Sadie & the Blue Eyed Devils

BuzzChips Interviews Sadie & the Blue Eyed Devils

The music of Sadie & the Blue Eyed Devils is a product of four very different, very eccentric, and very beautiful souls out of the Los Angeles area. Their sound can possibly be described as gypsy roots rock, though they maintain that what you hear within their sound says more about you than about them. Given their propensity for a wide range of instruments thrown together in catchy and unexpected ways, it can be said that depending on the moon, Sadie & the Blue Eyed Devils are DTF – Down To Folk. Two years ago the quartet bravely quit their jobs to dedicate themselves full-time to sharing their musical enlightenment with the masses.

The band is fronted by vocalist Sarah Coultas, who plays banjo, guitar, kazoo, ukulele, and maracas while serenading prettily. Jazzmin Gutierrez stands barefoot on all manner of stages while playing mandolin, trumpet, tambourine, ukulele, and washboard. Just behind the ladies is Andrew Narvaez, bringing the bass, guitar, keys, cowbell, and some sweet footwork. And finally, there is Anders LaSource delighting with drums, mandolin, keys, maracas, and the most enthusiastic washboard-playing exhibit in town.

Describe your mantra in a few words.

Jazz: Glitter.

Anders: The result of listening to a lot of Michael Jackson and a lot of old records. And praying to Michael Jackson.

Sarah: I think we’re a pistachio ice cream sundae with sardines and rainbow sprinkles and googly eyes on top.

Andrew: The best delusional fever you’ve ever experienced in your life.

Sarah: We’re like a Rorschach test.

Anders: You hear what you want to hear.

What are some themes in your music?

Sarah: There definitely are a lot of literary references in the lyrics. I would say probably every song has at least one author, book, poem, or philosopher that is either blatantly referenced or there’s a subtext. Heartbreak definitely tends to be inspirational for me. But at the same time it’s the kind of heartbreak or feeling that goes all the way through heartbreak into a kind of ecstasy I think.

Anders: A general sort of theme is taking the hang-ups that you get and making something happy out of them.

Andrew: A large musical theme is that uptempo, kind of happy-go-lucky vibe. We’re going to do our best to make you shake your ass to that song and get lost in it.

What artists influence your sound?

Anders: A real touchstone for all of us, even though our music might not necessarily sound like it, but a real point of reference for us is always Michael Jackson. And I think that to a certain extent has influenced kind of what we were saying earlier about making people want to move and making people want to dance and making people want to have a really good time. Michael Jackson, for all four of us, does that, he always makes us feel really, really great.

Andrew: I’m pretty ADD when it comes to music. I really range from blues artists and country, and then I’ll jump over to Cajun French music from the south from the early 20th century, and then go down to South America, and lots of classical as well. And then some straight up heavy punk. Anything that can evoke the feeling that I want to give to people.

Jazz: I listen to a lot of Johnny Cash. Some of my influences are just our friends, I think. The Lexingtons and Blackwater Jukebox. And Santoros, even though we don’t really play with them, they’re awesome.

Anders: There is a very fertile scene here in Los Angeles, particularly in Echo Park. There are a lot of great bands and a lot of great musicians. Everybody is sort of drawing from one another.

Sarah: Today I was listening to Carmen Miranda all day and that was amazing. I didn’t even know who Michael Jackson was until I was 10 because my mom was always watching the classic movie channels. I grew up on all the old musicals and I fully expected that one day my life would just somehow be like that. I think I still expect to walk out of the house into a musical sometimes. I used to want to be on Broadway. Really, I love music that tells a story. I believe that lyrics are really important and I write my lyrics as poetry first.

Describe your songwriting process.

Sarah: I write pretty compulsively and secretively. Usually a song starts out as a poem, or a piece of writing, or five pieces of writing that kind of end up gluing themselves together. Once in a while a song just comes out whole with a melody and everything. I’ll bring it to the band and play them something super simple.

