Sara Bouchard

Basic Info

Members:: Sara Bouchard: vocals, guitar, mandolin, autoharp
Genre:: folk, singer/songwriter
Hometown:: Brooklyn, NY

Detailed Info

Website:: http://www.myspace.com/sarabouchardmusic
Influences:: My influences span American roots music as well as rock, classical, and experimental music (and art): old-time music, Native American myth, Irish fiddle tunes, Norman Blake, Townes Van Zandt, Bill Monroe, Doc Watson, The Carter Family, Tim Hawkinson's "Uberorgan", John Cage, Laurie Anderson, American and Irish folk tales, Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in the West", Dvorak’s "American Quartet", opera, Duke Ellington's "Black Brown & Beige", Lead Belly, blues blues blues, Hank Williams, Ry Cooder, David Grisman, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, New Lost City Ramblers, Elizabeth Cotten, Gillian Welch, gospel, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, my long-time favorite rockers David Bowie and Lou Reed and, finally, my heroes David Byrne and Tom Waits.
Biography:: "Songs of Lewis & Clark" is a song cycle setting the journals of Lewis and Clark to music. With lyrics taken directly from the journals, the songs reveal moments of awe, reflection, humor and joy during the course of the 1804-1806 expedition through the newly purchased Louisiana territory. The full-length album was released November 23, 2008.

A visual artist as well as musician, I've spent my life engaged in both disciplines, and the two often intertwine. While looking into American myth and history for my visual artwork, I began reading the Journals of Lewis and Clark. As I read them, particular passages began to jump off the page - the language was so much like poetry to me. I began to sing them into songs, songs influenced by all kinds of American music, especially folk, blues, spirituals, and rock and roll. I've let the words inform the melody and song structure, and I've kept the instrumentation spare. As a result, the songs don't really adhere to a genre; they are, simply, songs.

I am very pleased to be playing as part of JezebelMusic.com's Resonance series on May 27 at 7:40pm at Bar Matchless in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. I will be playing a 30 min. set.

Born in Stockton, California, I left the west coast to attend college at Yale University where I studied art and music composition and received my bachelor's degree in studio art in 2003. I moved to New York in 2004 and have since been teaching and making art and music in the city. I have performed at various venues in Brooklyn and Manhattan including the American Folk Art Museum and participated in the 2008 Williamsburg Live Songwriter Competition at Bar Matchless. (read less)
"Songs of Lewis & Clark" is a song cycle setting the journals of Lewis and Clark to music. With lyrics taken directly from the journals, the songs reveal moments of awe, reflection, humor and joy during the course of the 1804-1806 expedition through the newly purchased Louisiana territory. The full-length album was released November 23, 2008.

A visual artist as well as musician, I've spent my life engaged in both disciplines, and the two often intertwine. While looking into American myth and... (read more)

Keep me logged in	Forgot your password?