Sara Kendall

There's a gravitas to Sara Kendall’s new single ‘You Don't Own It’. The song is dark, melancholic pop in which heavy synth beats and rich production convey the strength required to push back against female oppression. As her powerful, sweeping vocals repeatedly express, 'you don't own it, like you though you did' while war-like beats resound this fighting spirit. In the wake of Me Too, there's a notable change in the air and the only way to prevent this revolution from receeding into the background is to keep the discussion going. We can all acknowledge the power of music and Sara Kendall certainly deserves your admiration for her contribution. More than a cause though, ‘You Don't Own It’ is a gorgeous single that's brooding, bold and will leave a lasting impression. - Hannah Thacker - The Most Radicalist

This Brooklyn based songwriter has a talent for writing powerful social commentary. On this track, she explores the all too common objectification of women. While we totally appreciate the content, the true magic of Kendall is her ability to soar vocally into rare talent spaces. The dark pop underpinnings set her up extraordinarily to showcase her haunting vocal talents. There is tons to like about her, and we look forward to her follow up to her debut EP Delicate. - Ear to the Ground

Sara Kendall is back with her dark new song “You Don’t Own It”. Sara’s voice is sultry and understated, getting under your skin in the verses and delivering a killer falsetto in the choruses. The production is sparse and spacious, creating a dark atmosphere thick with heavy air. There’s something cinematic in the way this track builds that’s patient and gripping.

This is a powerful new track from Sara Kendall’s upcoming EP “Comply” and a intense introduction to the EP’s themes of taking ownership. - We Found New Music

You may be familiar with CRNKN from his impressive Purity Ring and DJ Snake remixes, but the LA-based producer’s newest original track, “Grip,” is even more buzz-worthy. After six years in the industry, CRNKN released his first music video last week, and trust us: it was worth the wait.

The producer initially approached alternative pop singer, Sara Kendall, three years ago with “Grip” and has been holding on to the track ever since, patiently waiting for the right label to distribute his piece. Thanks to Mom + Pop Music, the eerie track has now made its way into our headphones.

The extraterrestrial vibe of the production provides a perfect platform for Kendall’s deeply personal and haunting lyrics. She provided us with some insight on the song below:

“The Grip was written while I was stumbling through depression my sophomore year of college. I use the feeling of suffocation as an analogy to allow the listener to visualize where I was at that time in my life. The song was also partially inspired by the beautiful and compelling way Thomas Hardy describes sadness in the novel Tess of the d'Ubervilles. The chorus is just a simple repeated question asking how to escape - I think being minimal here was a good way to get the point across."

The video explores depression as a physical place, as well as the escapism concept Kendall touched on above. We see Kendall fight her way through various intense elements, including a party and a blizzard, all in a motel room setting. As much as she tries to get away from this room, she finds herself back in it time after time. - Ones to Watch

Veteran remixer CRNKN, known for colorful and eclectic reworks of Major Lazer and Alesso, among others, is dipping his toes back into the pool of original material with his latest single, “The Grip.” The track is a brooding and gritty, sparse and operatic — a slow and deliberate reverie that is made effective by its restraint.

Icy, forlorn vocals from singer Sara Kendall provide a charged atmosphere around the pulsing electronic beat, neither becoming overpowering or overwrought. The single is accompanied by an equally moody and cinematic video, which follows a dolorous Kendall around a series of increasingly surreal occurrences in a hotel room. An interesting and refreshing aesthetic exercise, watch the video for ‘The Grip” above. - Dancing Astronaut

‘The Grip’ is the latest release from a Los Angeles producer who calls himself CRNKN. He’s teamed up with New York singer/songwriter Sara Kendall for her impressive vocals, as he works & weaves them throughout his tapestry of electronic sounds.

The track is out now through Mom+Pop Music, and it also comes with a NOFUN directed music video which follows Sara Kendall as she tries to escape a hotel room that shifts and changes around her. - Acid Stag

“Slowing Down” is about the push and pull between two people in the midst of a failing relationship. During disagreements, accusations can be thrown around. Logical thoughts can twist into hurtful and offensive words. The relationship sometimes survives past due because the pain that follows can turn into something each person craves, even if it only proves to be destructive in the end. This can be especially painful when one person has stronger feelings than the other. Sometimes it takes a while to realize that you are just not compatible as partners. You are slowing each other down, taking up each other’s mental space in a toxic way. - C-Heads Magazine

Sara Kendall is an artist I’m excited about and her new single just makes me more enthusiastic about her art. “Fantasies,” the lead single off upcoming EP Comply, is a darkly hypnotic pop number that is part of a study of the concept of taking back one’s own sense of perception.

