‘Who is this? She’s amazing’
‘She’ is singer-songwriter Sara Petite. ‘Amazing’? By all accounts, she is
SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE
By George Varga, POP MUSIC CRITIC
Sunday, February 14, 2010 at 12:03 a.m.
SINGER-SONGWRITER SARA PETITE
Quote of note: “Every song I write is based on life experience or listening to other people’s stories, or stories that have been passed down through my family. The rustic quality of my music comes from my family.”
Getting laid off in 2006 from her position as an operations manager for a San Diego technology company was an undisguised blessing for Sara Petite.
“It was the best thing that could have happened to me,” said the San Diego singer-songwriter, whose debut album, “Tiger Mountain,” was released only two months before her day job came to an abrupt but ultimately well-timed end.
“I was already devoting so much of my time to music that I was really tired every day when I went to work. Financially, I was better off with a really boring job. But mentally, I wasn’t — I went crazy!”
Making music full time has enabled this Washington farm-town native to maintain her sanity by thriving artistically, and vice versa. Whether performing country, rock, bluegrass, folk, old-time mountain ballads or any other style now lumped under the catchall Americana music umbrella, Petite sings and writes with an earthy charm that is free of frills and affectation.
A 2003 graduate of USIU, where she majored in political science and international relations, she recently released her third and most accomplished album, “Doghouse Rose.” (Its title pays tribute to the book “Doghouse Roses” by Steve Earle, one of Petite’s favorite singer-songwriters.)
She recorded the album in Nashville at Insomnia Studio, which is co-owned by former Booker T. & The MG’s guitar great Steve Cropper. It was produced by Cropper’s Insomnia partner, Eddie Gore, whose résumé includes working with Cropper, Steve Winwood and ex-Rascals singer-keyboardist Felix Cavaliere.
Gore discovered Petite through his friend, Melanie Howard. She is the widow of legendary country music songwriter Harlan Howard, whose credits include writing Patsy Cline’s “I Fall to Pieces,” Ray Charles’ “Busted” and Patty Loveless’ “Blame It on Your Heart.”
“About a year and a half ago, Melanie, who has amazing taste, called me,” Gore, 45, said from Nashville. “She said: ‘I want you to check this record out from San Diego, and it was Sara’s ‘Lead the Parade’ album. The first song was ‘Little House’ and my jaw just dropped. I was like, ‘Who is this? She’s amazing.’ All I had to hear is half that song to know. It had great lyric content and a whimsical attitude. Sara is so smart, especially in today’s formulaic music world. I have so much respect for strong women like her, especially living in today’s male bull-crap-dominated world ”
Gore hails Petite as “a female Steve Earle — she’s that good.” He believes that with major distribution for the album and a nationally established concert booking agent, “Doghouse Rose” could duplicate the Grammy-winning success of “Van Lear Rose” the wonderfully rootsy 2004 Loretta Lynn album that was produced by the White Stripes’ Jack White.
By coincidence, Petite’s first musical epiphany came at age 4 when her mother began playing her albums by Lynn, followed by Dolly Parton and Buddy Holly. But it wasn’t until she was attending USIU in 2001 that this former child pianist began playing guitar.
Petite, then a Hillcrest resident, wrote her first song, the self-empowering “She’s a Woman,” soon thereafter. It was inspired by a spirited argument she engaged in with the manager of the Encinitas bistro she worked in at the time.
“I wrote it on the way home, just made it up, and then I thought ‘Oh, I’m a songwriter,’ ” Petite said.
Shy by nature but also a self-described “goofball,” Petite has made her living as a musician for the past four years. She leads two bands, the all-acoustic Tiger Mountain Boys and the twangy, country-rocking Sugar Daddies. Her performance tomorrow night at the Belly Up Tavern’s “Hearts for Haiti” benefit concert will be without either band, just her, a microphone and her guitar.