Andrew: Most of the songs that come to us from Sarah are usually very bluesy or country. And when we get together as a unit it transforms into something totally different. There was a song that went through three different stages; where it started off like a blues song then it turned into a lounge vibe and now it’s a disco song. And we’re the most happy with it as that disco song. That’s such a huge goal for u - BuzzChips.com

With all of these new bands turning their eyes backward in time, it becomes something of a wash to find unique voices amongst the nostalgia. For Sadie and the Blue-Eyed Devils - an act that specializes in reviving the sounds of Dust Bowl-era music - the charm comes from the playfulness with which they approach their music (as displayed by their frequent utilizing of a kazoo), and the elasticity in the voice of frontwoman Sarah Coultas. Her effortless vocals lighten up the already sprightly proceedings of the Blue-Eyed Devils. In addition to the folk, bluegrass, and country trappings that come with this musical era, Sadie and the gang incorporate elements of less-frequent touchstones like ragtime and bossa nova. All of this, and the utter professionalism and musicality of the band, adds up for an experience that transcends revivalism. - northwestmilitary.com

With all of these new bands turning their eyes backward in time, it becomes something of a wash to find unique voices amongst the nostalgia. For Sadie and the Blue-Eyed Devils - an act that specializes in reviving the sounds of Dust Bowl-era music - the charm comes from the playfulness with which they approach their music (as displayed by their frequent utilizing of a kazoo), and the elasticity in the voice of frontwoman Sarah Coultas. Her effortless vocals lighten up the already sprightly proceedings of the Blue-Eyed Devils. In addition to the folk, bluegrass, and country trappings that come with this musical era, Sadie and the gang incorporate elements of less-frequent touchstones like ragtime and bossa nova. All of this, and the utter professionalism and musicality of the band, adds up for an experience that transcends revivalism. - northwestmilitary.com

Sadie and her Blue Eyed Devils might be our most adorable band, though we’re not 100% sure who’s a Devil and who’s a part of Blackwater Jukebox. We love Sadie’s mink and the fact that she uses one of those harmonica holders for her kazoo. One of our staffers would kill for the trumpeter’s hair.
- Couch by Couchwest

One of the great things about living in Los Angeles is that good music has a way of finding you, even when you least expect it. Maybe it’s because we are the entertainment capital of the world or perhaps it’s because Hollywood attracts some of the most impressive, ambitious artists, but our city is chock full of incredibly talented yet relatively unknown musicians.


Last month, I found myself at the delightfully campy, Flamenco dance hall El Cid to watch my friends in the sketch group Family Sandwich. When it was announced that “live music would follow the performance,” I ordered another drink, settled in, and prepared myself for another unexpected concert. The curtain parted to reveal a petite female lead singer clutching a ukulele with a raven-haired girl at her side prepared to strum a washboard. My friends and I exchanged happily surprised expressions, sat up, and took notice. Vocalist Sadie D’Marquez immediately piqued my curiosity as she began strumming while humming on a kazoo, and I instantly thought, “LA, you’ve done it again.”

The band hit song after song out of the park during their almost hour-long set. From the way D’Marquez sang with a husky Southern edge, effortlessly flipping to falsetto, to Jazzmin Gutierrez switching between washboard and muted trumpet, the band played with a passion and talent that made me want to stand up and shout, “Why aren’t more people here to hear this?” Their group vocals, particularly when a’cappella, were soulful and haunting. As Andrew Narvaez played bass and cowbell with equal physical vigor and Anders Terrance left his drum set to accompany the group with harmonica, Sadie and The Blue Eyed Devils owned the stage until their finale encore. It may have been a intimate venue with a small crowd, but the Devils captivated every audience member.

I had to know more about this Sadie and The Blue Eyed Devils, so I spoke to the band about their extensively diverse influences, their new EP, and their summer tour.

Where did you get your unique band name?

D’Marquez: Blue-eyed devil is basically a pejorative term for a white person, and in music, has been used to refer to white singers who try to sound black. It’s weird, but it’s kind of a self-effacing thing, a nod to the fact that American music owes basically everything to black culture.

Where do you draw inspiration from for your heartfelt songs?

D’Marquez: My big, oafish, crazy heart! It’s nearly always broken over someone or something. I write when I can’t help it — when I’m overcome with emotion. Above all, love! Also, 4 A.M. conversations with crazy people at the corner store about angels and Daisy Duck and death and Bobby Kennedy.

What are some of your major musical influences?

D’Marquez: Old Hollywood movie musicals. I grew up on them and knew basically nothing about contemporary music until I was a teenager. I have a vivid recollection of the moment I realized that spontaneous song and dance routines just didn’t happen in real life. Utter devastation. My dad played a lot of Patsy Cline around the house when I was growing up, and my mum always liked swing, so I’ve always had an old-fashioned aesthetic sensibility. Blind Willie McTell is definitely a songwriting hero of mine, as well as Van Morrison and John Prine.