Sit back and be entranced by this sparsely packed, slow-burning masterwork. - Vehlinggo

It’s easy to get lost in the seductive vision of Sara Kendall. The Massachusetts-born, Brooklyn-based dark-pop songwriter has consistently crafted engaging compositions that inspire on two fronts: The ethereal sounds that glide across a modernized waltz of sonic enlightenment, and a lyrical precision that, sometimes against its own will, connects the heart to reality. We’ve detailed her work quite a bit here on these digital pages since our inception, but today (March 16) she returns with perhaps her most cunning single yet, a phantom play of broken emotions and delayed regret and called “Fantasies”.

The track is Kendall’s first bit of new music in more than a year, and is described as “a sullen and severe look at a knowingly toxic relationship and the indulgences of its consequences.” It also sets the tone for Kendall’s forthcoming EP, Comply, which should satisfy a fan spectrum that ranges from Kate Bush to Charli XCX.

Kendall says Comply is a re-awkening for her as a person and a songwriter, representing a new hunger enflamed by her relocation to New York City. For a songwriter whose haunting compositions are as ambitious as a downtown skyscraper, the environment is a natural fit.

“In the past my writing has gravitated towards victimization and the disparity of suppressing emotion due to fear and uncertainty,” Kendall says. “In Comply, I wanted similar concepts to be portrayed with confidence and empowerment. It’s about standing up for myself instead of wallowing on past events where I have felt wronged or damaged from. The songs are still melancholy and haunting, because the events still are to me. However, I wanted to take those same experiences and reflect upon them with a different lens. Resentment and liberation from it can coincide and exist together in unison. The project is tangible validation for me to know that I am in complete control of my own mindset and have utmost ability to choose how I want to govern my life.”

Identify your “Fantasies,” and all the times you’ve acted against your better judgement, below. - Vanyaland

Sara Kendall is a Massachusetts born, Brooklyn-based dark-pop singer-songwriter.

The Berklee College of Music trained musician is premiering her new single, “Fantasies,” today on Casablanca Sunset.

“Fantasies” features an introspective electronic instrumental and a chilling pop vocal back by haunting harmonies and precise production. It’s a sullen and severe look at a knowingly toxic relationship and the indulgences of it’s consequences.

Having experience working as both a model and vocalist, Sara has a style that is described as a “portal to her soul.” Her dark melodies and moody electro-pop delivery create a soundscape that is both engaging and real; despite the title of the tune.

Check out “Fantasies” and a brief Q&A with Sara below.

Casablanca Sunset: How long have you been writing music?

Sara Kendall: I’ve been writing for a very long time, although at the beginning it didn’t take a sonic shape. I used to use journaling as an outlet to release a lot of pent up emotion. When I wrote I felt like my feelings were validated and it gave them a form that was tangible. I’m an introverted person and when I felt lonely and unable to relate growing up, I wrote down what I felt I couldn’t communicate to others in my everyday life. Later when I started learning how to play the piano, I started writing songs. I remember being so young and I would start singing stream of conscious thoughts as I played and then all of the sudden I would just start crying. It wasn’t until I grew older that I realized how much I suppressed my emotions as a child. Writing was my release and it really helped me find my worth.

CBS: Who are some of your influences?

SK: This is always a hard question for me as I actually didn’t listen to a lot of music growing up. Today, my influences are sort of all over the place. I would say Thomas Hardy, Alphonse Mucha, Sevdaliza, Kate Bush, Trentemoller, and Chelsea Wolfe.

CBS: How does visual art and your experience modeling influence your music?

SK: I’ve always been attracted to dark, mysterious, and unsettling. I’m also incredibly inspired by a lot of victorian era work and art nouveau. I try to keep my lyrics descriptive and to give my listeners strong visuals to accompany the music, so visual art has always had a huge impact on me. As for modeling, I’ve met many talented individuals that end up being amazing collaborators for music work as well. Photographers, cinematographers, cast, crew, designers, make up artists etc. are all creatives who I can call to work with in the future on projects. In fact the makeup artist that I met through modeling at School of Visual Arts actually is now my creative director. She has been a crazy help in helping me make my visions a reality. We are currently working on a music video for one of the songs on the EP.

CBS: How did your time studying at Berklee College of Music impact your approach to music?

SK: At Berklee I was able to develop my ear, learn about the theory behind music, as well as go outside of my comfort zone and learn how to effectively collaborate with other creatives. I learned how to speak the language and how important it is to work as a team with respect, understanding, and support.

CBS: How would you describe your music to someone that has never listened to it before?

SK: As for the production, I would describe it as dark, gritty, hazy, and cinematic. As for the melodies and lyrics, I would say vulnerable, haunting, and severe.

CBS: How’s on the horizon and what can people expect from you?

