Sarah Jaffe
Sarah Jaffe (born January 29, 1986) is an American singer-songwriter from D… Read Full Bio ↴Sarah Jaffe (born January 29, 1986) is an American singer-songwriter from Denton, Texas. Her first full-length album, Suburban Nature, was released in May 2010.
If there is one thing that Sarah Jaffe will never have to contend with it is the idea that she is a female singer for females. There once was a time that being a female singer meant you would undoubtedly be put into an all too snug box. Is she an angry singer? An activist singer? A singer for the victimor the singer your mom bonds with you over? To be honest, when Sarah’s new CD Suburban Nature was released on May 18th she inserted herself into and destroyed all those boxes simultaneously, because Sarah is a truth singer...and no matter who or what we are we all need and want our singers to be truth singers. Jaffe’s words and voice seem like they are speaking to you, only to you, yet they contain a universal appeal evidenced by the fact that she has recently toured with Midlake and Norah Jones -- two completely different audiences who Jaffe, equally endearing and confident, easily won over.
Growing up in Red Oak, Texas, might not be ideal circumstances for breeding the kind of talent that is encompassed in Sarah’s songs, but it does beg the question of nature verses nurture. What we have in us before we are even us, and what we interpret because of life circumstances. Writing since her early teens, many of the songs featured on Suburban Nature were written long before she could even enter the clubs where they are now performed.
Interestingly enough the first single “Vulnerable,” was written when Sarah was only 17, long before even the material on her first EP, the acclaimed Even Born Again, was produced. Even so, it comprises everything that matters about her voice. If there is one thread that flows through all of Sarah’s work, it is grappling with the self-serving cycles that are in all of us, and the aftermath that those needs deal out. “I’m a fan of life’s wicked ironies. These things that reveal the truth from an aerial view nowhere near your perspective of the situation, and through these realizations you find redemption.” And so it is with Suburban Nature.
From opening track “Before You Go,” everything sounds as wide and deep as the Grand Canyon, the sonic spread covering every degree of the mix. It’s thick enough to feel when you breathe, but spatial enough to allow for the one thing that truly matters with singer/songwriters: their voice. When talking to the album's producer and engineer John Congleton (St Vincent, Polyphonic Spree, Explosions in the Sky, Clinic) about the spacious feel of the album, he had this to say on the matter: “I think it was intentional. Both Sarah’s and my feelings on this was that the vocal should be the focal point have as much space as possible, while the music provided an emotional backdrop.”
Skilled players such as Kris Youmans - cello (Bill Callahan, The Paper Chase, Micah P Hinson) Becki Howard – violin (The Crash That Took Me) Jeff Ryan – percussion (The Baptist Generals, St Vincent, Pleasant Grove) and Robert Gomez - guitar (as himself) provide this essential emotional backdrop. Just take a listen to “Pretender” for an example of the power and talent contained in this group of players. Layers of moveable music float in, out, under and over lines such as “So here we stand, like flowers in the cold, wilt and wither/Here's your chance/Tell me what you want/I'm a forgiver.” In other situations the group provide the perfect backbeat so Sarah is free to spin yarn that might not always be fact, but like we said, is certainly truth.
On “Clementine,” she sings, “We were young, we were young, we were young, we didn't care.” Although only 24 you actually believe her. You believe her because you believe that no matter what her actual age, she lived through the war of a relationship or fifty that aged her to her core, and now her soul speaks to yours in the places where you have aged, and set down roots that flow as grid in a suburb becoming part of your nature. This is why we need singers like Sarah Jaffe and albums like Suburban Nature: We need a truth singer to be a soothsayer, and help heal us in the broken places of our time.
Since the release of Suburban Nature, Sarah has toured constantly, hitting both Europe and the US with Midlake, as well as supporting such varied artists as Norah Jones, Lou Barlow, Centro-matic and Old 97s. “Clementine” Sarah’s debut single reached the #1 spot at various radio stations including Austin’s influential KGSR and Sirus’ Spectrum. Sarah and Suburban Nature landed in many 2010 “Best of Lists” including: Paste Magazine’s 10 Best New Solo Artists, 50 Best Albums, and 50 Best Songs; Amazon.com’s Best Albums and Song’s; USA Today’s Pop Candy 100 People of 2010.
Sarah released The Way Sound Leaves a Room, a CD/DVD combo in Fall 2011. In early 2012, Sarah released the follow up to Suburban Nature, The Body Wins.
