In today's PUMP Sessions Interview Series, we sat down with all-female and all-RAWK band, Sick of Sarah. These ladies are as DIY as it gets and are an inspiration for any band out there trying to make a go of it in this crazy, fucked up new music industry.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. x
Sick of Sarah Sessions:
Welcome to the PUMP Sessions Interview Series. Please introduce yourselves to the readers.
Jamie Holm, Bass player of Sick of Sarah
Where are you from?
We are from Minneapolis, MN. But we have been touring a lot so it feels like we have a lot of different homes.
You ladies made quite a splash early this year when you released your album via BitTorrent. There were definitely some mixed reviews about that move within the industry. How did you handle the press and do you believe it was a success?
I made sure I knew exactly what it meant to release our album on BitTorrent and it felt like the right decision. I feel press surrounding that subject was more curious about what it would mean for us as opposed to critical of us. In the end we had over 1.5 million downloads. I believe it was a success as in touring I have seen more people at the shows.
What has your experience been so far in dealing with record labels, A&Rs, journalists, bloggers, promoters, agents, managers, etc?
I feel in dealing with any sort of business the best thing is to surround yourself with people you trust and be always aware of what is going on. I feel we have a great team around us right now. My experience has been really good and it is really interesting to me to learnmore about the industry that is always changing. I like getting involved.
What people and/or companies have you brought on to your team in order to build your brand and gain exposure? Such as a manger, agent, publicist, etc?
We have been fortunate enough to have had the support of a very strong team from the get go. Our management/label have been with us for 5 years and continue to come up with innovative ways of promoting and branding the band, the record release being one of those ideas. We’ve been very fortunate in building a super solid team around us that includes our Agents at THE AGENCY GROUP, and our PR team at Big Hassle.
How has that helped you thus far? And how do you make sure all units of your team are on the same page and working together?
We have a small team and that allows us to be in constant communication of what our next steps are. We have a very close relationship with our team but especially our management. Many phone calls!
Music video for Sick of Sarah's "Giving Up"
Most - if not all - bands, acts, and musicians have found their way to Twitter. What do you enjoy most about the interactive capabilities of the site and how do you make the most of your Tweets?
Twitter is awesome for being able to be completely random, or informative, or anything in small doses to an entire group of people. I think overusing twitter can hurt but it is a great way to stay connected, especially on the road. We quote each other most of the time, which is at least entertaining for us. ha.
Facebook is now offering so many different music apps, it can often be a bit intimidating to choose one player. What are youusing to play your music onFacebook and why?
I can honestly say that when looking up artists and music I rely on youtube, mostly. I enjoy watching live footage. I will look up 10 different performances of one song if I want to check out a band.
Do you follow any music or industry blogs regularly? If yes, which ones?
Besides this one, of course. There isn't one specific blog I follow regularly. It's tough doing anything regularly. Although I do like sites like Pitchfork, Brooklyn Vegan and Filter to occasionally discover new things. Mostly, I do a lot of internet searching and end up in random places.
What is your favorite method of recording music? What instruments do you play, other than your main one?
I like it to build. When writing it is nice for songs to have time to breathe and be recreated within the writing process so ideally I would live in a studio and be able to record little bits whenever the mood strikes. I play a little guitar and sing in addition to playing bass.
With the decline of recorded music sales, what are some of the ways you have compensated for that missing income stream?
I think touring and selling merch is the way a lot of bands are making up for the decline. Bands are on the road more now, and more aware of what the fans want. Being creative and innovative with merch is very much more important than it used to be.
At PUMP Merch, we have seen an explosion of creativity in merchandising, both at live shows and online. What items do you offer your fans and why? And what items would you like to offer, but haven’t been able to?
At our shows we sell T-shirts, sunglasses, cd's, vinyl, stickers, booty shorts, and we also hand-make bullet and key necklaces. We are looking into more designs for t-shirts right now. And winter is coming... so hoodies!
Which bands and artists have influenced your music?
I grew up on bands like Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and a lot of Classic Rock. The artists I have been listening to the most lately would have to be Band of Horses, Bon Iver, Metric, and the Yeah Yeah Yeah's. I've been into more mellow stuff lately.
Who have you toured with recently? And do you have any fun and/or embarrassing tour stories to share with the readers?
We are currently on an all girl band tour with our friends Hunter Valentine and Vanity Theft. We definitely have a lot of fun and the whole group of us is largely sarcastic so it keeps things interesting. I wouldn't be surprised if I woke up one morning with purple hair, or no eyebrows. This summer we were on the Warped Tour, so we were touring with tons of bands. That was a great experience and we made a lot of friends.
If you could tour with any current band/act, who would it be?
I would love to tour with Metric. I think Emily Haines is amazing and I would like to pick her brain.
Who produced your record?
Evan Peters produced our record.
Which producer do you dream of working with some day?
I think Rick Rubin would be an amazing guy to meet and especially bounce ideas off of. He has worked with so many artists I love and respect.
If you could record with any band/artist, who would it be?
I am going to pick two. Queen... or Radiohead.
Where does the band rehearse? And is there a regular schedule? Who is always first to practice, and of course, who is last..?
We rehearse in Minneapolis at Jessie and Abisha's house. 2205. The album is named after the house and the space. Every member of the band has lived there at one point. Having a regular schedule doesn't seem to work anymore so we do a lot of texting to make sure we get practice scheduled. We harass each other a lot. As far as arriving to practice I am either first or last. It depends if I have had my coffee.
Desert Island Albums – Top 5. GO!
The Mermaid Sessions, Wilco and Billy Bragg
It's Blitz, The Yeah Yeah Yeah's
Fantasies, Metric
Cease to Begin, Band of Horses
The Dust of Retreat, Margot and The Nuclear So and So's
It's Blitz, The Yeah Yeah Yeah's
Fantasies, Metric
Cease to Begin, Band of Horses
The Dust of Retreat, Margot and The Nuclear So and So's
Favorite films…
Being in a band I have to say Spinal Tap. Dumb and Dumber, Elf, and I am a sucker for the Shrek movies...
When was your first concert? Who did you see? Where was the show?
I saw the Goo Goo Dolls at Bemidji State University. I got to meet Johnny Rzeznick, who I was absolutely in love with. I used to cry in my basement watching the "iris" music video so that was a really big deal. ha.
What are your hobbies outside of creating music?
I like creating things. Clothing and Jewelry mostly.
Are there any charities that you support as a band? How about individually? And of course, why?
We have worked with the Keep a Breast foundation. Being an all female band I think it is really near and dear to all of us and is an amazing organization.
Any upcoming performances, events, releases, news you’d like to promote here?
We are constantly adding shows so make sure to check out our site. Currently of course we are on the Lady Killer tour. One you don't wanna miss if we are headed your way still. I promise.
Please let everyone know where they can find your music and stay updated.
Thank you so much. I look forward to hearing more and more from you. Best of luck and please feel free to contact me any time. Be well.
For another awesome video from Sick of Sarah, click on my previous post HERE.