Sara Bareilles

Sara’s presence is charismatic but unassuming, her delivery is captivatingly soulful, and her songwriting — which draws on influences ranging from Ray Charles and Etta James to Radiohead and Sting — is satisfyingly smart and addictively pop-y. She’s already toured with Maroon 5 and had a tune featured on the excellent soundtrack for the (not quite so excellent) movie Monster-In-Law. Currently in the studio recording her major label debut, Sara seems on the verge of a memorable musical career — one that’s been a while in the making.

“I grew up playing my dad’s piano and I’ve been writing songs since I was six or seven,” says Sara. “My sister taught me how to read chords, so I learned to play by ear and by reading pop songbooks.” As an undergrad at UCLA, Sara also gained valuable experience from a favorite extracurricular. “I sang a capella most of my years in college and loved it,” she says. “It gives you different sensibilities about harmony and it can influence your vision of what you can do.” Though she now fronts a band instead of a pop/rock choir, the group-singing experience had a big impact on Sara’s creative process. “It broadened my vocabulary of music,” she says. “There’s something valuable in participating in a lot of different types of music, whether or not they specifically pertain to what you do in your solo career.”

When it comes to gear, Sara keeps it simple. “I’ve always been a Yamaha girl,” she says, referring to her P120. “It’s portable, it’s not overly complicated, and you get a consistent great sound out of it. I use a little Rhodes but, for the type of music I write, there isn’t a lot. I’m in love with the piano sounds; home is where the heart is.” For more on Sara, check out www.sarabmusic.com.