SK: Right now I’m working on finishing a few more songs for the EP. In the next few months I’ll be releasing another single and a music video followed by the full EP. My band and I are also in the rehearsal stage and I’m excited to start opening for other artists soon as well as start exploring the possibilities of the live portrayal. - Casablanca Sunset

Late last year, we premiered her emotive electronic-pop single “I’ll Be Your Skin”, written from her teenage perspective and experience of her late father’s battle with cancer. Today, she draws from within once again in the orchestral “Keystone”, which the Boston-based songwriter says was inspired by a relationship gone bad.

“I wrote ‘Keystone’ after taking a step back from a complicated relationship I had been in where I felt in a way I had collapsed mentally,” Kendall tells Vanyaland. “The song communicates the emotional ebb and flow I experienced, relating to feeling buried by it. I try to give out a part of me that is vulnerable to my audience, so if they had ever gone through something like it they have something to relate to. I’m definitely not afraid to be brutally honest in my songs. It’s healing in a way.”

The tension in the songs builds, and while the music itself is bountiful, the source material reflects Kendall’s loneliness. “I really wanted the sounds of the track to portray the sweeping sounds of wind and grass in that sort of barren place I found myself emotionally,” she adds. “Soft strings represented that well for me while the aggressive vocals and melody in the chorus represent a stark contrast. I tried a different approach to the chorus than what I have done before, being quite repetitive with the lyrics and building up into a bit of an explosion of emotion.”

“Keystone” is the first single off Kendall’s upcoming EP, and is officially out today via Soundcloud, iTunes, Spotify, and Google Play. Stream it below. - Vanyaland

Sara Kendall is a singer-songwriter, performer, and arranger from Southborough Massachusetts studying at Berklee College of Music. Wow, what a voice. When I first listened to her single “Detach Me”, her sultry vocals and electronic dreamlike compositions had me in a bit of a frenzy. This is one talented lady who is going to change the music scene right before our eyes. Oh, and did I mention she is proficient on the piano as well? I can’t take it. Incredible!

Take a listen below and be sure to visit her Soundcloud account for even more amazing tunes.

Love her! x/o - Raw Femme

"Working in a measured balance of strength and vulnerability, her earnest lyrics, brought to life by her moving voice, make for a powerful emotional core, made all the more vivid by the synthetic sounds surrounding them. Fans of Jessie Ware, take note." - Allston Pudding

Sara Kendall is one of the up-and-coming young talents in Boston. The Massachusetts native and current Berklee College of Music student taps into the heart of the singer-songwriter tradition but augments that sound with electronics. The core of vocals and piano is highlighted in songs like “Patient Hand,” letting the strength and warmth of her voice carry. The more electronic sound found on “Nightingale” retains the power of Sara’s captivating voice, while expanding the overall feel; this is still an intimate song, but with the production enlarging and developing its atmosphere. Think something along the lines of Burlington-now-NYC’s tooth ache. or Jabberwocky featuring Elodie Wildstars; in other words, well-crafted pop songs with a strong dance/electronica vibe. - Boston Hassle

Sara Kendall is a Massachusetts born, Brooklyn based dark-pop songwriter whose haunting and introspective lyrics explore themes of empowerment and self preservation. Taking inspiration from both female artists and novels, Kendall’s lyrics are reflective of her life experience and delivered with a powerful voice that Vanyaland described as a “portal to her soul”. Following her debut EP “Delicate”, her forthcoming EP “Comply” tackles the concept of taking ownership of one’s own perception in an emboldened tone backed by sparse but often heavy and cinematic production.

Interview Meikee Magnetic

Where were you born and where are you now?

I was born in New Jersey and grew up in a little suburb called Southborough in Massachusetts. I then studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston and am now living in Brooklyn New York.

Who are you as an artist?
I’m exploring empowerment and self preservation. The music is introspective and unapologetic and I want to keep the material raw and vulnerable.

Tell us about the creative team behind your music video ‘Comply’:
“Comply” was created by a female based team that was eager to showcase the unsettling idea of needing to comply as a woman – even when you do not want to. I co-produced and directed the video with Samantha Granados, and the main goal is to give a visual to the harbored guilt that I have personally felt myself carrying on my shoulders for years. I want to spread an awareness of the feeling and to give anyone who has felt this way something to relate to. I want for them to know that they are not alone and to start a bigger conversation.
How personal is the song ‘Comply’ and describe the lyrical concept:
It’s a re-awakening for me. In the past my writing has gravitated towards victimization and the disparity of suppressing emotion due to fear and uncertainty. In Comply, I wanted similar concepts to be portrayed with confidence and empowerment. It’s standing up for myself instead of wallowing on past events where I have felt wronged or damaged from. The songs are still melancholy and haunting, because the events still are to me. However, I wanted to take those same experiences and reflect upon them with a different lens. Resentment and liberation from it can coincide and exist together in unison. In fact, I’ve found recently that they often do. It’s tangible validation for me to know that I am in complete control of my own mindset and have utmost ability to choose how I want to govern my life.



