Sarah McGowan

Singer-songwriter Sarah McGowan's "When I Come Home" previews her upcoming debut CD. She co-produced the album with inspirations ranging from The Strokes to Amy Winehouse to The Ronettes.

According to Sarah McGowan...

"My goal with this album was to have every song sound unique and have a little 'edge,' whether it is through a quirky lyric or an unusual instrument in the mix. For the 'When I Come Home' video, the director is Josh Hammond and the producers are Katherine Paige and Scott Schuler. We've been working on this video for almost 6 months now, going through many different ideas and visions before finally settling on our current abstract, visually interesting concept. We filmed at several locations throughout NYC, including Bush Terminal Piers Park in Sunset Park, and several of our friends' apartments. Everything was done on a shoestring budget--in fact, many of the people who worked on the video are my former classmates and friends at NYU. Concept-wise, it was a collaborative process between myself, the producers, and the director. We created different colorful, interesting vignettes that told the story of my song--having relationship issues, but coming home at the end of the day and hoping that everything will be ok. We wanted each vignette to be as colorful, creative, and interesting as possible, with the performance sequence tying the video together. Our hope is that the video will be unique so that people in our world--with short attention spans--will want to watch and re-watch it!" - The Huffington Post

Based in New York City, the world will get its official introduction to Sarah McGowan next week when the singer-songwriter unleashes her debut EP, ‘Indian Summer.’ Ahead of its release, Diffuser is thrilled to partner with McGowan to premiere the EP’s third single, ‘Molly’ — stream it in the audio player below.

From her gorgeous vocals and gripping lyrics to the pounding musical arrangements, ‘Molly’ is eerily beautiful, putting McGowan’s talents on full display. “It’s a song about someone, or something, trying to steal your love away from you,” McGowan explains to us. “It’s open to interpretation, but either way, it’s definitely not a positive song.”

She goes on, “When recording it, I tried to imagine what it would sound like if Elliott Smith and Dolly Parton had a super creepy child. I used this spooky vibe and mixed in violin and pedal steel along with acoustic guitars and an 808 kick drum to give it some edge. I think it came out really great and I’m proud of the song.”

‘Molly’ is part of McGowan’s debut EP, ‘Indian Summer,’ set for release on Jan. 27. To celebrate the disc, McGowan will be playing a release gig at Arlene’s Grocery in New York City on Jan. 24. Get details on that show — and everything else happening in McGowan’s world — at her official website here. - Diffuser.fm

Sarah McGowan is a young musician with a mature perspective for her music. Her inspirations (the Strokes, Amy Winehouse and the Ronettes) have helped her in crafting the diverse musical styles heard on her debut album, For Whom They Sing. The album is co-produced by McGowan and features a collection of songs that reflect a period in her life that was filled with love, loss, traveling, graduating college and becoming an adult. Those these are typical themes for a musician like McGowan, she promises a variety in sounds and lyrics that will not disappoint the listener.

“Each song has a different style–it’s a blend of pop, rock, and folk. I had complete artistic freedom with this project, so I was able to experiment with lots of different sounds and genres. My worst nightmare is creating an album full of songs that are nearly impossible to distinguish from one another. So, my goal with this album was to have every song sound unique and have a little “edge”, whether it is through a quirky lyric or an unusual instrument in the mix.”

McGowan began attending New York University (pursuing a B.A. in Music and Spanish) in 2010 which is also when she made her NYC debut by performing at the Red Lion. In 2013, she lived in Buenos Aires for four months and studied Latin American music, as well as how to play the charango, a South American stringed instrument. South America became a huge inspiration for her music. Returning to the US, McGowan began interning under producer J Chris Griffin at Engine Room Audio and learned music production and engineering. Soon, the pop-inspired music of her teens shifted to an edgier rock/folk style.

Listen to two of McGowan’s new tracks below. “A Good Man” is “about the concept of what a ‘good man’ is and how you could be with someone who everyone thinks is so wonderful, but still not be happy with him. So I’m considering the alternative–finding someone who isn’t necessarily a ‘good guy’, but rather someone who makes me happy.”

“Desperate As You” is “about being in the same room with a girl your guy used to date and feeling that awkward tension. The lyrics are light and pop-y, and I think the old school vibe of the song is a really fun contrast to the content.” - Elmore Magazine

Featuring what might become the official surf rock jam of Brooklyn, Sarah McGowan's Indian Summer is an EP filled with ebullient sing-alongs and hooks aplenty.

