Liverpool-based avant-garde artist Sara Wolff caught our attention in 2021 on the release of her debut single Bad Thoughts Compilation, reviewed here. Sara has been busy since then, producing other artists, session musician, embarking upon a solo tour of unconventional spaces whilst armed with her trusty 4‑track cassette machine and the morphing visuals of multidisciplinary artist Heka. There’s a cute description on her PR blurb of her as a ‘knit pop’ artist but there’s a lot more going on. She also heads up a monthly Cloudberries radio show. “I was inspired to get back to the studio so quickly; I’ve learned so much,” she says.
Don’t Feed The Birds is the first single from the upcoming EP in May called Magic Hour. It is an intimate and contemplative song which delineates the transition we make from child to woman – and all that it entails. The instrumentation and vocals feel weighted and slightly fuzzy, as though the sound is reaching us from the past, a memory plucked and brought back into sharp relief, to be seen through different, more experienced eyes. Don’t Feed The Birds describes a picnic which sounds like hazy, summer fun, yet there’s a lingering sense that the time was fleeting, on the cusp of change. “Berries and apples, down by the shrubs, picnics and blankets, red wine in cups. Cakes in boxes, frosting on top, thermos with coffee and sweets from the shop.”
Says Sara about the song: “I’ve been thinking about magic through a child’s eyes and how we all chase down that feeling as grown-ups… it’s easy to be distracted from playing and being inspired. With this song I wanted to create a story from a parent’s perspective. It describes the conflict between growing up and playing like a child and the expectations we often have for children, especially young girls, to behave like adults so quickly.”
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Don’t Feed The Birds is out now; new EP Magic Hour release date 26th May on Small Matter Records