Sarah McQuaid
Interview conducted on February 03, 2021
By Dan Locke
Cornwall-based singer/songwriter Sarah McQuaid is delighted to announce the release of the first two singles and videos from her forthcoming album, concert film and video series, The St Buryan Sessions.
Cornwall-based singer/songwriter Sarah McQuaid is delighted to announce the release of “The Silence Above Us,” the first of two singles and videos from her forthcoming album, concert film and video series, The St Buryan Sessions.
Released worldwide on Friday January 29, “The Silence Above Us” is the first single from The St Buryan Sessions, filmed and recorded live (with no audience due to COVID-19) last summer in the beautiful church of St Buryan, Cornwall, parts of which date back to the 11th century.
The YouTube video premiere, with Sarah on hand in the chat to answer questions and respond to comments, will follow on Saturday 30 January at 8pm UK time (12 noon PST, 1pm MOST, 2pm CST, 3pm EST, 9pm CET, 7am the following morning in Sydney).
A similar premiere/watch party event will take place on Sarah’s Facebook page on the Sunday, with the same timings.
A second single, “Charlie’s Gone Home,” will be released on Friday, February 19, once again with video premieres on YouTube and Facebook on the Saturday and Sunday.
How did you discover music?
My earliest memories having to do with music involve my mother. Anytime we were on a long car journey we’d always sing songs to pass the time, and every night when I was little she used to sit outside my bedroom and play her guitar and sing. I’d have the door cracked open just a tiny bit, so I could see the light shining in from the next room, and I used to call out requests for songs I wanted to hear. She’d say “Are you still awake? Oh, all right then …”
How did you start to write music?
My mother started teaching me how to play the piano when I was about three or four years old, and guitar a few years after that — basically as soon as I was big enough to hold a guitar. I started writing songs right away, and I also tried my hand at writing little instrumental numbers on the piano. I think I still have the sheet music I wrote out for some of those early songs.
Describe your music.
That’s something I’ve always struggled to do! My music doesn’t seem to fit into any particular genre, which is something reviewers generally mention as a positive, but it makes it difficult to get radio airplay and build up a fan base because I can’t define and pigeonhole what I do. I’m always striving to write songs that have a timeless quality and that people can relate to their own lives and be emotionally affected by — that’s about as specific as I can get!
How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?
When I first started playing guitar, I was playing my mother’s old classical guitar, which I still have. Then I got a little older and friends of mine were playing guitar as well, and I noticed that they all seemed to be playing steel-string guitars. I told my mother that I wanted a steel-string guitar for my 14th birthday, and she took me to a local music shop that sold secondhand guitars, where I picked out a Yamaha FG-375S. As commercially made guitars go, it’s a really nice one, and I still have it although I haven’t played it in years!
What is your guitar of choice now? Year, make and model?
My guitar of choice is a custom-made acoustic guitar that was made for me in January 2009 by a wonderful luthier called Andy Manson.
What was your first performance at like?
My first performances as such were as a member of the Chicago Children’s Choir, but then when I got to be a teenager I started playing guitar at school assemblies — those were my first performances of my own songs. And then when I was 18 I went to study in France for a year and joined a band there, so my first public performances were as part of that band.
What makes a good songwriter?
The ability to write songs that other people can relate to. And if you write a song that other performers want to play and record, that’s when you know you’ve succeeded!
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?
I belong to IMRO, the Irish Music Rights Organisation, and also to PRS, which is the UK equivalent of IMRO.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
I don’t think the first song I wrote had a title! I was about eight years old, so it wasn’t a particularly good song, but I’m pretty sure I made a recording of it on my mother’s little cassette player. I probably still have it somewhere.
Tell me about your video series, forthcoming album concert film “The St Buryan Sessions”?
I was on tour in Germany when Covid hit, and had to cut the tour short and dash home before the borders closed. So the question became what to do now. I’d always wanted to make a live album — I feel like there’s a magical quality to a live performance that you just don’t get with a studio recording — and I also wanted to have a really good video of a live performance. So I started up a crowdfunding campaign and raised enough money to be able to pay for the recording and filming, with multiple cameras and ambient microphones placed around the church to capture the natural acoustic of the space. I’m really excited about what we achieved — I think it’s by far the best thing I’ve ever done, and I’m also hoping that by releasing videos every few weeks with watch party/premiere events, I can stay in touch with my audience and keep them interested even if it’s a long time before I can perform live again.
Why did you pick St. Buyan Church for your recording?
It’s a beautiful, beautiful old church, with stunning woodwork and stonework and stained glass, so I knew it would be a lovely setting with lots of visual interest for the videos; and because I’ve been singing in the choir there for years, it’s also a place where I feel really comfortable and at home.
How was it with no audience?
It was a little bit strange, but with the recording and camera crew there I wasn’t totally on my own — they were the audience, in effect — and I think the magic of the space itself helped to create the atmosphere that would normally be generated by a live audience.
How was the release of your first video?
It was lovely! We had 40-odd people watching and commenting live during the premiere, which was fewer than I hoped but more than I feared, but then the viewer numbers shot up very quickly, so even if people weren’t there for the actual event, they were tuning in very soon afterwards. I’m hoping that by keeping the new videos coming out on a regular basis over the coming year, we can build up an audience and keep growing those numbers.
Your second video release “Charlie Gone Home” come out this Feb. Tell me about it?
