix by The New Division.

Sarah P. - Photo by Fotini Chora

FAQ: My Debut Album WHO AM I

Sarah P. - Photo by Fotini Chora

Photo by Fotini Chora

 

Hi everyone,

I hope my words find you well, somewhere safe and lovely. Today WHO AM I was released and I’m beyond excited. It’s quite different from what you’ve heard from me so far, however, it’s still electronic and weird. I keep my awkward in tact.

I’ve been asked lately by several people about my writing process & my label EraseRestart. Today, I thought of sharing with you some behind the scenes – where did I write the record, where did I produce it & how did I put it out? What I’d like you to keep in mind is that my reality is similar to the reality of many of my peers. More and more artists are founding their own labels nowadays & some of them are even self-published. You might have picked it up from somewhere, that the music industry is struggling (like every other industry). So here I am, shedding some light on what it means to be an indie, DIY artist in 2017 and sharing some inside information about WHO AM I.

Where was WHO AM I written?

I wrote my album at home, in Berlin. To be more specific, I wrote everything while in bed, like a true bedroom musician. At the time I had an old laptop that would turn off the moment I unplugged the charger. However, I didn’t need more than that – it was more than enough for me to compose, write the lyrics, record my demos and pre-produce all of my songs. Now, you’ll ask what does it mean to “pre-produce”? Well, it means that except for the vocals, the guitars, the bass and a couple of synths that were recorded later on, at the studio, I came up with the sounds, the initial arrangement & structure of the songs. That’s why my name is also credited as a producer. Why do I need to mention that? Well, I have the feeling that, especially as a female artist, I always need to justify all the bits and parts of my work, which feels a bit weird. You’ll rarely read a post about a male artist that’s stating the producer and the studio where he recorded, but when it’s about a female artist, all details have to be stated as some sort of verification process. Obviously, that has nothing to do with you and me who love music and worship it, but more with the outdated mess of the music industry and its unwillingness to accept all that’s different from what it’s used to idolise.

Sarah P. - Who Am I - Album Cover (2017 EraseRestart Records)

Tracklist
1. A Letter From Urban Street
2. ForgetRegret
3. Away From Me
4. Instead Of You
5. LoveStory
6. Summer Prince
7. Who Am I
8. Millennial Girl
9. To You
10. Berlin During Winter
Where to get WHO AM I
Buy: iTunes | Amazon | GooglePlay
Stream: Spotify | Deezer | Apple Music

What is the album about?

I have previously addressed how WHO AM I is like an ode to humanity. One will quickly notice that while an ode is always positive, my album appears to criticise the modern societies quite a lot. However, despite our era being all about either godifying or ostracising people, my ambition was to create something that, in its imperfection is humanly & beautiful. And as all of us break and mend, so do my songs. Whenever I criticise something, I always try to find something to praise, too. Even on “Millennial Girl”,  I make clear that the heroine of my song is aware of her situation and the vanity she’s surrounded by. I chose to show it from the perspective of a woman who grew up amidst all technological evolution. However, although technology seems to progress, she is still hung up on false stereotypes (“they say if I lose 50 pounds I will look pretty for my bae”) and feels lost (“my family and friends say I live on the edge”). What’s important to mention is that, although there might be some people who are acting like my “Millennial Girl”, I don’t suggest, generalise or imply that my song refers to my generation. I based my song on what media and older generations assume the millennials to be.

What’s each song about?

“A Letter From Urban Street” is about loss. “ForgetRegret” is about acknowledging and standing up for what’s right for you. “Away From Me” is about always have been the weird kid. “LoveStory” is about healing. “Instead Of You” is about the futility of war.  “Summer Prince” is about heartbreak and trust issues. “Who Am I” is about one’s lost identity. “Millennial Girl” is about the portrayal of millennials on the Internet and the media (FAKE NEWS!). “To You” is about finding true love. Last but not least, “Berlin During Winter” is the most personal song of WHO AM I & is about my struggles with mental illness. And Berlin.

Where was WHO AM I recorded?