In April, Petite embarks on her fourth concert tour of Ireland, followed by her first shows in England. When not on the road, she works one night a week as a bartender at the Ould Sod in Normal Heights, a venue she has also performed in numerous times and cites as an ideal location to obtain songwriting inspiration through quiet observation. She is so comfortable in this intimate setting, whether working behind the bar or on stage, that she regards the Ould Sod’s owners, staff and some of its regulars as a second family.
In any setting, though, the opportunity to perform her heartfelt songs can result in catharsis, for her if not her audience.
“I don’t think most people realize how much work you have to do before you get to the show. But once I get to the show and get to play with my band, it’s kind of a release,” Petite said.
“The more I can get into that mode of being authentically myself, the better off I am.”
George Varga: (619) 293-2253; george.varga@uniontrib.com uniontrib.com/popoff
Sara Petite: Doghouse Rose
San Diego country singer/songwriter backed by stellar Nashville players
Hyperbolium
http://www.hyperbolium.com/2010/02/14/sara-petite-doghouse-rose/
The opening track from Sara Petite’s third album will grab your ears if for nothing else than the phased guitar sound that recalls the soul of Waylon Jennings’ “Are Your Sure Hank Done it This Way?” Petite sings with the girlish lilt and firecracker energy of Rosie Flores, and her crack band (which includes studio hotshot guitarist Kenny Vaughn, bassist Dave Rorick and drummer William Ellis) adds instrumental nuances that really give the productions something extra. Petite’s voice is twangy, perhaps too country for Country, and there’s a lot of rock ‘n’ roll punch in the band’s playing. The slap-back echo of “Baby Let Me In” adds a vintage twist to Petite’s voice, but Vaughn’s guitar is tougher and the rhythm more overpowering than straight rockabilly or honky-tonk.
Petite’s a gifted singer with a lot of texture in her voice, a bit like Texas singer Kimmie Rhodes. She sings the album’s title track with a parched tone that seeks acceptance, and infuses desperate longing into a cover of Harlan Howard’s “He Called Me Baby.” Her band is right there with her, laying back or charging hard ahead as befits each song. The electric guitars provide sympathetic vamps for the sadder tunes and prod Petite to stand up when she’s fallen down. Sasha Ostrovsky’s dobro adds stringy twang throughout, and the rhythm section really adds muscle to the up-tempo numbers. Petite wrote all but one of these songs, and her lyrics have a conversational easiness that makes her stories, observations, realizations and confessions feel intimate.
Doghouse Rose has been out since November of 2009, but like many independent releases it’s only slowly gathering the attention it deserves. Petite’s well known in her adopted San Diego (she’s originally from Washington State) and made connections in Nashville; she’s gained exposure in Europe, opened for Josh Turner, Todd Snider and Shooter Jennings, and won several songwriting awards, yet her third album is still seeking broad release and listeners’ ears. Perhaps she needs to get to Nashville or Austin or North Carolina or New England to find herself a sympathetic label. In the meantime you can find Doghouse Rose in her website store. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]
Sara Petite
Dog House Rose
Written by Steve Roche
Right off the bat, let it be known that there isn't one dog in the pack on Sara Petite's new CD Dog House Rose. Dog House Rose is a fully bloomed, seamless piece of Americana art that is sure to see Sara achieve high accolades and national attention this year.
Expertly produced in Nashville by Eddie Gore, with a fine cast of over-achieving studio cats, this disc sounds great and plays great. Well-crafted songs, heartfelt singing, great musicianship, and perfect sequencing make this a very strong work; I dare might say an "Instant classic!"
The opener, "Magnolia," twangs to life with its unison guitar and dobro licks, loping rhythm section, and very catchy chorus. The second song happens and just keeps happening with "Take What I Can Get," which moderately builds and evolves into a modern country-rock anthem that devastates the memory with its hook. Absolute timeless magic! "Baby Let Me" proceeds to burn the barn down with Kenny Vaughan channeling the ghost of the late Eddie Shaver with some ferocious guitar soloing while a boozed up Sara is busting down the front door with her sultry plea of need.
The title cut, "Dog House Rose," is a tender, acoustic, and fitting tribute to Steve Earle, one of Petite's major influences.