If there is one thing that Sarah Jaffe will never have to contend with it is the idea that she is a female singer for females. There once was a time that being a female singer meant you would undoubtedly be put into an all too snug box. Is she an angry singer? An activist singer? A singer for the victimor the singer your mom bonds with you over? To be honest, when Sarah’s new CD Suburban Nature was released on May 18th she inserted herself into and destroyed all those boxes simultaneously, because Sarah is a truth singer...and no matter who or what we are we all need and want our singers to be truth singers. Jaffe’s words and voice seem like they are speaking to you, only to you, yet they contain a universal appeal evidenced by the fact that she has recently toured with Midlake and Norah Jones -- two completely different audiences who Jaffe, equally endearing and confident, easily won over.
Growing up in Red Oak, Texas, might not be ideal circumstances for breeding the kind of talent that is encompassed in Sarah’s songs, but it does beg the question of nature verses nurture. What we have in us before we are even us, and what we interpret because of life circumstances. Writing since her early teens, many of the songs featured on Suburban Nature were written long before she could even enter the clubs where they are now performed.
Interestingly enough the first single “Vulnerable,” was written when Sarah was only 17, long before even the material on her first EP, the acclaimed Even Born Again, was produced. Even so, it comprises everything that matters about her voice. If there is one thread that flows through all of Sarah’s work, it is grappling with the self-serving cycles that are in all of us, and the aftermath that those needs deal out. “I’m a fan of life’s wicked ironies. These things that reveal the truth from an aerial view nowhere near your perspective of the situation, and through these realizations you find redemption.” And so it is with Suburban Nature.
From opening track “Before You Go,” everything sounds as wide and deep as the Grand Canyon, the sonic spread covering every degree of the mix. It’s thick enough to feel when you breathe, but spatial enough to allow for the one thing that truly matters with singer/songwriters: their voice. When talking to the album's producer and engineer John Congleton (St Vincent, Polyphonic Spree, Explosions in the Sky, Clinic) about the spacious feel of the album, he had this to say on the matter: “I think it was intentional. Both Sarah’s and my feelings on this was that the vocal should be the focal point have as much space as possible, while the music provided an emotional backdrop.”
Skilled players such as Kris Youmans - cello (Bill Callahan, The Paper Chase, Micah P Hinson) Becki Howard – violin (The Crash That Took Me) Jeff Ryan – percussion (The Baptist Generals, St Vincent, Pleasant Grove) and Robert Gomez - guitar (as himself) provide this essential emotional backdrop. Just take a listen to “Pretender” for an example of the power and talent contained in this group of players. Layers of moveable music float in, out, under and over lines such as “So here we stand, like flowers in the cold, wilt and wither/Here's your chance/Tell me what you want/I'm a forgiver.” In other situations the group provide the perfect backbeat so Sarah is free to spin yarn that might not always be fact, but like we said, is certainly truth.
On “Clementine,” she sings, “We were young, we were young, we were young, we didn't care.” Although only 24 you actually believe her. You believe her because you believe that no matter what her actual age, she lived through the war of a relationship or fifty that aged her to her core, and now her soul speaks to yours in the places where you have aged, and set down roots that flow as grid in a suburb becoming part of your nature. This is why we need singers like Sarah Jaffe and albums like Suburban Nature: We need a truth singer to be a soothsayer, and help heal us in the broken places of our time.
Since the release of Suburban Nature, Sarah has toured constantly, hitting both Europe and the US with Midlake, as well as supporting such varied artists as Norah Jones, Lou Barlow, Centro-matic and Old 97s. “Clementine” Sarah’s debut single reached the #1 spot at various radio stations including Austin’s influential KGSR and Sirus’ Spectrum. Sarah and Suburban Nature landed in many 2010 “Best of Lists” including: Paste Magazine’s 10 Best New Solo Artists, 50 Best Albums, and 50 Best Songs; Amazon.com’s Best Albums and Song’s; USA Today’s Pop Candy 100 People of 2010.
Sarah released The Way Sound Leaves a Room, a CD/DVD combo in Fall 2011. In early 2012, Sarah released the follow up to Suburban Nature, The Body Wins.
