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Sarah Slean is The Baroness

Sarah Slean has been beguiling audiences with her intriguing and provocative music for years. March 11, 2008 marked the much anticipated release of her fifth studio recording, The Baroness. Slean is not only an incredibly talent singer, songwriter, poet, and actor but she is also currently a music and philosophy student studying at the University of Toronto. Alexandra Baird chatted with Sarah, from her home in Toronto, about the new album, how her art is created, and her upcoming tour.

Tell me about your relationship with Paris.

It was amazing, it seems like forever-ago. It was another one of those times where I had arrived at a sort of standstill in life and kind of disillusioned with everything and I’d lost my childlike wonder. I think the only recipe for that, that I had at my disposal in my late 20’s, was to jump ship and go somewhere where you are to begin again at zero. You have no friends, you have no history, you have nothing familiar.

I started this little adventure at a really low point, so doing the “jumping ship” that was overseas, that was perhaps a bit rash. The first three months I was there were really difficult and very rocky and frightening. The apartment that I had reserved was no longer reserved and I had to cart my belongings around for about two weeks trying to find another place and just feeling really like the entire environment was repellent towards me. Not speaking French fluently added to that frustration, so it was a tough go when I first got there but like I always say it was a necessary struggle.

I’ve heard that you believe that this is the best recording experience you’ve ever had. Why is that?

Well, we had the luxury of time on this one. We started pre-production and it wasn’t really like, ‘ok, make this album in three months,’ it was ‘oh just start and see how it goes.’ Warner has always been amazing with me in that respect. They just give me freedom and they don’t really breathe down my neck. It’s been a long time since my last studio recording. This one I finally figured out, I had about 25 songs when we initially started, and I figured out along the way that some of them were more potent than others, some of them belonged with each other more than others, and we had the luxury of time to discover those things about the music that was coming out and that’s what I loved about it. I loved the total lack of pressure, the total comfort of singing in my own home and working with someone who is totally supportive and not in a rush whatsoever and didn’t have another agenda. It was very organic.

Do you have a favorite song from this album?

Oh, they’re all my little babies (giggles)…Hopeful Hearts, that chorus encapsulates the whole sentiment of the record, you know, ‘o, struggle in right/what’s black is white/the moment you fall you fly’ kind of thing.

You seem to have an urge to create, whether it be music, art, or poetry. How do you decide how to channel that creativity and in which medium?

I do have those moments of paralysis sometimes where I want to be in three places at one time and I can’t really decide which way to turn, but that’s better than the alternative. Being stuck creatively is torturous, it’s so cold and terrible that feeling and to be overflowing is the best. If I have that anxiety about how should this come out then I always remember that it’s cheerful anxiety, the good kind of anxiety, ‘hmmm, shall I paint, shall I sing…’ (giggles)

Do you plan on publishing any more of your poetry?

Yeah, I can’t wait to put that out. I think I’m going to focus this time on keeping this book very much about the text and I’m going to put any paintings in it, I’m going to try to separate those two worlds.

And how about acting? Will you be gracing the silver screen again?

(laughs) I don’t know. It would have to be something really really enticing. I just don’ t think I’m an actress. I found it very challenging in a terrifying way…it just seemed like you have to take an ice cream scoop to your insides and just excavate yourself and I find that so hard to do. Acting just seemed lot be like ‘ok, now throw that on a shelf while you are inhabited by someone else’ and I found it so difficult.

Did going back to school help you conquer some of those challenges?

Going back to school was such a blessing. It was the solidity I needed after coming back from Paris, which was pretty much non-stop and it’s that polarity and extremism. It was lovely to come back and have a little piece of paper that said ‘go here at 9 o’clock and listen to this person talk about continental philosophy and that’s what you’ll do every Wednesday.’ It was lovely to have that structure.

Has that experience impacted your life and your work?

God, always. If I learn about anything it informs my work because in order to continue being creative you have to cultivate. You have to be very well acquainted with the sensation of wonder. I think that’s where art comes from. This fantastically improbable predicament of the human race and existence and being conscious and alive on a ball that’s hanging in avoid. There’s lots of stars and a few balls of fire hanging around too. When you really thing about it it’s crazy! And when I’m really close to that sentiment I feel like everything in life is like a Mary Poppins movie. Everything is on fire with magic. That’s where my art comes from. When you’re learning about philosophy in-particular I think it sharpens that kind of vision, that skill to be constantly full of wonder.

What’s next for you?

I’m so excited because I feel like I am really in a good place lately, turning 30 and kind of reconnecting with my family and understanding who I am, so much more than I ever have. I’m excited to tour again…I have a degree of faith that I never had before, faith in like, ‘yes you’ve chosen the right path.’ I’m excited to go on tour, I’m excited to perform and find a great band and I can’t wait til I’m in my 50’s and hit my stride and you’re gonna come and see my symphony being performed or my musical (laughs).

That’ll be great (laugh). So, are you coming to Newfoundland anytime soon?

Of course Newfoundland is on the tour! I would never tour Canada without going to Newfoundland, for sure. It has a special place in my heart and Pouch Cove is a big part of that. St. John’s has always been very kind to me, so I can’t wait. It’ll most likely be in mid to late May I think.

March 11, 2008
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