The only song on this CD that Petite didn't write turns out to be a rockin' cover of Harlan Howard's "He Called Me Baby." A great version! "Bootleggers" is another ultra-tempo burner about moonshine. You'll find yourself singing the fun chorus by the end of the song. Kudos to Sasha Ostrovsky on dobro. "Souvenirs" is a slower, touching acoustic tale of loved one's items and the poignant memories they hold.
The forbidden temptation of "Shouldn't Be Doing This" and the perfect title of "Beautiful Thing," with their ethereal eloquence, remind one of a chapter taken from Emmy Lou Harris' Wrecking Ball. Both are superb and you can hear Daniel Lanois' footprints everywhere.
Sara Petite has done her lessons thoroughly and wears her heartfelt influences on her sleeve. You'll hear nuances of many of the greats in her work; however, Sara has created her own masterpiece here. The excellence and continuity of Dog House Rose can't be overstated. Congratulations to Sara and the Sugar Daddies. One of the best CDs of the decade!
http://www.sandiegotroubadour.com/content/cdreviews/cdreviews.aspx
Sara Petite -- Large on Talent
Written by Josh Board for the Belly UP
I was watching Celebrity Rehab on VH1 the other day. And I wondered if they could combine a few reality shows. A hybrid of "The Biggest Loser" and Rehab. You see, I'm beginning to think I'm addicted to food.
I can't go to a show at the Belly Up without having dinner first at the Wild Note Café. The chicken pasta is filled with so many delicious vegetables. And that bread they give you before hand…fu-get-about it (said in my best Jersey Shore accent).
And because my group of friends is always up for a nosh, we were having dinner when Sara Petite hit the stage.
I'd seen her a few times, but none of my friends had.
We got into the show about half way through her set.
I heard Dead Man Walking, which I've heard her perform before. One of my friends leaned in and said "She sounds like a better version of Dolly Parton."
(I won't tell you what one of my obnoxious friends said in response to that)
The Parton comparison is a good one, though. I think she equals her in songwriting prowess. And that fine songwriting ability was put on display with the wonderful tune "Shouldn't be Doing This."
Petite mentioned the song "Magnolia" being off the new CD. It was a nice up-tempo tune that had many in the crowd tappin' their toes.
I went to the bar for a Whiskey Sour. One guy appeared to have had too much whiskey, when Sara mentioned her pants being so tight she couldn't get a guitar pick out of them. The guy yelled like he was about to get a lap dance from Shania Twain.
Petite introduced another song by telling a story about a young guy that didn't care about reminiscing or hanging onto mementos.
It was such a beautiful ballad, you couldn't help but stare at the stage and reminisce yourself.
After downing another whiskey, and waiting for my girlfriend to come out of the bathroom, I heard Sara intro the song "Crazy." I thought it was yet another Americana songstress giving us the Patsy Cline classic. A song we've gotten overdosed on from the karaoke in dive bars.
But this is a completely different song, and dare I say - better than the tune by Patsy.
I'm guessing the chorus of "Let's go Crazy" doesn't make anyone think of Prince, either.
Sara Petite is an artist so talented, you just hope she becomes a household name like Prince and Patsy.
San Diego's slice of country heaven
Reviewed November 2009
Written by Jim Trageser
Doghouse Rose
By Sara Petite
Self-released: 2009
http://turbula.net/music/review-petite-doghouserose.php
Hard to believe it's only been three years since Sara Petite released her first album and began taking the local scene by storm. With an energetic stage show built around her twangy-as-a-musical-saw vocals and hard-charging rock-and-country band (and a superb and growing set of original songs), Petite has risen to the top of the short list of the next artist or band from San Diego likely to achieve national stardom.
Her third album finds no great artist breakthrough – but given that she arrived on the scene seemingly fully formed with "Tiger Mountain,", looking for dramatic artistic growth album to album doesn't make much sense in Petite's case. What is different is that this album was recorded in Nashville, with an A-list of country studio men backing her instead of her usual San Diego band.