No, you’re not mistaken: on “Williamsburg Boy”, the opening track of her new EP, Indian Summer, New York City-based songwriter Sarah McGowan is indeed singing about the ever-bourgeoning Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg and not the California coast. Such a mistake is forgivable given the tune’s sunny surf rock vibes, in addition to its well-placed Valley Girl-ism (“I would literally fucking die”). Although this sonic isn’t repeated throughout Indian Summer, the rest of it does match “Williamsburg Boy”‘s elating handclaps and effortless hook, resulting in a brief yet undeniably catchy collection of indie pop numbers. McGowan is a singer that fans of twee pop best keep their eye out for.

McGowan tells PopMatters more about her EP: “Indian Summer allowed me to explore many sides of my music. Every song on the EP is inspired by a different style. For example, ‘Williamsburg Boy’ has a pop/surf-rock vibe, while ‘Molly’ is indie-folk. I’m in the very beginning of my musical career so it’s exciting for me to try out different sounds without feeling like I’m restricted to a specific genre. I can’t wait to find out which tracks people respond to best and continue writing new songs in the hopes of recording my first full length album.” - PopMatters

Growing up in Darien, Connecticut, Sarah McGowan was always enthralled with New York City.

It’s where she saw productions of Annie Get Your Gun, Gypsy and Oklahoma! And it’s also where she saw her first pop concert (Jason Mraz at Avery Fisher Hall).

“When I was a little kid,” McGowan adds, “I used to say I wanted to sell apples in New York, for whatever reason. So I think I’ve always been destined to live there.”

On her way to residing in Brooklyn’s South Williamsburg neighborhood, McGowan sharpened her musical skills elsewhere in New York City. With her crafty debut album, For Whom They Sing, set for release Dec. 4, the singer-songwriter-guitarist recently looked back on a few of her Gotham-related transformative experiences.

• In 2010, McGowan began her freshman year at New York University, where she studied music.
Sarah McGowan: “For a while, I actually wanted to do pre-med. Then I changed my mind because you can’t really focus on music if you’re doing medicine, so I started taking music history and music theory classes.

“I had a lot of great professors. I took a recording technology class, and that’s where I met one of my mentors, J Chris Griffin. He taught me everything I know about music production. He was a really great mentor.”

• From 2010 to 2012, McGowan performed at The Red Lion, a Bleecker Street bar-restaurant that’s not too far from NYU.
McGowan: “My first show there was during my first semester at NYU. I was so nervous, I thought I was going to pass out. My set was three hours long — and that’s pretty insane, looking back on it, because now I play 45 minutes to an hour at regular rock clubs.

“I mainly did a lot of covers. It took me a while to get that much material together — I don’t know if I could do that now. I was going through a big Taylor Swift phase, so I did a bunch of her songs. I used to do a cover of ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen, more in the style of Jeff Buckley. I did ‘Landslide,’ more like the Dixie Chicks version than Fleetwood Mac.

“[The reaction at that first show] was pretty positive. A lot of my family and friends were there. It was probably from 6 to 9 p.m. on a Tuesday night. There were guys sitting at the bar by themselves. I remember the best feeling was having one of those guys turn around and actually listen to me sing.”

• In 2013, she began a yearlong internship under Griffin at Engine Room Audio on Broadway in lower Manhattan.
McGowan: “I got it through his recording technology class at NYU. We had developed a great bond. [At the studio], the most helpful thing was being able to shadow him — just watching him record or mix something, then having him explain it to me.”

• McGowan recorded her debut album — it’s on par with recent efforts by Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson— at Engine Room Audio. “Full Moon Kids” was inspired by New York’s own Strokes. Then there’s “Williamsburg Boy,” which takes its musical cues from The Beach Boys and Best Coast.
McGowan: “I didn’t write the song when I was living there. I originally started writing it about my boyfriend, who lives in Williamsburg. He’s definitely not a hipster; he’s kind of nerdy (laughs). As I was writing it, I started thinking of all these stereotypical hip Williamsburg things that everybody makes fun of. I started to play around with that.

“The song became a little bit of a joke. When I first performed it, I thought, ‘This is terrible.’ But people really responded well to it and thought it was really funny. I think it hit close to home with my friends and my age group.” - Medleyville.us

Today, Songwriting is proud to present yet another exclusive, with today’s “hear it here first” gem coming from Brooklyn’s Sarah McGowan, a New York native who’s been writing and performing her own material since the tender age of 14.

