A song born from loss anchors the debut from Sarah Sharp. The Austin-based singer-songwriter has released her interpretation of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright,” the first taste of her debut album ‘Deja Vu,’ which is out now via Spaceflight Records. A staple of the Austin scene and former leader of the critically acclaimed Jitterbug Vipers, Sharp blends intimate, nocturnal arrangements with serious vocal prowess.
The Dylan cover carries deep personal history. Sharp started performing it during her nine-year residency at the Elephant Room in Austin when a former boyfriend developed cancer and passed away soon after. Her reading reflects on the disappointment of past relationships, embodying life experience and loss.
The timing of the debut came down to family. “My kids are now old enough,” Sharp says, underscoring her commitment as a single mother. “I want to play for way more people. Traveling with your music to other parts of the world is like running up and saying hello to parts of yourself that you can’t always access. It’s so powerful to integrate them. I’m always striving to become whole while keeping my heart open, living in the flow of what my friends call ‘Sarahdipity.'”
The record came together in a fitting setting. After her Elephant Room residency, Sharp recorded ‘Deja Vu’ in the studio of local guitar legend Eric Johnson, who offered the space after being mesmerized by one of her performances. The result crosses jazz, folk, and americana, a wide cinematic canvas for a haunting emotional journey, carried by a smokey vocal in the lineage of Norah Jones.
Sharp brings a decorated track record. She’s a three-time Austin Music Awards winner for Best Jazz, and beyond her success with the Jitterbug Vipers, she’s a widely acclaimed commercial songwriter for brands like Kia, Chanel, and Macy’s, with compositions that have drawn millions of streams and a feature on NPR’s Song Travels. ‘Deja Vu’ marks her stepping into the national spotlight as a solo artist, conveying vulnerability through sound alongside a band that’s shaped this music over years of performance.
‘Deja Vu’ Tracklist:
- Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright
- The Boy From Ipanema
- It’s Been A Long, Long Time
- The Nearness of You
- Sweet Lotus Blossom
- For No One
- I’m Beginning To See The Light
- I Think It’s Going To Rain
- Losing My Mind
- Quizas, Quizas, Quizas
- Moon River