Hard to say it's better, given how good her regular lineup is. But given the stellar playing and super-clean production on this new disc, you sure couldn't say it's a step back. It's just different from what her San Diego fans are used to in her live shows and first two discs. Much more polished, for sure. Cleaner production than the surprisingly muddy mix on last year's "Lead the Parade."
Petite remains the utterly in control singer she's been since that first release. A less-strong personality, or one with less talent, might have wilted in front of a band composed of folks who've backed everyone from Johnny Cash to Marty Stuart to Dwight Yoakum. Petite, though, sings with the same smiling confidence as she does at her gigs at the tiny Ould Sod Irish bar in Normal Heights, her distinctively nasal vocals as country as country gets, with fine control and a purity of pitch that would leave most classically trained singers deep in envy.
Then there are the songs. Her songs, all but one of the 13 found here. Some seem new, others, like "Fade Away," have been in her regular set list for a couple years at least in one form or another. Among the newer titles, the best – like the rocking "Baby Let Me In," the plaintive "We Shouldn't Be Doing This" or the tender "Souvenirs" – remind more than a little of Tom Russell and Guy Clark in their blending of storytelling and song.
It's a tremendous collection of strong songs and Petite's remarkable singing, as great a listen as it is testament to her hard work and talent.
Review by Jim Trageser. Jim is a writer and editor living in Escondido, Calif., and was a contributor to the "Grove Press Guide to Blues on CD" (1993) and "The Routledge Encyclopedia of the Blues" (2005).
Sara Petite connects with Nashville legends on latest disc ‘Doghouse Rose’
By Mikel Toombs, SDNN
Thursday, November 19, 2009
“I remember,” Sara Petite is saying, “somebody saying, ‘You really should decide what you want to do: old country, bluegrass, rock ‘n’ roll.’ I’m like, Why do I have to decide? I’m going to write whatever I write.
“I love classic rock, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty and stuff like that. Steve Earle. And then I love country and I love bluegrass. So whatever I write that day, it’s whatever I write. It’s like, big whoop, you know.”
The winner of a San Diego Music Award this year in the Americana or Country category (even the SDMAs can’t decide), Petite is poised to make a big whoop with her brand-new third album, “Doghouse Rose,” which will be available online and at her live appearances. Along with her band, the Sugar Daddies, she’s putting on record-release shows in Nashville and Saturday afternoon at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach.
A rockin’, honky-tonkin’ delight rooted in the heartbreak in Petite’s lyrics and vocals (there’s a certain wide-eyed quality that’s caused her to be compared to Dolly Parton), “Doghouse Rose” was produced by Eddie Gore with top-flight musicians in the Nashville studio he built with Steve Cropper, the Booker T and the MGs guitar legend. (Petite was debating whether to tell her own guitarist, Rick Wilkins, that Cropper likely would be in attendance at the Nashville date.)
Yet another partner of a legend led Petite, a San Carlos resident, to take the road to Nashville: Melanie Howard, the widow of fabled songwriter Harlan Howard, whose 4,000-plus songs include “I Fall to Pieces” (a hit for Patsy Cline), “Busted” (Ray Charles and Johnny Cash) and “God May Forgive You (But I Won’t),” recorded by both Petite and Rosie Flores (”I love Rosie Flores,” Petite said).
“I met her when I did my first CD,” Petite said of Melanie Howard, speaking by phone Tuesday from the Nashville home of her twin sister (and fellow singer-songwriter), Jenny. “I was just kind of playing music for fun. And I brought it to her, and she loved my voice.”
After following up her debut, “Tiger Mountain,” with “Lead the Parade,” Petite recorded some demos at Howard’s request, she said, “and the guy who produced them was Eddie (Gore). And him and I got on really well.”
Petite grew up in rural Washington state listening to the likes of Loretta Lynn (at age 6, she and sister Jenny were inspired by the Lynn biopic “Coal Miner’s Daughter”) and went on to earn a degree in Political Science and International Relations from USIU. Bored by post-graduation jobs, she began playing monthly gigs at the Ould Sod. (The Irish pub in Normal Heights is organizing a beer-bus package tour to the Belly Up on Saturday; to participate, “see your friendly bartender.”)
