Sarah Johnsone is a brilliantly eclectic singer from the north-east, with less than 400 monthly listeners on Spotify. Her music is both introspective and bold, like indie-pop with a distinctive earthy twist.
The gig I attended was a small venue in the upstairs of ‘The Punch Bowl’ pub in Jesmond. It was very intimate, due to the size of the room, but also through the experience of finding a small artist you know is going to make it big. Sarah’s music feels like a secret – sultry, energetic and deeply personal. Her vocals accented the room perfectly, and the small space between the stage and the audience really added to the sense of soul and friendship that Sarah speaks into existence.
Sarah's music feels like a secret - sultry, energetic and deeply personal
Personally, my favourite song was 'Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl' with powerful, electric lyrics that can only be described as a future anthem in the making. However, ‘Come Sweet Sunshine’, ‘Tonight’ and ‘Hurricane’ also deserve mentions as they were equally phenomenal and catchy. Sarah’s music feels like the love child of Jorja Smith and Clairo - distinctively soulful like Fiona Apple, with the dynamic guitar riffs of Wet Leg.
With her deep, transcending vocals, and a band full of talent behind her, she is certainly one to watch. My only complaint is that more people don’t know about her!
