So I’ve been at this music writing thing for a hot minute now. It feels crazy that it’s been over six years since I started sneaking into the loading dock of the old Masquerade to try and get quotes from bands. When I pivoted to writing about the Atlanta music scene, it opened my eyes to how much our city has to offer. If you’re a fan of just about any genre of music, you can probably find a band playing it somewhere around town. Indeed, we have scenes on scenes of different music to appease the many appetites of our widely diverse city.
One genre I’ve been seeking out lately is shoegaze, a sister genre to dream pop that has roots in indie and alternative rock. In my explorations, I came across Sarah Rae and the Sunshines, a local band that bends shoegaze into their own unique style they call siren rock. Their frontwoman Sarah Rae Trammell has long made EAV her stomping grounds and she remains a regular at the EARL and 529. Although she started her music career there, Rae abruptly stopped in her early twenties after undergoing harsh personal trauma. But after nearly a decade of standing on the sidelines, Rae made the decision to jump back into doing what she loves most. She started sharing solo tracks in 2021 and unveiled her first songs with the Sunshines earlier this year.
Rae’s latest album, Bridge to Neverland, is what got me interested in her music. The record has a quirky sound that I haven’t really heard before, mixing grungy garage jams with opaque yet operatic vocals. As a label, siren rock fits perfectly with each track drawing you further into the album and lulling you into a trance. Bridge to Neverland ferries listeners to a magical headspace of beauty and escapist fantasy, a subtle nod to the album’s title. As the pandemic hopefully continues to recede, I welcome Sarah Rae and the Sunshines as guides to that blissful reverie that has remained synonymous with Neverland.
Recently, I was able to grab dinner with Rae and pick her brain as to why she suddenly came back to music after such a long break. “Music is like breathing to me,” she explained. “Singing more than anything. When I’m on a stage or recording a song, I feel like I’m in a completely different reality, and my heart just soars. I robbed myself of that for years because I convinced myself that I didn’t have the privilege, money, or resources to make it. Mostly from a standpoint of not feeling good enough, and not believing I could work hard enough.”
Rae is the first to admit she picked a difficult time to jump back into making music. With venues shuttered and the outside world slowing to a crawl, opportunities to engage with audiences were scarce. Still, Rae’s time in isolation afforded her the luxury of easing her way back into the creative process. It also forced her to seek out new ways to connect with listeners, which led to an unexpected but welcome break. She hasn’t looked back since.
“When the pandemic happened, I did like everyone else and started dabbling in old things again,” Rae said. “I’d play old compositions, do vocal warmups daily, and I’d post it online to a great response, to my surprise. One day, that led to the record label Bentley Records asking me if I wanted a deal, and that led to an entire 2021 of releasing music and coming back into my confidence.”
Sarah Rae and the Sunshines performing in L5P / Credit: Stephanie Heath
In addition to writing new music, Rae has been hard at work promoting her record. She has crafted some inventive ideas to spread the word about her album release show next month at Vinyl. This included hosting a four square tournament this past weekend in Little Five Points to give away tickets to the show. She’s also been busy burying promotional material in front of radio stations around the city and sending follow-up emails to the stations about the location of the buried treasure. Mixing DIY hustle with savvy marketing, Rae is steadily spreading the word and building a buzz. After losing years to anxiety, doubt, and trauma, she’s finally embracing her art and discovering her true self.
“I truly feel like making music that helps people feel things is my soul calling, and I want to prove that you can make it in this industry with vulnerable and raw music.”
Sarah Rae and the Sunshines will perform on Sat., Mar. 26 at Vinyl alongside The Sunsets (AL), Okay Kenedi, and Open. Doors open at 8 p.m. Admission is $12 in advance or $15 DOS. All ages.
More Info
Web: sarahraesings.com
Bandcamp: sarahraesings.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @sarahraesings
Instagram: @sarahraesmiles
Twitter: @sarahraesmiles