“I knew John,” Petite said of current drummer John Kuhlken, “and he said, “Do you want to play here?” And I said, “Sure!” It was exciting, but it took me six months to get enough material. So we started playing the Ould Sod. And then somebody said, “You should go to Ireland.” “OK.”
“And then I was making a CD for my grandmother, because I’d written all these songs,” continued Petite, who grew up on her mother’s family stories and works her kinfolk into her songs and, as with colorful Uncle Irving, onto her albums (her grandmother died before she could record “Tiger Mountain,” named after Irving’s property).
“It’s kind of how it went. Some of the things that I’ve got into are because people said, “Well, why don’t you do that?” “Oh, that sounds like a good idea.”
“It’s a hard business and it kind of breaks you a lot, but I can’t do anything halfway. So I was thinking, Gosh, could I ever do this just for fun? And it’s just not me.”
SARA PETITE HAS A DOGHOUSE ROSE FOR YOU - Release Party 11/21 Belly Up
Written by Jay Allen Sanford
SAN DIEGO READER
Nov. 14th. 2009
“We’re a cross between Tom Petty and Dolly Parton,” says Sara Petite, whose release party for her third album Doghouse Rose happens Saturday, November 21, at the Belly Up. Featuring 13 tracks recorded at (Eddie Gore's) Nashville studio, Petite says “Doghouse Rose” refers to “when someone gives you flowers after doing something wrong. It’s just as bad as stepping in a pile of crap, I’d have to say.”
For the release party, “The set will probably start out pretty amped up, with our more rock and country tunes,” says Petite, who won Best Americana or Country at the 2009 SDMAs. “I write a lot of songs about my family and the wonderful characters, such as my Uncle Irving, who loved animals so much he had them all living in his house, even a bear, and my Great Aunt Isabella, who lived in a little pink house and made us all patchwork quilts from scraps and fabric she had, using coats, curtains, and hand-me-downs.”
“We’ll probably throw in a Bobby Gentry tune we rearranged, called ‘Sweet Peony.’ And flying in from Nashville is sugar daddy Steve Peavey, on electric guitar and mandolin.” John Mailander from the Berkley School of music will also join the band on fiddle. “We call him our Sugar Baby.”
Petite says she always performs as if headlining an arena, no matter how dicey the date. “You never know who’s there at those tiny gigs, even though the guy that booked you or the owner is a lech and falling down drunk, or on something. Or, at the end of the night, because you smiled at the guy who’s supposed to pay you, he thinks that means he can go in for a kiss. Usually, I’m good at warding that stuff off, but sometimes I’m surprised.”
“If they’re going to do that, why can’t they ever look like Johnny Depp or Matthew McConaughey?”
Petite was born and raised in the countryside of Sumner, Washington, later relocating to San Diego. Her rural youth helped shaped her songwriting, which often incorporates accordian, pedal steel guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and accordion.
Her song "Coming Home" won the "Best Song Award" in the Country/Americana category in the 2006 Portland Songwriting Contest. The song turned up on a French Country Music compilation CD (Universal Music of France) and on Petite's 2007 album, The United States of Americana (Shut Eye Records).
Upcoming Shows
Belly Up Tavern, Saturday, November 21
3-6 MATINEE SHOW
Petite has big dreams for her future in the music
Darcie J Flansburg
FOR THE CALIFORNIAN
San Diego musicians Sara Petite will appear along with Hayley Stayner, The Brewer Boys, Brianna Tyson, Caprice Delingher, Crystal Portillo, Skyler Day, Julie Ryan and Jim Heil at Saturday's Country at The Merc's "Singer/Songwriter Night."
Petite calls herself a traveling independent musician. " I never planned to do this thing," she said of singing. "I figure with most things, if you are going to do something, do it all the way. I don't know if I will ever make it or not, whatever 'making it' means, but through any hardships I may have, at the end of it all I think I will always be able to look back on my life and say, 'I had a good ride.'
"You ony live once; you gotta taste the lemons if you want the lemonade."
