Sara Rachele’s single, ‘Try Again” is a stripped-down, heartbreakingly beautiful ballad that highlights the gorgeous purity of the young singer’s voice. Part of her forthcoming single, “Sweet Man of Mine,” out Oct. 23, the song features soft instrumentation on the acoustic guitar and layered vocals, with the main focus on the honest, unadorned lyrics and unique gritty quality of the track.
An artist who got her start working for free, cleaning out cupboards at famed acoustic hotspot, Eddie’s Attic, Rachele gained experience as a backup vocalist and keyboard player for The Love Willows. When she left the group behind, she moved to New York City and began to fill her journals with ballad after ballad and fill the coffeehouses and nightclubs of the East Village with her sweet, unique sound. Since the release of her 2014 LP, Diamond Street, Rachele has released a steady stream of singles—including “Try Again.” The singer’s folk-centric upbringing and rock & roll adventures of the city combine to form a sound that is bold, honest and uncompromisingly creative.
Vinyl Mag chatted with Rachele about her inspiration for the exclusive single, ‘Try Again,” and her plans for the future:
“Try Again” sounds like a very personal narrative. What was the inspiration behind it?
I’ve had an intense life. I grew up with a mentally ill parent, and that’s caused me to have this raw openness with folks I think. “Try Again” is about an experience I had with someone I thought I had a lot in common with, who’d had a life like mine, but who in the end didn’t want anything to do with me. Didn’t want the best for me. Didn’t care. Hated me, not for our differences, but for the similarities, I think. It’s about learning that lesson. A couple times.
What do you like about this song?
The line, “I’m a sorry old Job in a wedding gown.” That lyric kinda came down from the sky. That’s how I envision Samantha sees me—this person covered in welts, all gussied in lace. A nasty contradiction. But the truth is that she’s like that. You have to see right through it. That’s what I’m saying here. We’re all like that.
What was the writing process like for this track?
“I started with the title—’Try Again.’ I do that a lot. I just didn’t know what to do. You ever have a door slammed in your face? I sat down and wrote that song. I just thought, all right. Tell her how you feel. Let it out.”
You’ve been consistently releasing your singles accompanied by more acoustic B-sides. What made you decide to take that approach?
I consider myself a folk writer. All my songs start out on an acoustic instrument, and some never want to be electric. So they stay folk songs.
What is next for you?
Surviving.
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