Sarah Borges: I Definitely Live Inside My Own Head

Sarah Borges is opening for Rosie Flores in mid-July at the Narrows. But she recently opened for Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and nearly stole the show!

Her debut CD, "Silver City," has been one of the hottest CDs on the Americana charts for months.

She was kind enough to answer a few questions via email recently.

Steve the Emcee: Your CD "Silver City" seemed to come out of nowhere and raced up the Americana radio charts. I was chatting with your father at your show at the Narrows and asked him "What made it a success?" He said something to the effect that you've been working hard for 10 years. That may be true, but a lot of people work that hard and never see the success you've seen. What was it about "Silver City" that you think made the difference for radio programmers?

Sarah: I think there are a lot of different types of songs on the record, so we've been able to appeal to different radio listeners: country, rock, pop. The music also is a little left of center for some of those genres, so hopefully it's kind of refreshing to them.

Steve the Emcee: Your song "I'm Going to Live the Life I Sing About in My Song," reminded me that you seem to live within each song while you're performing it onstage. Isn't that exhausting?

Sarah: We definitely try to give a high-energy performance every time, and some of the songs are emotionally tiring, so yes, at the end we all need a good rest. But it's a good kind of tired, the kind you get after a job well done, like running and winning a marathon.

Steve the Emcee: Tell us how you connected with your record label, Blue Corn Music. You're in Massachusetts; they're in Texas.

Sarah:We had a couple of mutual acquaintances, so I had been corresponding with Denby Auble, the owner. I sent some rough mixes of songs from the record and he liked them, so I sent him some more. Then he came up to Boston to see us and we did our thing onstage, and that kind of sealed it.

Steve the Emcee: You've been traveling beyond Massachusetts performing. Are you using the same band, or do you have "regional bands" so you don't have to keep a band fed and housed while you're touring?

Sarah: We use the same guys as a rule. Every once in a while we have a sub or a different configuration, but the guys in the band have all had a role in how the songs have developed, so they're all really important to what we do. We also all enjoy each other's company, and it shows onstage.

Steve the Emcee: You're a high energy performer. I've never seen you solo. How is your performance approach different?

Sarah: I try to still keep the same intensity. There's a lot more room to play around with the dynamics because it's just me controlling them, and sometimes it's easier to interact with the audience because I don't have a band, and I'm really trying to engage them as a more active part of the performance.

Steve the Emcee: Your CD has a lot of angst on it. Do you have a lot of angst in your life, or are you more happy-go-lucky?

Sarah: I think I definitely live inside my own head more than people. I'm surprised I don't have ulcers from all of the worrying I do, but I've been that way my whole life. I wouldn't consider my life to be more full of angst than anybody else's though, I probably just think about it more.

Steve the Emcee: Your dad, and I think your mom, was at your show at the Narrows. Are they musicians, and how understanding have they been through the turmoils musicians usually experience?

Sarah: They're both very supportive of what I do and always have been. They tell everyone they know about me and my record, and drag them to shows all the time. They of course have the normal concerns about having money and a stable job, but I think they understand that I'd be pretty miserable working in an office for the rest of my life.

Steve the Emcee: What instruments do you play?

Sarah: I play guitar and sing and some piano and am able to bang some sort of tune out of assorted other things.

Steve the Emcee: How have the sales been on "Silver City?" Is great radio chart positioning translating into great CD sales?

Sarah: CD sales for people with records like mine aren't on the scale of Eminem or Aerosmith. It's just a different animal. We consistently sell records in cities we play in, and we usually sell a bunch at shows. The radio play has certainly helped, but sometimes it's more indirect, like "I heard your song on the radio so I came to the show and now I want to buy a record. "

Steve the Emcee: Other than the Narrows, what are some of your favorite performance venues and why?

Sarah: I really like to play in places that are old or have history. Having just come back from Texas, I really liked playing at Gruene Hall, this place that's been around since the 1800's and is just a big wooden room with open sides and benches for sitting. People dance like crazy, and if you get too hot you can go jump in the river that's next to it.We also just played at the Sanders Theater at Harvard University, and it's like a church. The acoustics are amazing, and you can't help but play well because it's such an inspiring place.

Steve the Emcee: Are you working on your next CD? If so, when do you expect to release it?

Sarah: I'm starting to write songs for it, and some of the songs that didn't make it onto "Silver City" might find their way onto it. I'm not sure when it will come out, we've still got a lot of touring left to do on this one.

Steve the Emcee: What CDs are you recommending to others? What are you listening to?

Sarah: I'm loving the new John Doe record "Forever Hasn't Happened Yet." His old band, X, is one of my all-time favorite bands, and this is the kind of record I'd like to make at some point. Phil Lee's "Mighty King of Love" is also so good. He's an example of somebody who everyone should have heard of but nobody has. Every song on that record is one that I wish I'd written.