Sandra Bouza On the Making Of “Sit By The Fire”
What was the initial spark or idea that led to the creation of "Sit By The Fire?"
The song was initially a very short acoustic ballad that I thought would be a perfect end to the album, in the style of 4&20 by CSN&Y. I was very overwhelmed with life one day, as we have all experienced I'm sure, and one night I picked up my guitar which usually centers me a bit, and I started writing this sweet little acoustic tune about being overwhelmed, and then it just started to expand to reminiscing about times of chaos in my life when I was just moving too fast, living too fast, planning too fast, and all the times people around me were telling me to slow down. The last verse is sort of a summary of what happens when you don't slow down and one day you are left with nothing but chaos.
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for "Sit By The Fire?"
Yes! This song was supposed to be an acoustic ballad, but when we all got into the studio we decided to add SOME instrumentation, the album was recorded live off the floor, so the band was together in the studio for the week tracking the whole record, and when it came to this song, it just didn't work. It kept getting heavy, and we kept trying to drag it kicking and screaming back to soul, or something softer, but the song wanted what it wanted. So finally, we just stopped trying to control, and let it be the awesome soulful southern rock tune that it became, and it is one of my favourite songs on the record!
What did you enjoy most about making this song?
This song really re-enforced for me the idea of letting go of control, and sometimes that's how you get the best results. Working with a group of amazing musicians, with no egos, who are all just invested in making the best product possible and not getting stuck in a box that you designed for yourself and refuse to see out of, even though there might be something really cool sitting just on the other side! It sort of fits in a lot of other areas of life, getting so stuck on a specific plan or idea, that you can't see that maybe the universe has another, better plan for you.
Can you share a bit about your musical background and the journey that led you to where you are today?
I was raised on folk, like Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and the laurel canyon era, but then I discovered harder music from the same era and got pretty obsessed with Led Zeppelin and Janis Joplin, THEN I discovered jazz and soul and wanted to sound like Erykah Badu, so I was a bit of a confused musical lover, and my last album definitely has more soul pop elements. This album is a bit of a return to my roots, because when I met my producer; Ross Hayes Citrullo, we bonded over the Laurel Canyon era, and our love for that era and music, so this album has a lot of that influence. I still feel that all of those other genres that I love so dearly, deeply influenced my sound, I still love doing cover gigs and getting to sing jazz and soul, but I like to think that I have reached a point in my career where I can amalgamate all those styles but still have a common consistent theme that still remains very "Sandra".
How do you balance crafting relatable stories with maintaining your unique voice as a songwriter?
Interesting question! I like to believe at the end of the day, that there is a human experience that almost all of us can relate to. I don't however try to fit into all of them or appeal to absolutely everyone, because I don't think you can, and I think people that try to run the risk of losing their own unique voices. So I focus on being true to my own stories, but listening to the stories of others and trying to find that connection. That is the music that appeals to me, is some artist, across the world, from some other place or time in some cases, who is spouting these lyrics that completely and beautifully sum up my experience. I think that is the magic of art, and I want to be a part of that! I also think that authenticity, and being yourself, in a society that does not really encourage that, IS a unique voice! Loving yourself is an act of rebellion in our society. And I am trying to do that every day. I don't succeed every day, but I think being honest about that specific journey in itself, can contribute to some pretty relatable art.