The album was written at home and recorded where I consider to be my professional/second home. I recorded it in my hometown – Athens, Greece at Artracks Studios – the studio where it all started for me. And honestly, if it wasn’t for George Priniotakis (with whom I produced WHO AM I), I wouldn’t be sitting here today. It’s a decade since I set my foot in Artracks for the first time. It was also where I met with my old bandmate & recorded all of our songs. Working on my first solo album at a place where it feels safe was like a dream come true and I’m very grateful to all those who made this possible for me.

OK, but how do you release a record?

Once the record is mixed and mastered, one can start the process of the release. There’s a lot of planning and scheduling.  I work together with my husband, who’s also my manager. I also work closely with my distributor and my publisher. Very roughly, the distributor is the one who makes sure that an album is available on all shops and platforms, while the publisher is the one who takes care of other administrative tasks, like listings, registering the songs etc. However, there are even more office tasks for my husband and I to take care of like planning, promoting, budgeting & producing more content around the album (e.g. videos, photographs, interviews). When I decided to run my own label, I thought of it as something really cool. At the time, I was used to having other people taking care of everything that seemed too “businessy” and “boring”. Early enough I understood that, while running your own label can be very empowering, it’s also a really hard work.

Will there be a physical release of WHO AM I?

Yes, but not quite yet. Stay tuned!

Are there any touring plans?

No, there will be no live shows, at least for now. That’s by choice. You can read more about it here.

I think that’s all for now. I hope I answered all your questions. And I really hope that you’ll enjoy listening WHO AM I.

Much love,
Sarah

Sarah P. single Who Am I (video directed by Oirot Buntot)

“Who Am I”, the title song of my LP is out now!

Hi everyone,

I hope you’re well. Today I’m sharing “Who Am I” with you – the title song of my upcoming album that will come out in May. Those familiar with my work probably know that there’s always a story behind my music, lyrics, and visuals. I want to guide you through the song and the video. So, here we go.

The song

I wrote the first version of “Who Am I” four years ago. It was an instrumental with house elements, originally written to be part of my running jam, back in Athens where I still lived. Next step was putting some lyrics to it and making it a fun track called “Nonchalant” – a song that I never released. Little did I know that, after many reworks, it would become far less nonchalant and way more meaningful. Before going to the studio last summer, I sat again on that song. I had completely written it off as it was – a mix of hip-hop & RnB, with far too easy lyrics to fit to the rest of the album. I got back to the first version. There was something about those tropical synths and the loud hi-hat (yes, that’s intended) that kept me trying to find a way to include this tune on my solo debut LP. And so I did. It became the heart and the title of a whole chunk of work – a query, if you please, about humanity, the world we live in and our importance (or unimportance) as individuals and/or as a whole.

The video

Ironically, a song that went through several changes – sometimes drastic enough to switch it from the one genre box to the other, ended up being called “Who Am I” and paired up with a video that wasn’t originally made for it, but inspired by another song. Science may have proved that opposites attract each other – but that doesn’t always apply in life; like-minded people attract each other, too – perhaps more often than rarely. And since I’m a romantic, I like to think that a series of events brought Oirot Buntot (the director of the “Who Am I” video) and me together to magically intermix our artistic work and serve each other’s vision, while enhancing our own. How many chances for two independent artworks that were made at a different time, to find each other and become one thing?

So, you’ll ask, what’s “Who Am I” about?

I go on saying that we live in a world of broken values and ethics. What we used to know as right seems to fade – sometimes for a good reason, some others to take us back to scary times. Good things happen, bad things happen – but we’re spinning so fast. We struggle to keep up – at least I do. And as you already know, I believe that going back to our roots and revisiting our history might help us to see and act clearer. Already with my previous song, “Berlin During Winter”, I talked to you about how I see things – how I don’t see a point in repeating mistakes and the importance of introspection.