Petite learned how to play the piano at age 5 and continued to play until she was 18.
"During college I picked up a guitar, learned some chords, made up some songs, did some coffee shop gigs and open mikes, while shaking the entire time," Petite said.
She then graduated from college and got a so-called real job. Petite had nothing to do after work, so she decided to start playing in public more.
"I had never played with a band," she said, but she asked "to do a benefit at the bar I work at, and put a band together for five songs. then O was asked to perform there on Friday nights, and so I started a band and the rest is herstory."
Petite was inspired by the "absolutely fabulous, wonderful women" in her life, her mom and her dad.
"We sang everywhere we went, even if we were off-tune," she said. " I learned all the oldies, '50s, '60s from my mother, also the '70s country. I learnedJohnny Horton tunes like 'Ole Slew Foot,' 'North to Alaske' and 'Honky Tonk Man' from my father."
Her great-aunt Isabella, great-aunt Blanche, and Grandma Skelly (Dolly was her name) taught her songs from the Depression era up to about where her mother's education started.
"My brother influenced me with all the old Stones, the Beatles, Dylan, the Who, and my big sister taught me about Bruce Springsteen and Quiet Riot," she said.
When Petite was 6, she and her twin sister fell in love with Loretta Lynn when they saw "Coal Miner's Daughter." Her mother would get her albums from the library, and when people came over to visit, she and her sister would sing the songs together, standing on top of the coffee table, using a jump rope as a microphone.
"She was my idol and still is," Petite said of Lynn.
In high school, Petite educated herself musically by going to the library and picking out music she hadn't heard before, which is how she discovered "the greats," such as Emmy Lou Harris, Jimmy Buffet and Lyle Lovett.
Of all the country-music genres, Petite prefers "real" country.
"These days, a majority of the country on the radio is too Hollywood for me," she said. "I know some people really like it, but it just doesn't speak to me. There still is some really great country music on the radio, though. But I am more of a Steve Earle, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, Rodney Crowell."
Aside from The Merc, Petite has performed everywhere from the Netherlands to Nashville.
"Some of them have built my ego, some have crushed it, but all in all, I earned some money, got to drink for free anhd got to be a musician instead of working in an office," Petite said. "I have (been able) to travel all over and get paid for it; sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. One of the best gigs I ever had was Paradiso in Amsterdam, where I forget to try the Space Cookies."
Like many artists, Petite has seen the good and the bad of the music industry.
"Some people always like to tell you what you are doing wrong, and talk about everyone that is selling out or has sold out," she said. "I just don't know what that means. It is sometimes hard to take the high road. It would be nicer if I was able to egg people's cars or throw water balloons at them when they have been mean. In the end, hardships and mistakes build characters, and experience. And experience is a good thing to have, even if it hurts.
But Petite's goals encompass more than being just a country singer.
"My goals are more as an artist," she said. "I don't always consider myslef a country artist. I don't like to be just one thing and my songs range from bluegrass to country to rock 'n' roll, but I know my boice sounds distinctively country. I want to make a living bein an artist, playing original music - music that I consider to be good - with a band that is fun and I consider to be my best friends." Most of this has happened, some of it hs not.
"Why not see how far I can go?" she said. "I may get to the moon or I may have to get another boring office job. Which one would you choose?"
