Blasko was first heard in the mid-1990s fronting Sydney band, Acquiesce, after an initial tour of France with founding members Dave Hemmings, Paul Camilleri, and her sister Kate Halcrow. With material written by Blasko and Camilleri, they recorded a single and an EP with producer Hugh Wilson, receiving some local attention.
In 2002, Sarah decided to go solo. Material for the Prelusive EP - a result of initial explorative collaborations with Wilson but fully realised with Nick Schneider and Steve Francis - was originally recorded as demos. However, after becoming disillusioned with the indecisiveness and lack of solid commitment from the labels she met with, Blasko decided to release and promote the material independently. With the financial assistance of then-manager Craig New, she also produced a music video for the leading track, "Your Way".
The track was picked up by local community stations such as 2SER, as well as the national youth broadcaster, Triple J – who also gave light rotation to two other EP tracks, "Will You Ever Know" & "Be Tonight". "Your Way" was also featured on the test loop of fledgling Sydney community radio station 2FBi, when the station began to broadcast full-time.
After this initial success, Sarah was approached by and eventually signed to Brisbane-based label, Dew Process, who repackaged and re-released the EP. There are minor variations to the packaging of the major label release, which make the independent release slightly more valuable to collectors.
In late 2004, Blasko released her debut album, The Overture & the Underscore, recorded in Hollywood at the studio of engineer Wally Gagel. She co-produced the album with Gagel and fellow songwriter, Robert F Cranny.
The album was met with critical acclaim and received gold accreditation in Australia, despite limited commercial radio play. In 2005 Blasko was rewarded for her work with four ARIA nominations. Of particular note was her nomination for Album of the Year.
Sarah spent most of April 2006 recording her second album in Auckland, New Zealand at Roundhead Studio, the studio of Crowded House frontman Neil Finn.
Sarah produced the album with Robert F Cranny , and "Flame Trees" collaborator and Midnight Oil guitarist and keyboard player, Jim Moginie . The recording session was engineered by Paul McKercher, who has worked with numerous Australian bands including Glide, The Cruel Sea , You Am I and more recently Augie March.
The final addition to this all-Australian team was New York-based producer/engineer, Victor Van Vugt, who mixed the record. Van Vugt has worked on a number of Beth Orton records and has a long association with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds , mixing a number of their albums as well as some Mick Harvey solo work and production efforts such as PJ Harvey’s Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea.
The album was nominated for the 2006 J Award, and debuted at number 7 on the ARIA Albums Chart. It led to her first ARIA win for Best Pop Release at the 2007 ARIA awards and a nomination for Sarah for Best Female Artist.
After some posts detailing on her blog that Sarah would be soon releasing new material on a third album, on July 10, 2009 she released 'As Day Follows Night'. Produced by Bjorn Yttling of Peter, Bjorn & John and recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, the album was performed with a band of local Swedish musicians with comparatively little electronic production in contrast to her previous works. The end result was an album retaining Sarah's signature style of pop and trip hop, while adding some jazz influences to the mix. This release, along with her extensive touring across Australia resulted in her receiving the ARIA award for Best Female Artist and being nominated in two other categories.
Diverging from previous efforts, Sarah made a conscious effort on her third album to make her songs more intimate, closing the distance between herself and the listener. In an interview to The Brag magazine by Mike Gee, she states 'Generally the songs are more open and I didn't want to obscure them too much... I wanted the songs to be straight to the point. I wanted them to be like classic old pop songs in that they had that structure.'
In 2011, Sarah collaborated with two other artists, Sally Seltmann and Holly Throsby, to form a group named Seeker Lover Keeper. They released a namesake album in June of that year and promoted the record by touring churches around Australia.
October 2012 saw the return of Sarah's solo work in which she released her fourth independent record, 'I Awake'. In an effort to explore her family's heritage, she recorded the songs with the Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra. However, she was aware that recording such an album was risky. Sarah stated in an interview that she did not want the album to be 'watered down' or 'unnecessary'.
She is currently promoting the record by touring Australian cities in which she invited their respective orchestras to provide backing music. Most recently, she performed live in the Sydney Opera House where the concert was streamed live via Youtube. Soon, Sarah will embark on a European tour to promote her album overseas.
Cinders
Sarah Blasko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Slow burning cinders, three long years between
When we lit them in so much haste
High hazard seasons, houses laid to waste
Did you forget it all?
Do you listen when I call?
These fire trails lead north
Time has its reasons for letting go
Comes as it pleases. This new growth beneath
Where the branches are cracked and bowed
Covers the feelings these old scars still show
Did you forget it all?
Do you listen when I call?
These fire trails lead north
And slowly back in time
If only I could have escaped
Without turning back to take
Things that I could have replaced
You just can't return to these days
The song "Cinders" by Sarah Blasko is a reflection upon the aftermath of a destructive fire that happened years ago. The first part of the lyrics speaks of the danger of fires during the dry season, and how quickly they can spread if not handled carefully. The "slow burning cinders" are a metaphor for an unresolved past issue - something that had been ignited and then left to simmer for years. The second stanza talks about the passing of time, and how it eventually covers the pain and scars of the past, eventually leading to growth and healing.
The chorus has a tone of regret and a sense of longing for a time that cannot be returned to. The lyrics "Did you forget it all?" and "Do you listen when I call?" imply a dispute or a separation between two people who were affected by the fire, which led to one of them longing for the other. The final stanza speaks of how the singer wishes they could have left their old memories behind and moved on completely, but finds it difficult to do so.
Overall, "Cinders" is a poignant and introspective song filled with powerful metaphors and poetic language that makes it relatable to a wide range of people who have experienced loss, regret, and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
Slow falling whispers on pricked up ears
Hushed discussions that are heard with keen interest
Slow burning cinders, three long years between
Embers of an old flame still smoldering after a long time has passed
When we lit them in so much haste
Started the relationship without thinking about the consequences
High hazard seasons, houses laid to waste
Times when the danger of wildfires is high, destroying many homes
Did you forget it all?
Have you completely forgotten about our past relationship?
Do you listen when I call?
Do you pay attention to my attempts to reconnect?
These fire trails lead north
The path to rekindling our love starts with heading in the right direction
And slowly back in time
As we rebuild our relationship, we are forced to revisit old memories
Time has its reasons for letting go
Even if we want to hold on to something, time will ultimately force us to let go
Comes as it pleases. This new growth beneath
Time moves in its own way, and new things will grow in its wake
Where the branches are cracked and bowed
In the places where there is damage, like in our relationship, there is room for regrowth
Covers the feelings these old scars still show
New experiences and emotions can help heal the deep wounds of the past
If only I could have escaped
I wish I could have avoided all of the hurt and pain caused by our past relationship
Without turning back to take
Without feeling the need to cling onto the past and relive our old memories
Things that I could have replaced
Things from our relationship that I could have easily let go of
You just can't return to these days
It's impossible to bring back the past and relive those old memories exactly as they were
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BLASKO, CRANNY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
London2013
I love this song ! So relaxing a real feel good.
Cotterpin Doozer
Her live at the chapel version is totally sublime compared to the album version.
Josue Lopez
Cool sound, yo... She has smooth vocal chords, so smooth, oh, so very smooth...
Rachelkickyourass14
Thank you BONES for introducing me to an amazing singer.
Daniel N.
thanks for posting!