That question – who am I? So simple, yet so emotionally charged. I went on for years asking who am I and where do I belong. Although, I always felt connected to my Greek roots, but disconnected from Greece’s modern society. I always wanted to fly away from my mother land’s nest. When I did, I realised that people, in the exact moment they would learn that I’m Greek, they would reduce me to that, when all I wanted was to take bits and pieces of all cultures and be a real citizen of the world. However, it seems like my heritage can’t let me be what I want to be – and I don’t blame it a single bit.

Who am I or how am I?

For as it may be, in my head, I am who I want to be. For as limits me, I’m a version of who my younger self wanted to be. She had a dream and she followed it, regardless her background or her gender. Or what people thought of her – contrary to their plans based on her fragility. And I honour her for that – for always knowing she was underestimated. That’s why her choices were seen as risks. And she always counted on their surprise. Yet, restlessly spirited, she always cried in front of the mirror, asking herself who she is and wanting to go home – wherever home would be.

Fast forward to today, my “who am I” question is not addressed to my idol in the mirror. My “who am I” is addressed to each and every reading my texts. I’ve matured enough to know that who we truly are reflects on our relationships and positions for and against others. It’s like an equation. The sum of the “how” and the “what” result to the “who”. How am I. What am I. Who I am. And bits and parts of our cultures and daily life, sexual orientation and skin colour influence our id. However, none of it should define it.

Why do we still to categorise people?

Nowadays, all the labels we tried to remove are deliberately recalled. Like a sentenced to life prisoner who’s just been opened the prison’s gate to run freely and never look back – never come back despite his actions. All the boxes we destroyed are being made new as if we struggle in their absence to find meaning to our lives. And there’s so much injustice all around us, but we – so drawn by our own interpretation of existentialism – use those brought-back labels to float in a pool set next to the ocean. Confused – how can I contribute to the society when I am so broken?

My song “Who Am I” is about the modern disorientation. We’re torn apart between what we used to know and the new, fast-paced, hi-tech world of opportunities and horror. Despite our mistrust in the system, we still seek out to politics to save us. However, the leaders of the world do nothing for all the hate that’s spreading like an epidemic disease. In fact, it is an epidemic disease, but there are so many ways to protect ourselves from it – credible, although established in an analogue way and are not necessarily lab-approved. Goodness, respect, knowledge are some prophylactic measures that we can (re)integrate into our daily lives. Why so hard? Why so difficult?

If statues could talk whose side would they take?

With love,
Sarah

Sarah P. single Who Am I (still from video directed by Oirot Buntot)

Sarah P. single Who Am I (video directed by Oirot Buntot)

Sarah P. single Who Am I (still from video directed by Oirot Buntot)

Sarah P. single Who Am I (still from video directed by Oirot Buntot)

Sarah P. single Who Am I (still from the video directed by Oirot Buntot)


The video for “Who Am I” is the directorial debut of Oirot Buntot. It’s filmed at the stunning Teatro Rossi Aperto. Stay tuned for an interview that’s coming up with the director. I got to ask him some questions on the video, his work & future projects.

Cover Who Am I, Berlin During Winter, Christoph Neumann, www.christoph-neumann.com

New Song: Berlin During Winter

I’m really excited to share with you my new song “Berlin During Winter”, out of my upcoming full-length album Who Am I (out on May 12, 2017).

Hi everyone,

I’m excited to share with you the first piece of my upcoming album. It’s called “Berlin During Winter”. Although it’s chosen as your introductory song to Who Am I, it’s actually the closing track of the record. Genre-wise, if I have to put it in a box, I’d say it’s electro ambient-core. Lyric-wise, “Berlin During Winter” has a twofold meaning. The obvious one, as the title suggests, takes you on a walk through Berlin, during the cold months. Everything is gray and freezing cold. All colors are faded as if a painter mixed them with black and white tones. As cold as Berlin gets, cold enough to even freeze the people’s emotions, it sort of leads you to the second interpretation; depression.

It’s not you, Berlin, it’s me!