Sarah is a graduate of New York University, where as part of her studies she moved to Buenos Aires for four months to study Latin American music, which she says remains a strong influence for her. After graduating in 2013, she undertook an internship at Manhattan’s Engine Room Audio, where she honed her production and engineering chops under the watchful eye of J Chris Griffin. A regular on the Big Apple’s live circuit, she’s played such iconic venues as The Bitter End and Arlene’s Grocery, and was a featured artist at this year’s CMJ music festival.

The languid, aching, folk-tinged ballad that is Indian Summer is both her brand-new single, and the title track of her first EP, which is due for release in late January. And here, without further ado, it is… - Songwriting Magazine

Sarah McGowan is a talented singer-songwriter whose ability to experiment with style, genre and sounds has already garnered her advance praise on her forthcoming, debut album For Whom They Sing. Throughout the release, McGowan finds inspiration in her own life as well as the world around her as she tackles such topics as love, marriage and the beauty of being an outcast.

AXS got a chance to ask McGowan a few questions about her songwriting style and her musical background. - AXS

Life can be rough when you’re in love with a dude with an ironic mustache who is constantly sporting tank-tops with busy prints on them or at least that is what Sarah McGowan will have us believe. You see when you are from Connecticut (like your faithful blogger here), you’re not as cool as a Williamsburg boy. He’s in love with a girl with knee-high socks and Skrillex-hair. So what do you do? Be like McGowan and write tongue-in-cheek song with an equally quirky video. I think that solution might even be better than dating a Williamsburg boy, don’t you? - Surviving The Golden Age

First up from Darien, CT, comes the full-length debut album from Sarah McGowan titled "For Whom They Sing." She delivers an exciting pop approach to her music without giving up her folksy songwriting edge. Her voice and style have been compared to Natalie Merchant, but she has a fun innocence to her songs as in "Williamsburg Boy" and "Full Moon Kids." She delivers the dark moving rock ballads "For Who They Sing" and "Indian Summer" that balances her up-beat pop/rock side. She brings in a classic Motown sound with the retro girl group feel of "Desperate As You" and closes with the simple plea of never being a "Young Bride." - Meriden Record-Journal

Next week, Connecticut native Sarah McGowan drops her EP, Indian Summer. The latest single from the album is “Molly.” A 90s singer/songwriter-esque track, “Molly” is reminiscent of artists like Liz Phair and Juliana Hatfield. The ballad uses the double entendre of Molly being both a girl’s name and the name of a drug to create an interesting lyric excursion. When McGowan sings “Molly, leave my man alone” is she speaking to another woman or a drug? You might have to really delve into the lyrics to find out. - Surviving The Golden Age

NYC-based singer-songwriter Sarah McGowan is gearing up to release her debut EP, Indian Summer. The title track of her debut EP is described by Songwriting Magazine as “folk-tinged” and tells the story of a love lost.

During her senior year at NYU, McGowan took an internship at Manhattan’s Engine Room Audio where she worked under established producer J Chris Griffin. The singer has performed all over NYC at venues to include the legendary Bitter End, Red Lion, Pianos and Arlene’s Grocery. Gadfly praised her artistry saying, “McGowan’s voice beautifully croons with a brilliance and passion that suggests she is here to stay”.

McGowan has drummed up significant buzz surrounding this release heightened by the drop of her satirical video for “Williamsburg Boy,” a goofy love song about the hipster generation. The premiere of the hauntingly powerful title track, “Indian Summer”, on Songwriting Magazine earlier this November adds another dimension to the capabilities of the young crooner, foreshadowing a dynamic debut release. Make sure to be on the lookout for more from this rising songstress! - Born Music Online

In her lament about a star-crossed crush on a hip “Williamsburg Boy,” Sarah McGowan shines in this new folk-pop single. With some humorous irony on the cheesiness of love songs- stopping, for example, midway to speak “I would literally fucking die [if he changed his hair]”- this upcoming singer proves that she not only has the talent to write relatable, lovable songs like Taylor Swift or Christina Perri, but also has a friendly humility about it. Injecting even more of this humor into the song by parodying her generation — the hipster generation — McGowan shows that she has more to offer with her music than generic, mindless pop. Most importantly though, McGowan’s voice beautifully croons with a brilliance and passion that suggests she is here to stay. Sarah McGowan absolutely has the power and talent to position herself within the hearts of fans of Taylor Swift, Feist, Regina Spektor, Brandi Carlile and more.

