Photo credit Dave Jackson
INTERVIEW WITH SARAH VOS FROM THE DEAD HORSES
(Singer/Songwriter/Leader of the Dead Horses)
by Sandi Millar
Enjoy this interview with Sarah Vos from the Dead Horses band! Thanks for reading.
SANDI: How long has the band been together?
SARAH: Dan and I have been playing together since 2010
SANDI: What is it like being the leader of the band?
SARAH: A lot of folks make up our team, and we all lead in different ways. My duties and roles are not static, and I try to look at them as opportunities to learn.
SANDI: When did you start singing and playing the guitar?
SARAH: I've been singing for as long as I can remember. Music was central in my home and both at school and church. I got my first guitar when I was around ten or eleven and what excited me most about it was that I could use it to play songs.
SANDI: Who was your biggest inspiration growing up?
SARAH: Probably my mom. She taught and still teaches me much about love, compassion and empathy, strength, and being able to laugh at yourself!
SANDI: Aside from music, what are some of your hobbies?
SARAH: I love hiking and spending time in nature! I also like to read and study.
SANDI: What attracted you to play Americana / Folk / Roots / Bluegrass full time?
SARAH: I've always been especially interested in acoustic music. It seems as though there's been a resurgence of folk, and we sort of just fell into that.
SANDI: I noticed you were just in New York. What was your favorite part of the trip?
SARAH: The energy of the city! Last summer was my first time visiting New York City, and I've been back a few times since. I had no idea I would like it so much, and I always feel deeply inspired when I'm there; I think, in part, it's the history of the city. It's as if there's a palpable excitement in the air.
SANDI: Do you have a specific songwriting routine?
SARAH: No. I consider writing practice, but I try to let it be as fluid as possible.
SANDI: Do you set deadlines for your writing?
SARAH: No, definitely not.
SANDI: When it comes to writing, are you, in a sense, in the old-fashioned mode where it is pen and paper, or are you in the new age of writing with the computer?
SARAH: I use pen and paper!
SANDI: Do you believe in writer's block? Why or why not?
SARAH: Some of the best advice I've heard regarding writer's block is to get it over with and write a bad song or two. I like that advice because it speaks to the part of yourself that is writing to write and for no other reason.
SANDI: Any great advice you can give to new songwriters?
SARAH: Just write. It's normal to write something that you don't like afterward, whether that is a day or a few years after you write it. I always try not to second guess myself while writing initially. You can always go back and adjust phrases or anything else.
SANDI: Lesson Pros has taught many songwriting workshops across the U.S., and it never fails at every workshop, someone asks, "How do you find the rhyme?" How do you find your rhymes?
SARAH: That's a funny question! I have seen those "rhyme dictionaries" and it makes me chuckle. It's important to note that rhyme is one of many different ways to affect the way something sounds.
SANDI: List some things that you love about being on the road.
SARAH: It's been fun returning to cities we've played before. It is starting to feel like we live everywhere! I really enjoy seeing and observing the beautiful country as well as the communities living in it. It is a nomadic lifestyle, certainly.
SANDI: Any good road trip stories?
SARAH: Last fall, we were in Sedona, AZ, on a day off, and we did a band hike together. It turned out to be a pretty long hike, and we needed to get back to the van before dark, so some of us started running ahead on the trail. I got back to the van with two of our players, but Dan was nowhere to be found. We waited a few minutes and I was telling the guys, "I'm sure he'll be back any second." I then saw I had a text from Dan's wife (back home in Wisconsin) saying, "Is everything okay?" Turns out Dan had gotten turned around on the trail and hitched a ride into town with a stranger. She was nice enough to drop him off and let us know where he was.
SANDI: What is your favorite thing about being a musician?
SARAH: Playing music is definitely my favorite part. I enjoy being on a unique team and working with everyone who supports this project. It's inspiring to watch it grow and know that so many people have influenced it.
SANDI: Where do you see yourself as a musician in the future?
SARAH: I want to make more records and tour!
SANDI: Is there anything more you want us to know about you and/or the band?
SARAH: We are very excited about the new record we released this April called "My Mother the Moon." We recorded it last year in Tennessee and are currently on tour in support of it.
SANDI: Favorite Quote?
SARAH: I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars. - Walt Whitman.
Stream of Conscious Questions
Answer the first thing that pops into your head.
SANDI: La Croix Sparkling Water
SARAH: mixer
SANDI: Rolling Stone
SARAH: Bob Dylan
SANDI: A Petal Here, A Petal There
SARAH: A petal for your lovely hair
SANDI: Black and White
SARAH: Jack White
SANDI: Robert Frost
SARAH: Birches
For more information on the Dead Horses
Website: Dead Horses
General Manager: Rebecca Ottman, rebecca@ottmanpr.com Publicity: Amy Bailey, abailey@shorefire.com or Matt Hanks, mhanks@shorefire.com
Radio: Leslie Rouffe, leslie@songlinesmusic.com
Booking Agent: Kate Begani, kbegani@paradigmagency.com
Special thanks to Sarah Vos from the Dead Horses for taking the time to do this interview. Hope to see you "On the Road"! - Sandi Millar
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