Luton-native songwriter SK & The Kings harnesses soulful sounds to create a wonderful tapestry of hearty music. Building rich soundscapes and lyricially explorating relatable subjects, her introduction to music from a young age has earned her an impressive number of lush influences. We caught up with Sarah to chat about the new single, vinyl collections and favourite cocktails.
Hi Sarah, how’s your summer been?
This year has definitely felt like a fresh start for me since the covid hell we all went through. I was in Ibiza with family, spent some time in the studio and I’ve been writing with some new faces before I get lots of new music out over the next couple of months so it’s feeling good. I’d like some more sunshine though please!
You’ve just released your new single “Clouds”, can you tell us more about it?
Clouds is actually a bit of a lockdown baby. I was doing some remote sessions with my co-writer Andy Theakstone which is where we first came up with the beat. At that time I was really struggling to feel inspired because of everything that was going on in the world, so I sent it to my mate James Robb and he really helped pull everything together. Once we were able to, we all got in the studio and it felt so good be back!
We love your blend of soul and jazz, what is it about those genres that you love so much?
Thank you so much! I really love the freedom of jazz, especially melodically, and I love that it’s very rarely ever played the same. There’s so much juxtaposition within jazz, it’s forever changing and exciting and emotive but it always has this familiar old feel; you can go anywhere with it. And as for soul? Soul is in your blood. It’s ingrained in you; it hits you somewhere you can’t explain and you just feel it. Music for me and I’m sure for a lot of other people is all about emotion, what it evokes inside of you when you hear a certain something.
Are there any key influences that you’ve drawn upon for this song?
I think at the point we wrote Clouds we were all looking for something to bring us out of the darkness we felt at the time, that overwhelming and never ending uncertainty. So we were eager to convey the dark feeling of the moment as well as the fact that there is always something or someone to bring us back into the light.
We’re told you were brought up on your family’s vinyl collection, are there any that remain firm favourites today?
Donny Hathaway, his self titled album from 1971 and his latter, A Donny Hathaway Collection. The Isley Brothers, The Heat Is On & Harvest For the World. Stevie wonder, Songs In The Key Of Life, which I actually also had on a double cassette that I stole from my dad (I still have it now!) Aretha Franklin, so so many aretha albums. Ahmad Jamal, again his library is insane. There’s honestly too many others to mention, I could go on forever.
There’s something so special about sharing music with people, so many fond memories are developed based on the shared love of music. What’s your first memory of those experiences?
When I was around 7 or 8 we started this Tuesday night ritual in our house. I’d sit with my parents and they’d bust out the vinyls and we’d play them for hours. Every song I heard I wanted to learn and sing because I completely fell in love with the way music made me feel. That excitement when you discover something new, especially when you’re only a child, it becomes addictive. We’d fall down black holes vinyl hopping because one song would lead us to another and another and time just melted away. It made me want to create music that made people feel the way I did then.
What’s your go-to cocktail of choice?
I love a margarita! Or an old fashioned in the winter but I recently discovered something called Son of the Soil at Blacklock in Soho. It’s got mezcal in it and it’s insanely good.
Can we catch you live anywhere this year?
I’ll be playing some shows in the States in July and August and the rest of my UK dates will be announced on my socials over the next few weeks so you’ll just have to keep an eye out there – @skandthekings
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