I’m not new to depression. Are you? I believe that most of us suffer from it, at least up to some degree. I mean, there’s pressure from all sides. Rent, food, clothes, relationships. On top of that we’ve added ourselves another worry – our image, how do people perceive us in the so-called “outside world”. We have profiles on various platforms where, to get (the) likes (of people), we really need to put some effort. Whether profiled as snarky or cutesy or something in between, we learned which one is our good angle, which type of photos are driving more traffic to our channels, which one is our niche. And although seeing it all written down makes it look frivolous and futile, we’re totally going to scroll through photos anytime soon – if we’re not doing that already because texts are (considered to be) boring and “a photo is a thousand words”.

However, there are some things that not even the sad, crying emoji can express. Devastation, pain, sorrow, war. And oh boy, there’s war all around us. There’s hate all around us and unfortunately, in real life, we can’t block the haters. The internet life is taking over the offline one and creating chaos. Hate is making the world go around, swirling us all in a big, fat tornado. And if that’s not depressing, I don’t know what is.

“Berlin During Winter” may be reflecting my personal struggles, but is also mirroring what I’m seeing around me. You may think “what’s she, crazy auntie – what does she speak?”. I may be “crazy”, my mental health may be “unstable”, as many people have pointed out to hurt me, but I know my battles and I fight to win. And I advise you to do the same. “Berlin During Winter” is about all the things that I cannot wrap around my head, yet I’m trying to. In order to move forward and be better. For the sake of filling my life with meaningful things. To change something.

The video

As spontaneous as I am, and while following the events in the current war zones, I decided to make a video for “Berlin During Winter”. Berlin happens to be my current home, but the song’s setting is absolutely symbolical. All footage I used is under public domain license. It’s basically archives of war. I want to warn you that this video contains pictures that may be offensive or disturbing to some of you. I want to apologize in advance, in case you’re feeling that way. Despite how graphic the content may be, how it’s making you wanting to look away, I want to remind you that these things happened and unfortunately, continue to happen up to today.

We can’t undo our history, but we can learn from it and shape our future. Especially this winter, now that the holiday season is coming to an end, it’s about time that we break from our bubble. We spent so much money on gifts and parties while knowing that people somewhere else were dying or taken their homes away. Τhe hypocrisy levels we have hit are beyond embarrassing and it’s about time that we do something. Regardless of how perfect our (social media) lives may be, we shall turn around and see the world without beautifying filters. We need to roll up our sleeves and ACT NOW. Not in a superficial way, not with hashtags. This time, for real.

With respect and much love,
Sarah


Spotify | iTunes | YouTube


The cover photo is by Christoph Neumann , edited by Panos Kondylis. All footage used for my video is in the public domain, as found on Pond5. Warning: content may be offensive or disturbing to some audiences. Apologies to whomever experiences a personal distress after watching the video.

“Who Am I” - Sarah P. - Album Cover - Photo by Christoph Neumann

Who Am I, Who Are We?

Today, I’m writing to share with you the first details of my upcoming full-length. It’s called “Who Am I” and consists of ten songs that I wrote in Berlin while thinking of Athens. And the world. And everything that’s been happening.

So yes, this post is about my new album, but my intentions are far from being promotional. Over the past seven years I’ve been asking myself, “who am I?” and even further than that, over the past many years, I’ve been asking myself “who are the people around me?” and “who are the people who govern us?” Because everything seems so vain and/or futile, and we’re always told we only live once.

That’s what “Who Am I” is about…

“Who Am I” is my ode to our humanly deep need of security and love. But for love to reign and run abundant, it has to be contrasted by the worst feelings one can imagine. I don’t know if that’s always the case, but often it is – which is sad. Lately, I’ve been reading a lot – not just the physically typed words, but also their undertones, their meanings and motives and I’ve realized how hard it is to read something that’s simply just hard facts – the truth. Perhaps, it’s in our nature – the inability to be completely objective and reliable when delivering news or decisions.

We have so much in common – all of us, really. Yet, we choose to see more where we differ. Because, maybe, we haven’t decided what it is that we want – to belong somewhere or to be unique? And although it can be possible to belong somewhere while remaining unique and special, we tend to always want what we don’t have. As if we’re constantly on a roll, searching for grandeur or, simply, a purpose. A purpose that’s, hopefully, accepted by some and ideally by most. But we can’t be one, can we? We’ll always be divided, up to some extent. And it feels like a mission of our communities and nations to never ever change the fact that there will always be another community or nation that ours despises.