Are you working in your own music studio or is there a production team behind you?

For the EP, I worked alongside Ariel Loh at his home studio in Astoria. Producing and recording out of there offered to be a low stress atmosphere. No expensive recording studios or any fluff. We found ourselves gravitating towards the imperfections of it.

What can fans expect to see during a live performance?
For now, when I’m up there I’m just being me. The music is raw and close to me – I get lost in it. Whatever else happens is a direct result from that.

Describe your personal style:

I’m fascinated with the Victorian era. I’m also inspired by art nouveau and Gothic inspired architecture, pieces, or furniture. Gardens, forests, anything mythical or mystical.


Who are some artists that inspire you?

Sevdaliza, Kate Bush, Trentemoller, Chelsea Wolfe, Marissa Nadler, Sharon Van Etten, old Future Islands and St. Vincent.

Tell us a typical day you experience in Brooklyn NY:
At the moment I’m freelancing while trying to build my music career so it’s pretty hectic. I take on random jobs all the time. I try and be active/do something healthy for my mind and body. Then if I have a job that day I’ll do that, usually a modeling gig. At some point of the day I’m trying to just put my head down and work/write as I get anxious about getting things done. I’m also exercising a balance with that and social obligations.
What do you wish to achieve creatively with your music?
I want people to feel like they have someone to relate to. I felt quite alone growing up and I didn’t quite know how to communicate or express my feelings. I want my music to reflect the heaviness of that as well as the power it can give to come out stronger from the experience. I want it to be something you can feel empowered from.
Future plans?

This will be the last song from my EP, so I want to play out a ton more after this release. I’ve been writing and want to put out a full length next while collaborating on singles in the meantime. After producing and directing the music video I’m inspired to tap way more into visuals as well.


What does Dark Beauty mean to you?

Owning your darkness and using it as power. It has no face or corporeal form. It’s in your lungs and in your veins.


 - Dark Beauty Magazine

Brooklyn-based dark pop artist Sara Kendall talks us through the striking aesthetics and powerful storyline in her music video for, ‘Comply’ .
‘Comply’ is the brooding and sophisticated title track taken from Sara Kendall’s forthcoming EP, which tackles the liberating concept of taking ownership of one's own perception.

Sara Kendall Explains:
Where was the video for Comply filmed?
We filmed at Monaliza Studios in Williamsburg.

How does the video connect with the song?
The music video is a visualization of feelings collected as woman in the current social climate. Both the song and video showcase the unsettling idea of feeling like you need to comply - even when you do not want to. As the co-director and producer for the video, I wanted to portray the harbored guilt that I have personally felt myself carrying on my shoulders for years both sonically and visually. I want to spread an awareness of the feeling and to give anyone who has felt this way something to relate to. I want for them to know that they are not alone and to start a bigger conversation.

Are there any behind the scenes stories you could let us in on?
The video was created with a female based team and shooting went incredibly smoothly. We actually finished filming early! I feel very grateful that my co producer, Sam Granados, and I were able to build a reliable and hard working team to have the project come to life. Prior to the shoot, I was very stressed trying to set the logistics up, but ultimately everything worked out. My mom and sister play two of the women in the video, so it was really cool collaborating with them and using our personal experiences and stories as inspiration.

Can you tell us about the ideas/ themes/ imagery used?
We chose Monaliza because of the antiquity of the rooms and props available. There's a certain darkness to it that I found myself gravitating towards. Each woman in the video represents a theme. One is naivety and willingness, one is sexuality, one is wisdom and experience, and one is helplessness. I wanted them to intertwine with each other and explore each other's worlds. The choreography in the beginning of the video shows how women are conditioned to turn against one another. The later half represents how we can come together to lift each other up instead. There's a delicateness to the women but also a hardness and strength in their faces and movements. I liked exploring my personal idea of the power in femininity and the importance of our relationships with one another.

Is there a message the video is trying to convey?
'Comply' is a re-awakening for me. In the past my writing has gravitated towards victimization and the disparity of suppressing emotion due to fear and uncertainty. In 'Comply', I wanted similar concepts to be portrayed with confidence and empowerment. It’s standing up for myself instead of wallowing on past events where I have felt wronged or damaged from. The song is still melancholy and haunting, because the events still are to me. However, I wanted to take those same experiences and reflect upon them with a different lens. Resentment and liberation from it can coincide and exist together in unison. In fact, I’ve found recently that they often do. It’s tangible validation for me to know that I am in complete control of my own mindset and have utmost ability to choose how I want to govern my life. - When the Horn Blows