Maverick Magazine - January 2009
Sara Petite
Lead the Parade
Sweet P. Music
**** (FOUR STARS)
Traditional flavoured country that should appeal to Dolly and Elizabeth Cook fans
Sara Petite, from Sumner, Washington, a town south east of Seattle, releaserd her debut album TIGER MOUNTAIN, in 2006. It received glowing praise from critics as well as som healthy airplay from country djs not slavishly bound to rotational current top twenty hits. LEAD THE PARADE is every bit as good as, not if better, than her debut. Sara's musical influences are diverse as she cites names like Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Alison Krauss, Shelby Lynne and Hank Williams among them, but adds the likes of Steve Earle, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp and the Beatles to her list. What we find ourselves with is a fairly contemporary artist whose roots are firmly embeddded in tradition, one unafreaid to utilise ample banjo,mandolin, fiddle, harmonica and country style guitar on her backings. With just one exception, Sara takes credit for having written eleven of the dozen featured songs and there really isn't a 'filler' among them. She straddles straight-ahead country, bluegrass, touches on country blues and with Uncle Irving she serves up a slice of undiluted, fun filled hillbilly. On the opening track, a country girl's conviction that, having led most of her life having to content herself by tagging along behind, the day will come when, taking her final ride in a hearse, she will Lead the Parade. There is nothing maudlin about this number, just a sense of joy that someday she will be up front with everyone else following along behind. Sara claims that one of her strongest influences has been Dolly Parton, and there can be no mistaking this influence, particularly on this opening track. She has an engaging nasal twang which is consistent throughout and on a number of deliveries I was reminded quite strongly of Elizabeth Cook, who was also strongly influenced by Dolly Parton
The material is varied ranging from the mischievous, slightly salacious The Secret and Heaven Bound, to the more up-tempo Little House and Uncle Irving, both dominated by mandolin, fiddle and banjo and tailor made for a Saturday night country hoedown. Train themes, often ignored these days, surface in Buy Me A Ticket and again, loosely, in Coming on Strong. Bruised and broken hearts are not forgotten, with Little Girl offering solace to one suffering from rejection. Dead Man Walking is atmospheric and very different to the other numbers, finding Sara in a more pensive modd, while the closing track, Moonshine, drivingly rhythmic, speaks for itself. Incidentally, there is a thirteenth, unlisted, but not hidden track and this is a reprise of Lead the Parade, done, this time more acoustically and at a slightly slower tempo. Perhaps Sara was undecided as to which version to include and so decided to put both cuts on the album. I enjoyed both renditions, but if I had to make a choice, I would probably have a marginal preference for the second cut.
In summary, a delightful sophomore album packed with simple but effective songs, engaging vocals, great country backings, well produced, the type of album which has strong echoes of the past, is unlikely to attract much attention from major Nashville labels or most mainstream djs, but which should please those who enjoyed the approach taken by early Dolly Parton and, more recently, Elizabeth Cook and her ilk -LK
HITMAKER: Hometown singer-songwriter makes good
Sara Petite, a singer-songwriter featured in Street back in April, is doing well for herself up north in Portland, Ore.
Petite's song "Coming Home" won the grand prize in the Portland Songwriting Contest. "Coming Home" also was voted the winner in the country or Americana category. Petite is set to perform in Portland at the songwriter's showcase on Sept. 12.
"Coming Home" was released on Universal Music of France's "Country" compilation CD last month and will be released at the end of summer on Shut Eye Records' "The United States of Americana" CD.
Petite, a San Diego Music Awards nominee this year, is planning a three-week tour of Ireland, and maybe the Netherlands, in October. MySpace Petite here.
Photo: K.C. Alfred / Union-Tribune
Posted by Don Chareunsy on August 27, 2007 01:16 PM | Permalink
September 2007 - San Diego Troubadour
Sara Petite: Her Heart Is Where Her Home Is
by Mike Alvarez
Story by Michael Alvarez
Photos by Dennis Andersen
Breezing into Rebeccas's Coffeehouse for a late morning interview, Sara Petite displays the same vivacious energy that she brings to the stages upon which she performs. She is bright, attractive, and brimming with stories about life, family, and music. Often described as an Americana artist, her sound is an earthy fusion of folk, bluegrass, country, and mountain music with surprising flashes of pop and rock. She steadfastly affirms that "it's all Americana." Her singing voice, which has been likened to that of June Carter and Dolly Parton, is the tie that binds the varied styles she blends. While she has a healthy respect for the classic genres in their purest forms, she confidently asserts that she does what she wants when it comes to making music. Such an approach can be a risky proposition for some, but her CD Tiger Mountain shows that it is the right one for her.