Our ethics and our cultures are always shaping us but what we become is completely our choice. As I mentioned, I’ve been constantly asking myself “who am I”? Have you? Especially during our particularly troubled times, some introspection is more than needed. Looking inside or facing ourselves in the mirror, confronting whoever has lied to us, even if that’s our own selves – that’s necessary. That’s a responsibility we have towards each other. How can we change things or ever be happy if we don’t know who we are and what we want?

And of course, we’re beings on a perpetual movement. We evolve as we go, we become better. New technologies, new standards, new laws, new norms – do we realize the change? Or do we go with the flow? Whatever the case is, we’re changing, regardless. As we grow, we’re becoming a mix of things, often holding on to contradictory beliefs and ideas – we don’t even understand their contradiction or the conflict they’re causing to our minds and hearts.

I can give you an example.

The personal conflicts

Since I can remember, I’ve always struggled with my body image and weight. I’ve been taught I should be thin and criticized whenever I gained one/two kilos. At some point, I took my obsession to the extreme. I wouldn’t be eating for days and sometimes I didn’t even drink water in the fear my belly would look bloated. Thankfully, I used my brain, worked on myself and tried to follow a balanced diet…but my hormones did not agree. I started swelling and swelling and I started hating my body and the looks it was receiving. At drama school or at band rehearsal, I would hear how I’m “not skinny enough”. Everybody would point out that I had been gaining weight, making cruel comments, putting me in a position in front of others even though they knew that my health wasn’t in good condition. When at home, I would pull my oldest clothes out of my closet, put them on, see they wouldn’t fit and start punishing myself. That was when I started harming myself.

But here’s the catch, here’s how conflicted I am as a person. I’ve always been against superficial discrimination – I believe there’s beauty in every single person. Yet, I never managed to like myself. Perhaps, that’s the reason why I picked the stage as a career, as a constant reminder/punishment for my what-I-think-as shortcomings. Because I always thought, everyone shall wear their face and body with pride, except me. And believe me, writing these words and even more, knowing or looking back to a completely unnecessary trouble I’ve weighed myself down with, makes me feel utterly embarrassed. Because I could have spent my time – I could have put my energy hating myself – elsewhere.

That’s just an example of the unknown, the contradictory and the conflict as a moment of truth, if you please. For a long while, I thought I was alone. Now I know that I’m not. My album “Who Am I” is dedicated to all those feeling a bafflement right to their heart. But our health (body and mental) must come first. Our liberty to express ourselves and our safety when doing so must come first. Our similarities with one another should be spotlighted – now more than ever. Because we can learn from each other.

If you’re feeling lost or confused because of our societies, because of yours or your neighbor’s choices or words – you’re not alone. If you feel angry or sad, you’re not alone. If you feel that you’re not accepted or you’re hurt – for whatever reason, please know that you’re not alone. Whatever you may be struggling with, please know that you’re not alone. I’m with you. There’s no right and there’s no wrong, but there’s hope. And while we’re feeling defeated, even during those dark hours, there’s hope that we can do better. And we will. As long as we all fight on the same side. At least, a girl can dream…

If you have anything to tell me, if you want to talk or share your stories and opinions, feel free to write me. I’ll be looking forward to it.

Much love,
Sarah

“Who Am I” - Sarah P. - Album Cover - Photo by Christoph Neumann
Album cover photo by Christoph Neumann

“Who Am I” is out on May 12, 2017, via EraseRestart. The first single “Berlin During Winter” will be released with the start of the new year, in early January.

“Who Am I” was written in Berlin and produced at Artracks Studios, Athens.

Song titles:

  1. A Letter From Urban Street
  2. ForgetRegret
  3. Away From Me
  4. Instead Of You
  5. LoveStory
  6. Summer Prince
  7. Who Am I
  8. Millennial Girl
  9. To You
  10. Berlin During Winter