Sarah Angel is an internationally performing singer, piano player, and song writer, from Seattle, WA.
Interview conducted July 1st, 2020
By Dan Locke
Sarah Angel is an internationally performing pianist, singer and songwriter from Seattle, WA. An avid entertainer Sarah has traveled to over 68 countries, with Holland America cruise line, and more recently Billboard Music, in association with the Billboard On Board piano show.
You are from Seattle Washington, What is your upbringing?
I was raised in a Christian household; I have five siblings three of them are triplets. We were homeschooled so that we could spend more time learning music and I started piano at a very young age. My mom wanted us to be very musical because she and my dad loves music so much. We all play many instruments and 3 of us are professional musicians.
How did you discover music?
I saw my mom playing the piano and singing when I was about 6 years old, it moved me to tears because she was so talented and her voice sounded so pretty. I told her “I want to play just like you!” This is probably the first time I really knew I wanted to play the piano and sing.
How did you start to write music?
I wrote my first song at about 10 years old, called “The Happy Sonatina”. It was written as a classical piece (without lyrics); my aunt, my mom ‘s twin sister, helped me notate it on manuscript paper. I was very proud and showed it to my teacher and everyone. I still have the sheet music! I loved the feeling I got when I played it for people because it was my song. Shortly after that I started writing songs and lyrics, it wasn’t till many years later when I wanted to share them with people however.
Do people mix you up with the R and B singer Sarah Angel?
They haven’t yet and I’m not sure about her name, but my birth name (name on my birth certificate) is Sarah Angel. Angel Is a derivative of Angelakis, our surname in the 1940s, before my grandparents immigrated to the US! In Greek Angelakis means “Tiny Angel”, I am really happy that they didn’t go with that because Sarah TinyAngel sounds weird!
What was your first performance like?
I was very young and playing at a recital, but I remember I enjoyed it. People always commented on how emotional I was as a performer. My first performance singing my songs was in college and people cried when I performed my music. I was very surprised they were touched to this extent!
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
I’m not sure what song was the first I wrote, but the first song I ever recorded was a song called “Crystal Oliverii”, written for my best friend at the time. I was 20 or 21. This song is still on Spotify and has a unique sound to it, it still goes through my head every once a while. It’s a song about friendship, which I write about often. The song “Sob Story” on my new album is about being friends with people who are going through lots of drama in their personal life. Sometimes it’s annoying, but you wouldn’t want to live life without them so you are there for them anyway – “Tell me your sob story” is the beginning line of the chorus!
Since you are from Seattle, have you played Bumbershoot?
I have not but I would love to! I’ve been many times. It’s a very fun music festival.
Do you know why an umbrella is call a Bumbershoot?
Wow. I have no idea; I will have to look it up now! I stopped using an umbrella years ago because it rained so much in Seattle! My raincoat collection was very impressive back when I was living in the city.
I lived in Tacoma WA, from 1990 to 1996. During my time there, I saw many great bands playing in little bands including Heart (the Lovemongers), Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. Have you had a chance to see any big bands in a small bar?
These bands were all huge bands by the time I was frequenting Seattle bars, I always dreamt of walking into a random dive bar and seeing Ann and Nancy Wilson singing and playing play, but it never happened. The first piano bar I ever worked at was 88 Keys in Pioneer Square, downtown Seattle. We would often have celebrities come in and I was waiting for the day a famous musician came in. Dave Grohl actually walked in and had a few drinks once. That was a memory! I would cover all these songs and take the requests from the audience for “Seattle” band music, but I never got the chance to play the covers for the artists themselves, unfortunately.
How did you start to perform on a cruise?
I first auditioned for Holland America Line – “HAL”, in 2015, long story short I worked for HAL as a solo piano bar entertainer for a while before expanding to other shows on other cruise lines. This first job opened the door to those other experiences and I’m very thankful to have had that first opportunity. I told the story in detail in my Forbes magazine profile article, it’s worth a read for any musician thinking of starting out on cruise ships.
How is it to perform on a cruise liner?
