Same Reflection
Feelings and Experiences
Photographs By Logan Maclachlan
British musician Sarah Johnsone opens up about feeling alienated, showing us a perfect 24 hours in Newcastle, and her latest EP, “Same Reflection But I’m Changed”.
Newcastle, United Kingdom
You were a solo artist who now has a backing band. How does this element change your music and live performance?
It definitely has a lot more energy and a fuller sound. We try to give our sets the best of both worlds by stripping back some of the slower, more delicate songs too though. With a full band, there’s much more room to take the audience on a journey sound-wise and create ups and downs than as a solo artist.
How does your music stand out from the other bands in Newcastle?
It’s a tough game at the minute as the Newcastle scene is bouncing! I think the variety in our tracks sets us apart. I’d say all of our songs are alternative/indie rock, however ‘Selfish Mind’ is rooted in jazz, ‘Down By The River’ has bluesy influences and ‘Tonight’ has a stripped back, folk sound.
You recently released your debut EP, “Same Reflection But I’m Changed”. What is this EP about ?
All of the songs speak about feeling alienated in some way. They’re a collection of my thoughts and feelings during my twenties so far. ‘Pennies’ is about feeling disenfranchised politically. It’s about the feeling of trying to succeed under the power of a government who doesn’t care whether you do. ‘Sofia’ is about social alienation, the feeling of not being understood by your peers and boredom in the pursuit of connection. It’s the only track I’ve written from an observational perspective rather than autobiographical. ‘Selfish Mind’ is about romance, or lack thereof. Falling out of love with someone and working out how to tell them. And finally, ‘Down By The River’ in its three parts (The River Interlude and Meander included) it’s about feeling alienated from yourself. I wrote it during lockdown, a time when I’m sure everyone felt they’d lost part of themself.
How does this EP show your growth as a musician?
It’s our biggest body of work to date, as before that we had only released singles. It tackles several topics, and as much as the lyrics are lead by my own feelings and experiences, I hope they touch on things universally felt. We also stretched ourselves with the recording process, experimenting with a range of sounds and instruments in the studio. Look out for the glockenspiel debut in ‘Sofia’!
You were recently featured on the cover of Narc Magazine. What was that experience like?
It was an amazing feeling! It was very alien to walk into a bar or gig venue and see our faces dotted about on various copies. Definitely a highlight of 2023.
If we could spend 24 Hours in Newcastle, where should we go and what should we do?
If you’re looking to see some live music then you should there are so many amazing venues. Some of my faves are The Cluny, The Sage, Cobalt, Little Buildings, Bobiks, The Cumberland Arms and The Lubber Fiend. If you’re just looking to have a drink or some food, I’d recommend The Free Trade Inn, Miso, Zerox, or Ernest. The beach at Tynemouth is also lovely.
Which artists and bands from Newcastle should we follow?
There’s so much talent at the minute, however you should definitely check out Ceramic, Rivkala and Swannek!
Whats next for you?
We are doing a lot of writing at the moment, and trying to further define our sound. We wanna just keep playing live and to bigger audiences! We would love to do a tour support in 2024.