When asked about the song, McGowan explained that she had heard the chorus in her head on the subway. What had originally begun as a love song about her boyfriend, who is in reality a boy from Williamsburg, she felt the song was a little cheesy, and in turn, found herself creating a larger parody of her generation. With a range of influences from Elliot Smith, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Feist, and Regina Spektor, McGowan wanted to keep the sweet, romantic essence she began with, but wanted to also venture into the edge and power of her folk and rock idols. Aptly, McGowan describes herself as “sweet with an edge.”

Surprisingly though, this Connecticut girl had not originally intended to become a musician. Planning and practicing to become a doctor, Sarah McGowan found that during an externship at a hospital, she could not genuinely devote herself to medicine for the entirety of her life. Thankfully for us, she turned to music and song-writing. This new dream had culminated into a reality when at one of her first public performances, she caught the attention of a few previously-uninterested barflies as she began singing.

McGowan hopes to put together a show in the NYC area in July, but admits she is in the process of filling the holes left by her and her bandmates recent graduation from NYU. She is more eager though, for the release of her EP Indian Summer in late August. In the meantime, she plans on trying out some new vegetarian recipes she liked on Pinterest, and finding a cat with which to share her new apartment. - Gadfly

Last time we heard from NYC-based singer-songwriter Sarah McGowan, she was premiering her video for “Williamsburg Boy” on this here blog. She is back with a little more serious fare with her new track “Indian Summer.” The title track of her debut EP is described a song about lost love, filled with violin and acoustic guitar. Beautiful and melancholic, the track shows McGowan’s versatility. - Surviving The Golden Age

Today’s featured artist is Sarah McGowan, a recent graduate from New York University and emerging singer. McGowan describes her sound as “sweet with an edge,” and she is currently working toward producing her EP Indian Summer to encapsulate that vibe. As a new artist McGowan is still discovering her sound, but is committed to staying unique and fresh. Read more about Sarah McGowan and watch her music video for “Williamsburg Boy” here, and check out Gadfly’s review of that song here!

Gadfly Online: Can you provide us with some background? Where are you from? What made you pursue a career in music?

Sarah McGowan: I’m from Darien, CT but moved to NYC four years ago to attend NYU. I started writing songs in high school but never thought seriously about pursuing it. I was an Emergency Medical Technician throughout high school and planned on going to college to study pre-med. But after experiencing a surgical externship before my senior year of high school, I suddenly realized that if I pursued medicine, it would be my entire life and I wouldn’t have time to do my music. So that really marked the beginning of my musical career.


GO: How would you characterize your music? Do you fit into a stock genre or create a fusion of genres?

SM: At the moment I find it a bit difficult to characterize my music. Because I’m just beginning my career, I’m still experimenting with different sounds and genres. At the moment, I think my music falls somewhere in the indie/rock/folk spectrum. I think an accurate description of my sound is “sweet with an edge.” I try to make every song sound different and unique from other artist’s songs. This often means adding a weird instrument or a funky lyric to the mix to add an edge to the music. I love to bring in a sound that you wouldn’t usually hear in other songs of a similar genre.


GO: Who would you cite as your musical influence?

SM: I’m interested a lot in 60s and 70s rock and folk music. Joni Mitchell is my idol! I also love Joan Baez, Fleetwood Mac, Janis Joplin, Simon & Garfunkel, and Carole King. The Beach Boys were a huge influence in my song “Williamsburg Boy.” My modern influences are mainly strong female singers, like Florence + The Machine, Feist, Sharon Van Etten, and St. Vincent.


GO: What project are you promoting right now? How does this fit into your overall career arc?

SM: Right now I’m preparing for my first EP, Indian Summer, to be released in November. The first single off the EP, “Williamsburg Boy,” came out in June and the music video was released a week ago. The next single, “Indian Summer,” will be released in a few weeks as well. I’m excited about this single since it is so different from “Williamsburg Boy.” My EP pre-release show is on October 18th at Arlene’s Grocery in NYC so I’m really excited about that too. I also am playing in a CMJ showcase in NYC on October 23rd (which was one of my goals for 2014)! I’m hoping my EP will be heard by a lot of people so that I can gain new fans and showcase my musical abilities.


GO: What do you hope to communicate to listeners through your music? What does music mean to you?

SM: My greatest hope is that my songs will make people happy. Hopefully someone will hear a lyric in my music that resonates with them and help them feel like they’re not alone. That’s what music is all about – communicating and connecting with people. EVERYONE loves some type of music. It’s such a powerful artistic tool to communicate messages and emotions. Personally, my music says all the things that I can’t really say in real life. I put my thoughts and feelings out there for the listener to interpret and understand. It’s a really useful way for me to express myself.


GO: What can we expect from you in the future?

