Sara Masterson

Artist Information

Biography

Sara Masterson is a folk rock singer/songwriter from Chicago. Her original music is fiery, dreamy and remarkable, with influences ranging from Joni Mitchell to Bjork. Her earthy vocals and catchy melodies capture your interest, while her candid, hopeful lyrics and powerful band arrangements invite you to come in and stay for the ride.

Sara stepped out as a solo artist in 2009 and began playing live in some of Chicago’s best music venues, building up a solid fan base through captivating live shows and grassroots marketing. Teaming up with her talented band rounded out Sara’s well-crafted folk songs into rock anthems with a dreamy edge. Her band arrangements morphed her pretty folk tunes into songs that fans said reminded them of a female-fronted Coldplay, with nuance and artistry that is surprising for such a young artist. Sara hit the studio in 2010 and emerged with ten songs, which make up the hopeful, dreamy and fiery landscape that is “We Don’t Belong,” her first full-length album.

Sara was chosen by Metromix Chicago as a local band to know, describing her as “Chicago’s dream rockers.” Sara’s music has already received some attention from radio stations, including UIC radio, the Artistic Freedom Collective Radio, Outside the Loop wluv 88.7, and the Cool Vibes Radio Acoustic Diner Podcast.

Sara has performed at venues throughout the Chicago, including:
The Hard Rock Cafe
The Elbo Room
Subterranean
The Heartland Café
Uncommon Ground
Midwest Acoustic Music Festival
Taste of Chicago
& many more

Sara is currently booking shows to promote her new album, “We Don’t Belong.”

Instrumentation

Sara Masterson - Vocals, keyboard
Steve Smith - keys, Acoustic
Aaron Griffith - Electric
Nathaniel Strenger - Drums
Kevin Jones - Bass

Discography

Hale Street Sessions EP: release date 3/05/09
We Don't Belong: release date 12/30/2010

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace
• Twitter

Audio

• Write Your Story
  Listen  
• We Don't Belong
  Listen  
• Tangle
  Listen  
• Bliss
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Bliss

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Around Hear: 2011 [+ Show ]
  

  Brightly illuminated with delicate ballads and folk-inspired dream-pop, We Don’t Belong is an aching...Brightly illuminated with delicate ballads and folk-inspired dream-pop, We Don’t Belong is an achingly gorgeous, accomplished debut album from Sara Masterson. Softly nestled in Luna/Cowboy Junkies territory, “Comes Of Love” rings with waves of chiming guitar and glinting keyboards, echoing the passionate yearning in her angelic voice. “I Write Your Story” floats on gently cresting keyboards sandwiched between glimmering guitars and softly pounding drums. Masterson’s control of those sorts of contrasts makes We Don’t Belong mesmerizing. (saramasterson.com)
  – Patrick Conlan

• Chicago's Dream Rockers [+ Show ]
  

  What makes your live show great? Well, we love rocking out and having fun, so the shows are alway...What makes your live show great?
  
  Well, we love rocking out and having fun, so the shows are always a great time. But we also want to give people musical experiences that are meaningful. Not just a great sound, but something that digs in a little deeper and reminds you there is still beauty and hope in this crazy world.
  
  Describe your sound in five words or less.
  
  Rock with a dreamy edge.
  
  Tell us something random about the band, and why that's significant.
  
  Sara is married to one of her bandmates, and the rest of the guys have been best friends for years. When we all teamed up, it really felt like a musical family.
  
  Who would you want to work with, and who would you never work with? Why?
  
  T-Bone Burnett. Definitely want to write a song with him at some point in life! We would never work with anyone who has starred in a reality show. It's just too much.
  
  If the band was a cartoon character, who would it be and why?
  
  Sara could be a nicer version of Daria--pretty, but trying not to fit into mainstream. The guys are definitely Ninja Turtles. They are so fun and smart! They all have or are working towards masters degrees or doctoral degrees.
  
  What's the best album you've heard recently?
  
  Brooke Fraser: "Flags"
  
  What song do you never want to hear again?
  
  No offense, but Lady Gaga. All of her songs are just played too much.
  
  What is Chicago's best music venue and why?
  
  Definitely the Metro or the Vic for seeing live music. We love those intimate venues where you feel like you really get to know the performer.
  
  Sara Masterson
  When: 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8
  Where: Uncommon Ground, 1214 W. Grace St.
  Price: Free; 773-929-3680

• Sara Masterson [+ Show ]
  

  http://theindiehandbook.wordpress.com/2009/04/02/sara-masterson/ "I’m listening to Sara Masters...http://theindiehandbook.wordpress.com/2009/04/02/sara-masterson/
  
  
  "I’m listening to Sara Masterson on myspace and loving iiiit. She just released a new EP called Hale Street Sessions, and I’m telling you all that you need to check out her myspace and then buy her E.P. She’s adorable, she’s coffeehouse, she’s acoustic/jazz, her voice is beautiful, and her lyrics are meaningful … so!… you have no reason not to love it. Plus, for those of you in or near Chicago, she’s a local, so check out her show schedule..."

Setlist

Sara can provide up to three hours of original music.

Basic Requirements

Calendar