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Sarah Jaffe Lyrics
Adeline You can never know enough about what's underneath I keep upr…
Alone with the Owl Alone with the owls howling "pain, pain, pain" Alone with th…
As Ever The internet is killing me slowly but surely Surfing the web…
Backwards/Forwards No, you first well you brought it up I'm just swimming…
Bad Baby I knew my gut reaction was right In the timeliest fashion I…
Before You Go My heart pretends Not to know how it ends Yes, hello self-es…
Better Than Nothing How can someone who wants to be loved Hate it when…
Between In the middle of every extreme There is a part where…
Black Hoax Lie When you're on your way to the bottom At least you…
Blame It Blame it on a full moon (blame, blame, blame it) Whatever's…
Clementine Fifty states Fifty lines Fifty, 'Crying all the times' Fifty…
Defense Always on the defense Think it's just my reflex I don't wann…
Doctor's Orders I ignored the doctor's orders I rebelled for the day Pat mys…
Don't Disconnect Pretty soon I've got to go the soon I leave the sooner…
Either Way Communication lost Total disregard It's not what I paid for …
Even Born Again I'm testament to old and new There's a thin red river…
Explode I got a reputation to uphold Can't hold it back, can…
Fangs She can mean and unkind The good needs a place to…
Fatalist These are the same thoughts that I had yesterday Oh lady,…
Foggy Field Some Dreams make you feel lonely But only for a moment Only…
Freaking Out How does the heart break for some? How long does it…
Glorified High And you wonder why your eyes got sore and wide It's…
Halfway Right Found a cold spot in the water In the summer Which was…
Hang with Me If you say go, I'll go If you wanted to take…
Hard Act to Follow Moon river with the lights down low That's a hard pill…
Help Yourself One, two, one, two, three, four Fuck One, two, one, two, thr…
Hooray for Love Memories are the finest of flowers A bridge is all I…
It Can Only Get Better Seven eleven Swisher sweet Walking downtown Empty street My…
Leaving The Planet All the chemicals in your brain All the feelings that you…
Look Away No hesitation No doubt in my mind Supposed to look like Supp…
Lover Girl Give me one more smile I steal it from your face We…
Luv This L-U-V Is a B-I-G L-O-A-D A P-I-L-E Of B-U-L-L S-H-I-T …
Manifestations Are you by any chance related to I took a second…
Mannequin Woman Life like a b-side, a medicated verse Fall in the frontline,…
Next Time I'll catch you next time I'm on a red eye standing…
No Worries Ain't no skin off my back there's nothing to it I…
Not Dead I'm not dead yet I'm not dead yet I'm not dead yet I'm…
One Hit One Wonder Yeah, yeah I had this feeling that I had pent up…
Paul On the seventh day we set aside our brains From an…
Perfect Plan Get in my head Go right ahead Fill the body with junk Fill…
Pretender Here's your chance I give you what you want I am a…
Pretender Part 1 I climbed up that tree 'Cause this feeling's in me That nobo…
Pretender Pt. 1 I climbed up that tree Cause this feeling's in me That nob…
Revelation Revelation scared the hell out of me As a child, I…
Ride It Out Middle of the line, middle of the road Nowhere to hide…
Satire Rainbow of my night This would make a good satire Rainbow of…
Shift My world, my world keeps shifting My axis keeps tilting I mi…
Slow Pour Caramel that's how you stick to me your words are soft and…
SMUT "Are you still reading smut? Give me a call, I got…
Some People Will Tell You Most people tell you they're different Most people tell you …
Stay With Me You say go, I'll go If you wanted to take it…
Sucker for Your Marketing Whatever you put out I'm gonna buy it So what's…
Summer Begs Somewhere someone's sleeping Somewhere someone's weeping S…
Swelling Hello How do you feel? What does that mean? What does that m…
Synthetic Love All that power you created, in your own mind you…
Talk All my young life I've opened my mouth too many times Now…
The Body Wins The body always wins Took my ignorant luck and divided it…
The Way Sound Leaves a Room For years it would settle there Til you called it out…
This / That For a second I forgot that I could have my…
Two Intangibles Can't Be Had I love you in all the dangerous ways Keep my heart…
Under Ain't in love with the world I'm just in love with…
Vision You sound like hardcore You sound like new wave Singer-songw…
Vulnerable You're such a baby It's just a nosebleed Leave me for a…
Watch Me Fall Apart You said once you were sad But I don't believe you You're…
When You Rest Would have asked me if I didn't tell For each little…
Wreaking Havoc You plus one Me plus none Like a bag of bones Drag my…
Your Return Give me a clean slate Let's take it from the…