I recorded “Charlie’s Gone Home” on the first album I ever made as a solo artist, way back in 1997, so it goes right back to the start of my career. It’s a song about the strange mixture of loneliness and relief you get when a person who’s kind of taken over your life finally leaves, and you’re there cleaning the house and feeling glad that your life can get back to an even keel, but also feeling sad that they’re gone … It’s one that’s always drawn a really strong response from people — I get a lot of requests for it at my gigs — so it was important for me to include it in this project.
What is your favorite track on the album?
Oooh, that’s a tough one — I think it’s the one track on the album that’s new to me. It’s one I didn’t write, and haven’t recorded or performed before, so I’m quite excited about it … but I don’t want to say what it is just yet, because that would ruin the surprise!
How do you stay healthy while performing?
Mostly by trying to make sure I get enough sleep. I also try to eat a good diet, lots of fruits and veggies and so on, but that’s not very easy when you’re on the road!
What are your feelings about streaming music?
I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand it’s great that people can discover my music by accident, and that they can listen to a song without having to invest in an album. But then on the other hand, when I make an album I pay a lot of attention to the order of the tracks and how one song flows into another, and if people are just streaming music in a random mix, that flow gets totally lost. And of course there’s the whole issue of payment for streaming ….
Digital vs. vinyl?
I personally love vinyl, but it’s very expensive to make! I’m hoping to do a limited-edition double LP of the new album when it comes out.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
Well, last night we watched the film “T2 – Trainspotting” on video, so a bunch of the songs from the soundtrack has been going through my head — the one I woke up with as an earworm this morning is “It’s Like That” by Run DMC! Which certainly seems appropriate for the times we’re going through: “Unemployment at a record high / People coming, people going, people born to die / Don’t ask me, because I don’t know why / But it’s like that, and that’s the way it is …”
You were on tour at the start of the virus. What were you thinking at that time?
I was just wondering whether or not I’d be able to finish the tour … And as it turns out I didn’t!
Both (Pfizer and BioNTech) and Moderna have conclude Phase 3 Study of the Coronavirus vaccine. With the both vaccine, it takes two shots. How many people do you think will take it and how many will forget to take the second shot?
Oh, I have no idea. I just hope that everyone who gets offered the vaccine takes it, and that they also take the second shot as well.
To make things a bit more complex, There is talk that people could either mix the manufactures of the vaccines or in the case of Moderna studies have show you could take a half doses for the first shot and still be alright for the second vaccine. Do you feel that this is right?
I’m not a vaccine expert, but I think it’s important that governments listen to the people who ARE vaccine experts and base their policy decisions on what the experts say.
How long before the whole world will be vaccinated against the virus. You have to remember there only has to be a 70% for Herd immunity (Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community (the herd) becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who are immune.)
It’s really hard to know what’s going to happen — all we can do is hope for the best.
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
Yes, it’s been devastating for live music and for all those who make a living from it — not just artists but crew and venue staff too. I’m absolutely furious at the UK government for doing so little to support this industry and the people who work in it. I think it’s going to take a long, long time — generations, probably — before the music scene recovers from the blow it’s been dealt.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
Trying to stay as productive as possible. I was lucky enough to be awarded an Arts Council “Developing Your Creative Practice” grant to take music composition lessons, so I’ve been doing weekly lessons online, learning loads about theory and writing lots of new music.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
No, I’ve mostly been focused on improving my musical skills.
95% of people said that they have changed the way they watch television. This includes people who don’t have television and using their computers to do streaming of programs and movies. Which is your favorite streaming channel?
We’ve never had television reception as such — we got rid of our TV before we had kids, and they’re teenagers now — so we’ve always been dependent on streaming, and lockdown hasn’t changed that. Netflix is what we watch most, mainly because it’s the only paid streaming service we subscribe to. But we also watch BBC iPlayer, and every now and then if there’s a film we really want to watch that isn’t on Netflix, we splurge out and rent it via Amazon Prime Video.
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will includes [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.
How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?
My understanding of those new regulations is that they’re not aimed at artists playing their own material live on Facebook, but rather at people who are using Facebook as a kind of podcasting platform; the regulations are there to ensure that people don’t make use of recorded music without paying the artists and songwriters involved. So I’m entirely in favour of that!
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?
That’s what I’m trying to achieve with this video series — I don’t have a good enough Internet connection to be able to livestream, plus I wanted to make sure that what I put out was a quality production that would stand the test of time — so the idea is that the video premiere events help me to stay in touch with fans and interact with them in real-time. But it’s still no substitute for live in-person concerts, and I can’t wait to get back to touring when it becomes possible again.
Is pay to play still a thing? Now pay to play also means thinks like playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
Yes, I believe that still happens. It’s not something I can afford to do, so I don’t worry too much about it!
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
Oh, no doubt that’ll happen eventually! But I’d rather see live flesh and blood musicians performing.
Is Brexit hurting people touring? Do you feel betrayed by the UK government?
Yes, Brexit is a disaster for musicians like me who depend on touring in Europe for a big chunk of our living. I feel utterly betrayed and furious.
In the past if a musician stop doing music they find a new career. For example David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants.. If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?
The only other thing I’d want to do is write books … But I’ll keep pushing on with the music for the foreseeable future!
What is your happy place?
Walking in the woods with my family.
Spotify just deleted 750,00 songs, mostly from independent artists. Was yours saved?
All my stuff is still up on Spotify.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
Thanks so much, Dan, for taking the time to do this interview! I hope that if people read it they’ll feel moved to check out my music and watch some of the videos, and if they do that, I hope they like what they see and hear
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