Said Sara, aka David Bension embarked on a journey that redefined his musical reach in 2023. Fresh off the success of his 2023 release, Same, Said Sara has once again captured the essence of his unique sound with Then There You Are. In an exclusive interview with The Skadoosh, the artist shared his musical journey.
What/who inspired you to make music in the first place?
What inspired me initially was probably the dream of being a rock star – back when I was a pre-teen. Getting over that has been a long time coming. Other things happened: family, career, dark years… not that I would have definitely become a rock star without those things having happened!
Why the name Said Sara?
It’s a line from the Fleetwood Mac song Sara. If I had an interesting name, maybe I would have gone that more standard route, but “David Benson” is not cool enough sounding for a musical act! It’s a great name for a plumber or an accountant. Many solo artists have a name for their act, though: Bright Eyes, Owl City, Bon Iver, Aerial Ruin, Serpentent, etc.
Tell us about your latest release Then There You Are.
To me, it’s a classic folk song. It’s not meant to be too polished or overproduced, and I kept the electronic elements nearly unnoticeable. Because I’m an old-school punk rocker – a 90s Gilam Punk – everything I do is going to have that infusion. That said, this is an acoustic folk song. It simply asks the listener to heed the call from beyond the earth.
What themes do you find recurring in your songwriting?
Redemption, astronomy, dirty cities, knives.
You have a distinct acoustic style. What draws you to acoustic music, and how do you incorporate different genres into your sound?
The acoustic guitar – and the ability to accompany oneself vocally – are some of the most rudimentary musical concepts, and yet you can do immeasurable things. The acoustic guitar is also a complex instrument, like the voice. When I sit down to write on acoustic guitar, I challenge myself. There are always new places to take it, even though the sounds are usually quite familiar.
As a solo artist, how do you approach live performances?
I love the rawness and intimacy of performance with just acoustic guitar and vocal, though I do like to keep myself comfortable by having my own specific equipment: my own guitar, obviously, but also my own mic, and my own direct box. I also like to be in control of my sound as much as possible, regardless of the setting. For this reason, I do my own guitar and vocal effects from the stage.
How would you describe your music journey in just a word?
Full-circle
What’s the most challenging aspect of being an independent artist?
Promotion in the post-record store era is tough. Yes, it’s cheaper than it used to be to record and distribute, but the market is so saturated, and social media is so fleeting (people forget what they see and hear soon after because they see and hear so much), that you really have to stand out in order to be noticed. As someone who’s lived in nearly all eras of the music business, I can say that this one is a struggle like all of the others!
If you had to collaborate with an artist who would it be and why?
Violinist Ben Mink. The way that he puts Rush in an entirely different and genuinely moving light on the song Losing It is mesmerizing.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?
Play live as much as possible. Don’t be a “bedroom” artist. No matter how much you think you can do from behind a desk, you’ll never find yourself there. You need human feedback in real time in order to genuinely gauge your own talent. You need to see reactions on people’s faces and in their bodies. Reading what they type gives only a small piece of the picture.
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