It can be a wild and wacky world living aboard a cruise ship. I don’t get seasick and Ideally love the ocean and I love to travel, and I’ve been to almost 70 countries. I love meeting people and I really liked the “travel-while-you-sleep” aspect of cruising. The job itself is probably one of the best jobs on the ship, usually the schedule is set for your entire contract, complete with days off and a “guest-entertainer” status, which means you can get off at any port that you want to and come and go as you like – you’re essentially a guest on board working as an entertainer at nights. When the ship is docked. This is not a common status for almost any other crew member, and there are many more restrictions for crew members, so I was very fortunate to have a job like this one. I’m not sure I would sign up for a different type of job aboard ships!
What type of schedule do you have to maintain as you work the cruise?
For the most part I slept at night after my show, and got off the ship in port each morning, even if only for a walk around the port, or to go to the beach on whatever Caribbean island we were docked in. I would come back around lunchtime and then late afternoon; I would start getting ready for our show and go to dinner. On days off I would try to focus on a writing project, or I would get ready and go out to one of the nicer restaurants and maybe go to a show on the ship to support the other entertainers on board.
You also performed around the world by playing the piano in piano bars, how did you enjoy it?
I genuinely loved performing at these solo piano bars in Europe and in the Caribbean. These experiences were very unique and exciting. Americans would walk into these piano bars and they’d be stunned and amazed that American woman was working there. I met and made friends with people from all over the world and I’ve built friendships with the bar staff from these bars as well after going back to these jobs several times. I learned so much about living and working in other countries and I love the multicultural aspect of these jobs. I feel very much like a citizen of the world because of these opportunities.
How creative can you be in your playing while you are at a piano bar?
There is an abundance of opportunities for creativity and fun while playing and singing at these piano bars, I think that’s what makes these performances so fun and unique because the performer has control of the room and can take the show in any direction. Depending on the patrons in the bar, each night, the show can really go in any direction and can become very entertaining. The guests themselves become the entertainers in a way as they all rally together to sing all the words to the famous songs I’d play. Hearing the Dutch sing “Piano Man” at the top of their lungs is very funny.
Did you see yourself as the next Billy Joel?
I have always resonated more with Elton John in terms of style, but I do love Billy Joel’s music and perform his songs often! On my new album there’s a song called “More To Life” – fashioned in a way after Elton John’s piano rock style of performing from the 1970s that I really enjoy. At one point in the song I wrote a rock ‘n’ roll piano solo with Elton John in mind – it’s a lot of fun to play!
Tell me about your album “Surrender”
Surrender is a very special album for me, and the song “Surrender” on the album is about a very sad loss in my Love life, someone I cared for very deeply, who walked out of my life seemingly without any trouble at all. It broke my heart but through it I was able to fully surrender my life to God and to finally fulfill my life’s purpose which is to make music – something I had avoided for many years, burying myself and other hobbies and passions, Even though I knew I was supposed to be writing music but was running from my life’s mission. The album surrender is all about surrendering to God, to love, and to things we were meant for but that we run from
Why did you pick that as a title?
Surrender is the only ballad on the album and it was the song that had the most powerful meaning to me. It also seemed fitting because of the things I had been through to get to the point of saying “I surrender” to God, and to my purpose in life.
What is your favorite track on the album?
That’s a tough one but the song “Angel” is probably my favorite song. I wrote it several years ago about America ‘s obsession with perfection and beauty. I spent much of my life trying to attain perfection and I was very hard on myself because of the way that the beauty industry speaks about women and it wasn’t until recently – in the last few years – that I finally realized it was OK not to be physically flawless like I have been striving for so long.
How was your EP different then from your LP?
I cannot count the ways! It could not have been more different. I had very little creative control over the EP, and this record I produced almost entirely on my own. I worked with a producer who acted as an engineer during this album. There were always a lot of ideas about how the song should go, or could go, I stuck with my gut about my original songs that I wrote and produced them the way that I liked and they turned out phenomenally.
This was a fear of mine for years that a producer would try to change my songs and ruin them. Thankfully in this case I was the sole producer and I had creative control over my songs and I’m so thankful to Blash Studios doing a great job engineering the album, but ultimately allowing me to produce each song the way it was written to be produced!
How do you stay healthy while touring?