SM: Hopefully, this EP is just the beginning of my musical career! I’m currently writing more songs in the hopes of recording my first full-length album next year. I also really want to tour different cities so that I can spread my music to more places. I’m going to continue to work really hard until I can make this a reality! - Gadfly Online

Hi Sarah, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?

Hey VENTS! Thanks for taking the time to talk with me!

Can you tell us more about the story behind your latest track “Williamsburg Boy”?

“Williamsburg Boy” began as a love song intended for my boyfriend (who lives in Brooklyn). But I have a hard time writing sappy songs, so it quickly turned into a goofy song about a girl who is in love with a super-hip Brooklyn guy who doesn’t even know she exists (sigh). The song is completely not serious and intended to make everyone laugh!

How was the film experience?

Filming the music video was so much fun. I had never been part of a production like this and it was really interesting to see how all the pieces came together. The schedule was pretty serious too. We did two back-to-back 12 hour days. I was so tired that I slept through my alarm the second day, which was like a terrifying stress dream. But everything turned out great and it was a wonderful experience.

How was the recording and writing process behind your latest EP?

The songs on my latest EP, Indian Summer, were all written within the last two years and they’re all about different subjects and times in my life. They also are the first songs I’ve written since switching over to rock from the more pop/Taylor Swift style of my teen years. I’m still trying to figure out the exact direction I want my music to go in, so each of the songs has a different style and vibe. I’ve been recording the EP with Eshy Gazit since this past March and am so excited for everyone to hear our hard work!

What´s the story behind the title?

The title, Indian Summer, is the name of one of the tracks on the EP. It’s a song about heartbreak on an unseasonably warm day. I think it’s a fitting title for the EP because even though the song itself is sad, it is really empowering and liberating. (Also, the weather is getting colder, so it’s relevant on a seasonal level.)

Where did you find the inspiration for the songs and lyrics?

Every song is born out of a specific time in my life. “Williamsburg Boy” is obviously the happy, goofy song. “Molly” is a dark song about losing your man to something you can’t control. “Indian Summer” is your classic heartbreak song, but with a lot of power and anger behind it. And “When I Come Home” is a song about having problems with your significant other but hoping that when the day is over, you can come home to that person and everything will be ok.

In what way did your days in Argentina influence your music and this album in particular?

I had only written “Molly” before I spent four months in Argentina, so the rest of the songs are from when I came back to America. My time in Argentina was amazing. The music of Latin America is fascinating, whether it’s the traditional tangos of Argentina, Afro-peruvian rhythms, or the Tropicalismo of Brazil in the 60s. What I really love about Latin American music is its unique use of instruments. There’s always an unusual sound thrown into the mix, like a charango (a small stringed instrument) or zampoña (pan flute). I was inspired by this use of unusual instruments and tried to use different sounds in my songs, like mixing in a harmonium with other typical rock instruments. I purchased a bunch of handmade instruments in Latin America and am hoping to break them out sometime soon!

With a new album on his way, any plans to hit the road this year?

I hope so! I would love to travel around to some cities to spread my music to new people. I’m trying to arrange that for some time in 2015.

What else is happening next in Sarah McGowan´s world?

The next single, “Indian Summer”, will be coming out in a few weeks! And the EP, Indian Summer, is coming out later this year. I’m also writing a bunch of songs with the hopes of recording a full length album in 2015. You can also catch me playing at The Bitter End in NYC on Tuesday, November 18th at 7 PM. - VENTS Magazine

On this week’s 51%, we look at women in music — from a young musician praised for her lyrics, vocals and willingness to experiment to a veteran country star who’s taking it on the road. Plus we hear from a woman who plays the drums in a Republic where it’s men who usually pick up the sticks.

51%’s Ian Pickus introduces us to a woman who began writing songs at the age of 14, performing her first original piece at a high school composition concert in her hometown of Darien, Connecticut in 2007. 51%’s Ian Pickus speaks with musician Sarah McGowan. Her debut album is “For Whom They Sing.”

We transition from a relatively new musician on the scene to a veteran. Dolly Parton, one of country music’s all-time superstars, is launching her first major tour in more than 25 years. The first leg kicks off in North Carolina June 3 and, as 51%’s Jim Levulis tells us, includes stops in Massachusetts and New York.

Parton is a member of the country music hall of fame and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She also had 25 songs reach #1 on the Billboard country charts. One was “Jolene.” And Sarah McGowan has a song from her first EP of original songs that has been called a modern day “Jolene,” a song called “Molly.” - NPR