Sarah Kinsley Is Learning to Trust Feeling Over Rules

By Nicole L

For Sarah Kinsley, music exists somewhere between her inner voice and outer disciplines. As she learned formalized techniques from playing classical piano as well as taking college level music classes throughout the years, she developed a strong appreciation for how rules shape music. However she also realized how restrictive they are. These days, her work is driven more by instinct, then theory (and sometimes this is at the expense of the very structures which molded her).

Kinsley's sound for this EP is influenced by her likes of The Blue Nile and Let's Go Out Dancing, as well as other artists who emphasize atmosphere and emotional truth above all else. Kinsley views her songs as cinematic experiences, and when she writes a song, she often scores the scene as if she were composing the score for a movie, creating the texture, space, and emotional movement of each moment. Maximalist practices play a large role in the way she creates, using layers upon layers of sound to completely envelop the listener.

Her upcoming EP "Fleeting"represents the most vulnerable chapter of her career thus far. Previously, Kinsley relied heavily on ambiguity or double meanings, ambiguous interpretations, and metaphor as a way of protecting herself. She loved the idea that a song could have multiple meanings based on who listened to it. However, during the creation of Fleeting, she became stuck. She finally made the decision to be honest rather than passive, realizing that stating things plainly without hiding carried much greater emotional value. With that decision came fear, fear of being too literal, too exposed, too honest. Yet, she would come to accept that fear.

Kinsley is responsible for producing her own music, and is incredibly proud of that fact. She described the initial stages of production as "messy" and "uncomfortable" usually sounding "terrible" in the first few days yet by the third day, everything starts to fall into place. "Lonely Touch", the first song she ever wrote on this EP, remains her favorite and is a reminder of why she started creating music in the first place. The record is a dense and layered mix created by Jake, a fellow musician she has complete trust in and feels heard by. She collaborated with Paris Paloma who is known for the song "Labor" that got attention due to Tik Tok, although they didn't meet and Kinsley was sent voice memos from Paloma learning to allow others into her creative space was difficult for her. However, hearing another person sing one of her songs, redefined the nature of collaboration for her from losing control to finding connection.

The bond with her fans is at the core of Kinsley's perspective. She talks about the crowd as a supportive community that is down to earth, kind. Many of her most memorable moments occur during live performances, when she makes eye contact with a fan audience, and both share a moment of mutual understanding, an experience that she describes as timeless and almost spiritual.

Many of the songs she wrote during this period of her life were written while she was traveling between New York. That sense of transition is evident in the music. Urban life, with its noise, transience and closeness, is a part of the emotional map of the record. When reflecting on creativity and aging, Sarah comments that there is no equal to the expression or feeling that children offer. Everything is new and exciting but as we get older and regulate our emotions and don't like trying new things. We lose curiosity and when that is lost so is creativity. Recently, she has been attempting to recapture some of that sense of curiosity, and learning to be less critical of herself, and more excited by the possibilities.

Although her musical expression has evolved, her classical training will always be apparent. She states it taught her and gave her the ability to create an emotional response, while maintaining a distance, and restraint. At the same time, she admits to missing classical music even as she continues to define new limits as to how much of herself she chooses to express creatively and publicly. Ultimately, Sarah hopes that her new listeners will find hope and calmness in her music. This record is about impermanence and about allowing your emotions to flow through you. Without judgment or explanation, as well as choosing to be honest, instead of protected, she presents music that does not require answers, simply presence.

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