Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
[excerpt]
With a rich voice and intense looks, this soft-spoken Sudbury singer won over the crowd with songs off her album "leap year". Like Crowe, Rodrigues showed off her wit that night after whacking her head on the piano.
When asked about her impressive piano skills, with [...] dry wit Rodrigues modestly replied, "I have no training. I just tend to bang and see what comes out."
Although Rodrigues has no upcoming tour dates as of yet, Crowe will be hitting the road, heading to Montreal [...]. If you get the chance, it's definitely worth checking out these up-and-coming artists. - The Ontarian (Guelph)
(caption)
Singer-songwriter says her split with the local music proram ended up helping her career.
(text: Written by Laura Stradiotto)
It has been a while since we've heard from Sara Rodrigues. The self-taught pianist and vocalist started playing local venues when she was a wee teen, as a solo act...Today, Rodrigues, 21, lives in Toronto, in her second year at Ryerson University.
The Coniston nativeis returning home Jan. 27 to release her first [official] CD, Leap Year. The Sudbury Star spoke to Rodrigues on the telephone about what she has been up to, and why she left Sudbury.
Q. Do you have time for music now that you're in school full-time?
A. I'm making time for it. I did the bulk of the recording in the summer, and I was working at the time, but there wasn't any extra work to do when I came home from work so I had time on the weekends and time at night to get things in order for the record.
Q. Where did you record?
A. We recorded in a variety of places - at Grant Avenue Studio in Hamilton, we did vocals in a small town about 45 minutes outside of Hamilton, we recorded in a a house. We did some vocals in Toronto because I didn't have the opportunity to get back to Hamilton.
Q. This is your first CD?
A. It's my first offical CD. I had a couple of CDs beforehand, but I just made the covers and burned the CDs myself...they don't really count in the eyes of SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada). These things have to have barcodes.
Q. What is your CD called?
A. Leap Year. It's all original. It's eight tracks, but full length, almost 45 minutes. I wrote all eight tracks and arranged them with David Porteous, who produced the album. We also co-produced with Rob Lamothe.
Q. How did you meet up with these people?
A. David and I met when I played a show at the Rivoli in 2003. He approached me to meet me and say hi and to tell me he liked my stuff. We kept in contact. He came up to Sudbury in May 2004 to do a show with me; it was my first show in about a year and a half.
After I [was asked to leave] the [music] program at Laurentian University, that was my first show. Then when I decided I really wanted to do a record, I figured he was the best person to call. Whether or not he would actually produce the album, I wasn't sure. He could give me some direction and provide some anwers to questions I might have. It turned out he was willing to produce the album and he really helped me out with the legwork and getting people involved.
Q. Things happen for a reason.
A. I thikn so. I woudn't be talking to you right now about this record if I hadn't left the program. I suppose I could have fought for my place in the program, but I chose to leave and not return.
Q. Are you still playing pop?
A. it's definetely pop-rock, singer/songwriter. Definetely up that alley. There's some jazz influence on the record, but not something I consciously planned on incorporating.
Q. Why did you decide to release your CD here in Sudbury?
A. Music and Film in Motion (MFM) has always been really supportive so I knew they would help me get some press and get the word out. Also the general public in Sudbury has always been receptive of my music. I've met people on the streets who actually recognize me [doesn't happen in Toronto]. I had to come back here to do my CD release.
January 27th CD Release show will be at 7 p.m. at the Art Gallery of Sudbury. Tickets at the door are $5. - The Sudbury Star, January 14, 2006.
Discography
Leap Year [2006]
June 2003 sampler [2003]
'5 songs' EP [2002]
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
In the words of photographer and intellectual Zorianna Zurba, the music of 20-year-old Sara Rodrigues is "an emotional exfoliant imbued with the essentials of early twenty-something experiential crap."
The accuracy of this statement is indisputable - even after hearing only a sample of the songs on 'leap year'- Sara Rodrigues' first full-length, released in January 2006. Produced by David Porteous and Rob Lamothe, 'leap year' is a deeply affective, emotionally-driven record that brings a much needed intelligence to the world of pop songwriting.
An emotive performer since the age of 15, Sara has played numerous shows in her hometown of Sudbury, Ontario, opening for acts like Ember Swift and Serena Ryder. By the age of 18, she had already performed at the C'est What Cafe, the Rivoli Tavern and on the Songwriters Association of Canada's Bluebird North Tour. As part of Bluebird North [2002], Sara shared the stage with several notable performers, including Jian Ghomeshi (of Moxy Fruvous fame), John Mann, Danny Michel (singer/songwriters) and rap artist Snow.
A self-taught pianist and vocalist, Sara’s musical abilities are innate. Her technique is unique, stylistic, ultimately imperfect, and the foundation of her sound. Although Sara’s songwriting focuses on her aptitude for crafting radio-ready pop songs with challenging lyrics, it is her distinctly unique voice – equal parts rich and mellow with solemn undertones - that is the most captivating element of her music. Songs like "Everyone But Me" and "Paste" illuminate Sara's intense ability to communicate emotion, as her solemn yet mellow alto switches from a powerful roar to a delicate whisper on a dime. Sara's piano is predominantly improvisatory, and works interdependently with her vocals to enhance the emotional impact of her music.
Inspired by the likes of more obscure artists, including Wilco, Carissa's Wierd, Rachel's, and singer/songwriters Shannon Wright and Matthew Good, the songs on 'leap year' are as diverse as the sounds of the artists that have inspired them. As a result of strategically incorporating key elements of each of these artists - the darkness of Shannon Wright, the enigmatic nuances of Rachel's and the pop sensibility and lyrical fluidity of Good - Sara Rodrigues has created an album and a sound that is truly her own.
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