Published:
July 12, 2009
By MDM Writer Josh Hogan
The Prodigal daughter has returned! OK, maybe not returned completely, but the weeklong visit from Denton alum Sarah Renfro certainly stirred up some fond memories for those in the local music scene, as well as for the seductive songstress herself. Following her much anticipated show at Dan's Silverleaf, we got a chance to speak to Sarah and talk a little bit about her Denton roots, her latest album, and her future plans. Have a look!
MDM: You are a grad of the University of North Texas Music Program, how did that influence and shape who you are as a musician today?
Renfro: Well I started out with a lot of Motown and from their went to kind of fifties sock hop music and playing a lot of instruments in band. Then I came to Denton and studied in Jazz. From there I just really dabbled in everything Denton had to offer, and I guess after that I became more folky.
MDM: What was it that sparked your move to NYC?
Renfro: Well so many of my friends had already moved to New York and a lot of people that I had played with. It just seemed like the right thing to do, but I was kind of like a pick your poison situation because I really didn't like it at first. But its grown on me since then, I still don't like it when its cold though. But I just knew that it was an important place to be because it would change me as a person more than anything. I really wasn't concerned what I was going to do musically, I figured that would just come. But yeah I pretty much just had my ass handed to me, having to work like two or three jobs just trying to pay rent.
MDM: Has the move paid off for you?
Renfro: Yea definitely. I have been working on an album for like a year now and I thought I could crank it out pretty quick because I had a pretty good idea of what it was and what it was going to be but it has just changed so much. And that has really just showed me how much I am changing as a musician. I have been playing with a lot of really great people, not just amazing musicians but amazing people and it was really great finding a group of people in New York who have a Texas vibe to them.
MDM: Now you just recorded a live album called Eaten Alive in Brooklyn (AVAILABLE ON MySpace) Is this your prelude to your debut studio album, and do you have a tmeframe when that might be released?
Renfro: Well I would like it to be done by the end of summer...but that's what I said last summer so we will see how that goes. Like I said things keep changing, I keep adding stuff and taking stuff out. I really wanted to have this album done by now so when I played that show that was recorded the engineer asked me if I wanted to record this show and I said for sure! And I had really been itching to get something out and it ended up sounding really great.
MDM: What comes to your mind now when you think of Denton?
Renfro: It is a slower pace, and I love it. People are a lot nicer and you know I have been noticing a lot of hipsters around lately! I think its kind of cute. It's kind of funny when hipsters pop up but I think if you compare the Denton hipsters to the New York hipsters, I think Denton hipsters are way cuter! They try so hard!
MDM: Are you still In touch with a lot of musicians from around the area?
Renfro: Yeah, definitely. I always tell people that Denton is my musical home. I just love how many great musicians there are here and they are always ready to play, and not like "hey im going to have to charge you fifty bucks for that rehearsal". Like everyone is just down to play and like family and its beautiful. That's what music should be.
MDM: Do you think eventually you will make your way back down to Texas, or have you found a new permanent home in New York?
Renfro: I don't see New York as a permanent home at all. When I got up there and really didn't fit right away I thought, "Oh my God if I come back to Texas now I have failed!" And you know some people go up to New York and they find a niche that only exists in New York and I find that I do really well in Texas. It is so competitive in New York, which is why I need to stay there and get my ass handed to me, but there is something so comforting about coming to Denton and playing for a bunch of people who just get it you know? And if I did move back to Texas, which I will probably do, I keep saying within the next five years, I would move to Austin probably, and frequent Denton often.
MDM: Which do you prefer, live shows or recording songs?
Renfro: Well...im going to have to play it safe and say both. I feel like they are both evolving in such a really cool way. I feel like the music I was making when I lived here was a lot more aggressive. Now I am just writing stuff that is a lot more fun and describes different parts of my personality. It was really fun to come back to Denton and play a show at Dan's, and play a FUN show at Dan's. It really made me feel good to play really happy songs and it is really bringing me out as a performer to play songs that represent different facets of my personality and also to play solo! Songs in the studio have a totally different vibe than they do onstage. Onstage it is more like just having a good time. You connect with the audience and have fun, but in the studio is where the song actually lives I think.
MDM: OK, a few fun ones. Tea or Coffee?
Renfro: HAHA...tea. But I did relapse on coffee today. I hadn't had coffee since February! And I took the plunge at Jupiter House. My friend Nick who I used to play with in my band 80 Sheets brews coffee and I had some!
MDM: Winter or Summer?
Renfro: Summer. Definitely. I miss the sun!
MDM: Great, well I would really like to give you an opportunity now to talk a little bit about the new album. Any word on a title yet?
Renfro: Yeah for sure! It is going to be called The Mabel Year after the title track "Mabel". And I actually just found a dress at a store called Second Street that is totally going to be the album cover dress I think! That is part of the reason why I wanted to come here I think. To get a good, affordable album cover dress and a new guitar, and I did them both! And hopefully I will be touring for the album in the fall.
Contact Sarah on:
MySpace
Twitter
Photos by Michal Garcia