Narvaez: The Monks, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Van Ronk, Chicha music, Os Mutantes.

Terrance: Paul Butterfield, Levon Helm, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, The Buffalo Skinners, The Lexingtons, The Beatles.

Gutierrez: The Beatles, of course. Lots of ska in high school. Listening to Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto made me crave being in a band. I love the words and music that were created by Regina Spektors’ brain and finger tips. I love our friends The Buffalo Skinners; their talent inspires me to become a better musician. Satchmo, Stewart Cole from Edward Sharpe, Belle and Sebastian, Michael Jackson, Melanie, and Christmas music, especially Zooey Deschanel’s voice in Elf.

- LA Music Blog

One of the great things about living in Los Angeles is that good music has a way of finding you, even when you least expect it. Maybe it’s because we are the entertainment capital of the world or perhaps it’s because Hollywood attracts some of the most impressive, ambitious artists, but our city is chock full of incredibly talented yet relatively unknown musicians.


Last month, I found myself at the delightfully campy, Flamenco dance hall El Cid to watch my friends in the sketch group Family Sandwich. When it was announced that “live music would follow the performance,” I ordered another drink, settled in, and prepared myself for another unexpected concert. The curtain parted to reveal a petite female lead singer clutching a ukulele with a raven-haired girl at her side prepared to strum a washboard. My friends and I exchanged happily surprised expressions, sat up, and took notice. Vocalist Sadie D’Marquez immediately piqued my curiosity as she began strumming while humming on a kazoo, and I instantly thought, “LA, you’ve done it again.”

The band hit song after song out of the park during their almost hour-long set. From the way D’Marquez sang with a husky Southern edge, effortlessly flipping to falsetto, to Jazzmin Gutierrez switching between washboard and muted trumpet, the band played with a passion and talent that made me want to stand up and shout, “Why aren’t more people here to hear this?” Their group vocals, particularly when a’cappella, were soulful and haunting. As Andrew Narvaez played bass and cowbell with equal physical vigor and Anders Terrance left his drum set to accompany the group with harmonica, Sadie and The Blue Eyed Devils owned the stage until their finale encore. It may have been a intimate venue with a small crowd, but the Devils captivated every audience member.

I had to know more about this Sadie and The Blue Eyed Devils, so I spoke to the band about their extensively diverse influences, their new EP, and their summer tour.

Where did you get your unique band name?

D’Marquez: Blue-eyed devil is basically a pejorative term for a white person, and in music, has been used to refer to white singers who try to sound black. It’s weird, but it’s kind of a self-effacing thing, a nod to the fact that American music owes basically everything to black culture.

Where do you draw inspiration from for your heartfelt songs?

D’Marquez: My big, oafish, crazy heart! It’s nearly always broken over someone or something. I write when I can’t help it — when I’m overcome with emotion. Above all, love! Also, 4 A.M. conversations with crazy people at the corner store about angels and Daisy Duck and death and Bobby Kennedy.

What are some of your major musical influences?

D’Marquez: Old Hollywood movie musicals. I grew up on them and knew basically nothing about contemporary music until I was a teenager. I have a vivid recollection of the moment I realized that spontaneous song and dance routines just didn’t happen in real life. Utter devastation. My dad played a lot of Patsy Cline around the house when I was growing up, and my mum always liked swing, so I’ve always had an old-fashioned aesthetic sensibility. Blind Willie McTell is definitely a songwriting hero of mine, as well as Van Morrison and John Prine.

Narvaez: The Monks, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Van Ronk, Chicha music, Os Mutantes.

Terrance: Paul Butterfield, Levon Helm, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, The Buffalo Skinners, The Lexingtons, The Beatles.

Gutierrez: The Beatles, of course. Lots of ska in high school. Listening to Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto made me crave being in a band. I love the words and music that were created by Regina Spektors’ brain and finger tips. I love our friends The Buffalo Skinners; their talent inspires me to become a better musician. Satchmo, Stewart Cole from Edward Sharpe, Belle and Sebastian, Michael Jackson, Melanie, and Christmas music, especially Zooey Deschanel’s voice in Elf.

- LA Music Blog