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title for a long time, one day I realized there
was a reason that phrase kept coming up, it
kind of sums up my idea. I also like the way
»t sounds. The hills ate up, it's where better
things are.
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guitar, snare drum, pedal steel and piano
behind her whispery vocals. It's moody,
morose, mysteriously romantic and, at times,
upbeat and spiritual.
Sarrano and guests host a CD-release party
at the Caledonia Lounge this Friday. Sarrano is
donating proceeds from the show and a por
tion of album sales to Camp Amped at Nutf's
Space. She spoke with Flagpole this week
about her latest endeavors.
Flagpole: Not long ago, it seemed like you
were merely dabbling in music, composing
songs and collaborating with friends. But in the
last few years, you've released albums, earned
critical praise, jammed with big-time colleagues
and established yourself in Athens as a serious
songwriter and bandleader. How did all of that
happen?
Thayer Sarrano: Back then, I was more
focused on art school, but after moving back
to Athens a few years ago. I've just made
more friends who are musicians and had the
time to devote to creating music and being
in their bands. Everything I've done here is
through friends. I know it's that way for a lot
of people here.
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FP: Tell us about the process of writing the
songs for th's new album.
75: This record was written in spurts
throughout early 2010, except the last instru
mental track that I did one night in the
middle of recording. I knew I had the record .
complete before l went on a long tour fall of
that year, but I just didn't have time to record
it To me, those songs made sense as one
record, so new ones I've written since that
point are being saved for the next one.
FP: What sort of sound or atmospheric vibe
were you aiming for at Chase Park when you
started recording?
TS: I was at Chase Park tracking for two
days in Januaiy 2010. Drew engineered, and
he's very talented and a wonderful friend.
We've worked together in the past on several
things—-my first record, and other session
work—so it is very comfortable. I went into
this record knowing exactly how I wanted it
to sound. I'd written the songs with the band,
especially drums, in my head. I usually work
more openly than this. I like to see what
unfolds, but, for some reason this time, I just
saw it aU, and it had to be that way, as long
as it was not being forced.
FP: What's the story behind the album title.
Lift Your Eyes to the Hills?
T5: "Lift your eyes to the hills" is a lyric
that shows up in two songs on the record.
It's from a psalm my grandmother and I liked
when I was little. After struggling with the
For more of our interview with Sarrano, including her
work with Camp Amped and her many musical col
laborations, visit Ragpole.com.
'thens-based vocalist, guitarist and
songwriter Thayer Sarrano likes to
maneuver at a slow and steady pace.
Only a few years ago, she was a UGA art stu
dent with an education in music, but relatively
little songwriting experience. She refined her
technique and songcraft along the way, col
laborating in studios and onstage with friends
and slowly working up a few sets of her own
compositions.
Last week, Sarrano celebrated the inde
pendent release of her new solo album, Lift
Your Eyes to the Hills, a follow-up to her 2009
debut King. Drummers Jeremy Wheatley, Seth
Hendershot and Jim Wilson laid down the
beats, while Zack Hosey, Hank Sullivant and
Sarrano handled the guitar parts. Recorded at
Chase Park Transduction and at Sarrano's home
with engineer Drew Vandenberg at the helm,
Lift Your Eyes to the Hills is misty and atmo
spheric, with gentle wisps of reverberating
FP: What's on the hills, and why is it so
important?
TS: The idea that drives me now, and when
I wrote this record, is the transcendent power
of art, especially with abstraction. I am inter
ested in abstraction visually and musically,
in particular with the bend—bending notes,
blues notes and expanding the familiar. I
think that expanding imagination and con
sciousness is a powerful tool for social change.
In no way do I think I am at a table with
those artists I respect who've done this, but
that is where I am trying to go. This record
is about a higher plane, being better than we
are, hope out of bad times, health, expanding
thoughts and generalized heaven. I wanted
a title that instantly set the tone that this
record isn't sad. My music is often described
as "dark" because of the sounds I like, but it's
not sad, just more serious than lighthearted,
I guess.
T. Ballard Lesemann
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MARCH 28,2012 FLAGPOLE.COM 15