I don’t drink as much as I used to, so staying healthy has gotten much easier. In general, I eat a lot of fruits and veggies and stick to a walking regimen almost every day. I also do strength training and yoga and I enjoy running. On cruise ships there’s always a gym, and in other countries I do a lot of walking as I usually don’t have a car.
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
I think it’s great! The more music out there the better I think in particular young people are desperately in need of good music that is exciting and also gives them hope in a time of so many uncertainties. I can’t wait to add mine to the mix!
Digital vs. vinyl?
Oh man I really love vinyl; I have a collection from when I was a teenager. I have always loved the sound of the record player and the nostalgia that comes when you place the needle on the truck. I plan to put Surrender on vinyl and sign the first hundred copies or so!
What are your feelings about the social uprising going on in the United States?
This is a tough subject for me and I’m not sure I can add anything positive to this conversation. I hope we can come together as a country and find some common ground. I hope that people heal from all of the bad things that have happened to them.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? And what is the meaning that song means to you?
The Chain from Fleetwood Mac. I’m on a road trip right now and listening to a lot of Classic Rock. I love these old recordings. They carry such good energy and are so much more authentic than many of the current songs I listen to, in their form and arrangement and just the way they were put on the track. They weren’t overly produced or manufactured.
How do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
I’m not sure, I really hope things go back to normal. Soon. But even if they don’t, I still believe there’s a place for live music in our society.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
My father died of ALS at the end of April so it was bittersweet to have this time off to spend time with him before his passing. I was sent home early from my ship contract aboard the Norwegian Breakaway and he went downhill faster than we expected, so it was amazing the way it all worked out because I’m not sure I would have gotten home in time otherwise.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
Actually, I’ve been sewing a lot. Something I hadn’t done in several years and I’ve really been enjoying it.
I also started producing videos for YouTube, something I wanted to do forever but never had the time to – now I’m making videos and I love it! More coming very soon.
Who created the video title for your videos?
I did. I did some light research to see what really caught people’s interest and tried to name my videos something catchy!
Many people are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You did something different. You did a DIY restoration project on a piano shell. Do you do any other DIY projects?
Yes, actually I’ve done many of these types of projects but never made a video out of it. Now I plan to really produce a lot of videos for my YouTube channel. Even though I just started I’m really committed to it. It’s a wonderful way to share my talents and passions with other people.
Do you think it will be possible to make a living doing concerts this way?
I’m not sure. It’s not something I am personally excited about, but who’s to say what I’ll be excited about in a few months from now. I adapt very well in difficult circumstances, and I’m a firm believer that if you’re good at something, you CAN make a living from it, even if you have to adapt to a new or more difficult way.
This week Live Nation announced their first ever U.S. drive-in concert series — LIVE FROM THE DRIVE-IN — This will bring fans a live music tailgating experience unlike any other, kicking off July 10-12 in Indianapolis, IN, Nashville, TN, and St. Louis, MO. Brad Paisley will headline performances in all three cities, marking the start of a much anticipated return to in person live events. Darius Rucker and Jon Pardi will also headline the series. Is this something you would be willing to do?
Of course, this sounds very exciting and I would jump at a chance to perform in something like this.
With Social Distance being the norm. Do you feel that it may be the end of music fest for the next couple of years?
I have no idea, it’s difficult to say at this point, but my hope is that we get back to normal as soon as possible.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
My preference is toward live performances, but to each their own, and who knows – maybe I’d think differently if I saw it in real time.
How do you see yourself in the next five years?
I want to produce albums for other people. I realized while making the Surrender Album that I could really help develop other people’s albums because I am a songwriter and musician and I have a knack for arranging. I arranged all my own songs. I’d also like to produce a couple more albums of my own in the next few years!
Anything you would like to say in closing?
Thank you so much Dan for giving me these well-thought-out questions! And for taking the time to watch my YouTube video. I have a lot more to share and I’m really excited to see where this album goes. I also happen to be a fan of the military. The song Dear Grandpa on my album pays homage to the military with a reference to a “21-gun salute”, it was written in honor of my Grandfather who was a Chief in the Navy. My dad and older brother were also in the military.
Lastly, my brother Jonathan Angel plays trumpet on my album and my brother Timothy Angel plays violin on my album; both are professional musicians and I was very excited to include them on the album.
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