A few words with singer-songwriter Sara Daniels. Sara play acoustic guitar and Anglo concertina, and her new album is called Lightly On My Heart.
Leicester Bangs: Tell us a little about yourself.
Sara: I am based in Berkshire and I have been involved in playing and singing traditional Irish music for more than twenty years. I started writing songs during a period of my life when I had time to walk and dream. The writing has continued ever since.
LB: How did you start out making music?
Sara: I started singing folk songs in clubs and pub sessions, mostly in the unaccompanied traditional style. Later, as I began to perform more of my own material I learned to play guitar. The gigs started when I joined a band. Around that time I played to support bands like De Dannan and The Dubliners.
LB: Who did you grow up listening to and how do they influence what you’re doing now?
Sara: My influences have been wide and varied; the first albums I had were by the Beach Boys, Barbara Streisand, Mamas and Papas and Dusty Springfield. It’s good to know with the passing of time that I had good taste back then. When the Irish tradition took a hold on me I learned from Delores Keane, Mary Black, Eve Cassidy. I also now listen to classical music. The early harmonies I learned have stood me in good stead and now with my own material, I feel I have my own style, which is imbued with all my past influences.
LB: Tell us about your latest release.
Sara: 'Lightly On My Heart', in my opinion, is my best recording to date. It took me nearly two years to produce. I have drawn together all the knowledge and experience I have gained from my years involved with acoustic music.
I brought together many wonderful musicians who were happy to support me. Niamh Parsons sings harmony on two tracks; Jon Boden (Bellowhead) put his distinctive voice with mine on the song 'Brightest Star', plus Luke Daniels (accordion) and Sam Proctor (fiddle).
Mick Daly flew in from Ireland to put down banjo and harmonies; Richard Cox Smith introduces the first track with fabulous Dobro guitar. One local review said 'She has a good band'. I laughed at the understatement! The songs are the well-trodden folk themes of love, lost love and recovery, with an occasional contemporary twist, 'Forget your Promise' and 'Stolen Time'. The title track was written for my late husband, who died in 2006.
LB: Do you get out and play your music live, and if so, what can an audience expect at one of your shows?
Sara: At the moment I am playing and singing locally at clubs and sessions due to other commitments. I would like to gig more widely next year. An audience could expect to see me standing, with or without my guitar, singing my heart out. My set is made up of my own material, traditional unaccompanied songs and dance tunes on the Anglo concertina. I am occasionally joined by various musicians, who might be on the spot, or by prior arrangement be encouraged or pressed to join me.
LB: What aspects of playing and recording music do you most enjoy?
Sara: I love performing, particularly in intimate surroundings such as folk clubs and sessions. But the 'show off' bit of me loves to get on a big stage with a good P.A. and hear my voice amplified to a big audience. Recording in a studio is a different experience altogether. It is painstaking and time consuming. What I enjoyed most when making my CD, was bringing together all the musicians who took part, (although they were rarely in the same room together) and the warmth I felt at their willingness to support me. My own part in it comes naturally to me so I tend to take it for granted.
LB: Where can people find (and buy) your music?
Sara: My website, my MySpace, Facebook and CDBaby (links below).
www.saradaniels.me
www.myspace.com/sarajdaniels
www.cdbaby.com/Artist/SaraDaniels
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