You have amazing singles! Their vibes are unique and all of them seem connected somehow. How did you two meet? And why did you decide to form the band?
Thank you so much! We met at a bar called Night of Joy in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in late 2017 where Richey had a DJ night. We bonded over a lot of mutual musical influences and started writing together a few months later. We both had our own respective projects at the time but eventually formed SFS together in late 2018/early 2019.
Who decided on the band’s name? And what were you trying to say with that name?
We actually named ourselves after a book of an art exhibition that we found at the Strand in NYC, which was called ‘Songs for Sabotage’. We loved the name (it reminded us of Tears for Fears) and used it as a working title for a bunch of demos we had at the time. We felt it fit the vibe of what we were doing – which was writing songs together instead of with our own bands! So eventually we just decided to call the project Songs for Sabotage.
Do you have any plans to expand the band in the near future?
Nope! 😉
Albert Sanchez | @bellalugosy
Writing lyrics, singing, playing instruments. If you had to choose one thing only, what would it be?
Lina – singing
Richey – playing
Who is the musician you would prefer to go on a tour with or for a music collab, if you had the chance?
Lina – Chvrches
Richey – Uffie
Between all of your singles, which one is your favorite? And why?
Lina – Phantom; because it’s an unexpected/undercover pop song.
Richey – Loaded; because it’s a sonic leap forward for our production style.
You Filmed “Drifting” on iPhone during Quarantine. How would you come up with an idea for a new song and film it if we had another lockdown – hopefully not -?
Yes, hopefully not again! Haha. That being said, we actually like working within restrictions… so another lockdown would certainly lead to something creative! We write very introspectively, so being stuck at home is kind of already our vibe.
From “Fire” to “Loaded”, What evolutions have occurred to you”Songs For Sabotage” ?
Quite a bit! We’ve had the past few years to evolve our live show, our own production style, our songwriting, and our overall direction/aesthetic. We feel a lot more confident now about who we are as a band. We also moved from NYC to LA, so the sudden change of geography and lifestyle has also made us to grow. Living through 2020 in America also factors in too.
I have to say, “Loaded” is one of a kind single! What was your inspiration for the lyrics, which you co-wrote with Blood Handsome?
The songwriting was actually very happenstance. Richey created a loop the morning of our session with Gerren (Blood Handsome). Lina then came up with the main vocal hook and her verse, and Gerren added his verse shortly after arriving. It all came together very quickly. The general theme of the lyrics was that you’re coming back to a place where you’re no longer welcome… but for what reason? Maybe because you called someone out for doing something wrong, or simply because you spoke the truth. In the end you’ve got some pent up negative feelings and are craving a release, regardless of what might happen. That is essentially what the line ‘I don’t want to be a loaded gun, so set me free’ means.
How did you develop the sound and music video for “Loaded,” and ensure that they were precisely in sync with the lyrics?
We collaborated with All Rights Aint Reserved, an amazingly talented director and videographer based in NYC. We gave him mostly free reign to interpret the vibe of the song visually. The additional sound design was created by capturing audio from the city streets as we were shooting. All Rights also implemented a lot of video glitches, pitch shifts, etc. to give the video its own aesthetic; independent from the studio version of the track. It was shot entirely on film and VHS.
What message did you want to deliver with “loaded”?
At this point we are still generating awareness, and simply hope our songs resonate with our listeners. Loaded is just the next step forward in our journey.
Finally, thanks a lot for the chat and tell us more about “Songs For Sabotage” upcoming plans.
Thanks so much, we really enjoyed these questions! We just completed filming a new video for our next single which will release in February. We’re also in the midst of writing/recording our second full length album, which will likely be out in the summer or fall. We also want to play live as often as possible and hope to tour a bit in 2022!
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Viola Karmy