"It's been a real learning experience," says Sara about the process of recording Tiger Mountain. As the sole writer of all 11 tracks, she had the artistic vision firmly in place, but the technical side of getting her songs tracked in the studio was an education in itself. Sara and her co-producers opted for a very direct approach to recording. The arrangements are very clean, allowing every vocal and instrumental track a chance to shine. The resulting album is stylistically varied, at times introspective and at others just plain fun. The songs range from the rough-hewn bluegrass of "Huckleberries" and "Standing on the Corner" to the modern alternative pop of "I'm Leaving" and "Old Friend." There are forays into the spaces between genres as well, making for a very satisfying collection of tastefully written and heartfelt songs.
Originally from Sumner, Washington, Sara comes from a large family whose members and history inform her lyrical imagery through and through. She speaks with obvious relish when relating stories of such colorful characters as her grandfather, who as a pioneering representative of the aviation industry, sold a plane to Elvis. In this capacity he also spent a good deal of time in the Middle East and once dined with King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. She wrote a song called "I Hope You Still Fly in Your Dreams" after watching his battle with Alzheimer's Disease. The CD's title track, "Tiger Mountain," was written about her beloved grandmother who recently passed away. At first blush it might sound like a short little country/bluegrass ditty, but it's really a mini-epic, condensing years of Petite family history into its short running time. With some wistfulness, Sara expressed a wish that her grandmother could have heard it. When speaking of these two songs, she visibly tried to keep her emotions in check, and it was very touching to witness. That she could readily show such vulnerability to a person whom she had met mere minutes before is a testament to her openness as an artist.
Then there is her Uncle Irving, the namesake of a song that will be included in a future release. It was he who purchased the Tiger Mountain property in Washington, which became the family's emotional home base. A lifelong animal lover, Uncle Irving has cared for numerous pets throughout his life, including chickens, a dog, a goat, and even an abandoned bear cub. Sara very proudly points out his authorship of several nature books that have appeared on the New York Times bestseller lists. She happily reports that the song "Uncle Irving" is a consistent favorite with audiences when she and her band play it live.
Among her earliest musical experiences were piano lessons. Like most kids, she dutifully took them without truly appreciating their full value until much later. Nowadays she concentrates on singing and playing the guitar, but is well aware that learning the piano was key in giving her a solid foundation upon which to build her own music. Growing up, she was exposed to classical, bluegrass, country, R&B, and rock ‘n' roll. A cross section of her favorite artists includes the likes of Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, June Carter, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, the Who, the Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, John Mellencamp, and Hank Williams. The diversity of her listening habits is what fuels the wide range of genres she works in to this day.
It wasn't until her early 20s that she wrote her first song. As the story goes, she picked up her brother's guitar after a hard day at work and improvised some lyrics about her boss. When I reminded her of this, she flashed a knowing smile then related an early experience of singing in front of others. Because she was so heavily influenced by her favorites, her singing voice was thick with a country inflection even though her speaking voice is entirely bereft of it. When performing during her school years, her audience of classmates found this to be extremely funny. That she was completely unaware of this disparity made them laugh even harder. Despite such a humble beginning, she had already caught the performing bug and started down that path, which led her to pursue her musical dreams. Yet in her words, "Even I'm surprised that I ended up doing this!"
Sara earned a degree in political science and international relations and held down a "real job" for some time. Through it all, she wrote songs and performed at local open mics. Good fortune led her to the Ould Sod, a local Irish pub where she got involved in a benefit concert for Amnesty International. Finding herself on the bill as a performer, she got a band together and has been playing shows ever since. Her early stage persona was described as rather shy, but experience soon taught her to be comfortable as the focus of an audience's attention. Such is her confidence now that she can handle the occasional drunks, hecklers, and generally unruly patrons with a firm but tactful hand. A favored technique is to make a game of it by throwing it back at them, but with a twinkle in her eye.
Locally she has played such popular San Diego venues as Lestat's, Tio Leo's, the Belly Up Tavern, the Whistle Stop, and the Ould Sod. Her travels throughout the country have included appearances in Mississippi, Tennessee, and of course the state of Washington, where she enjoys a hometown following. Most impressively, she has experienced some success abroad, having completed two tours of Ireland and the Netherlands. After selling CDs at one Irish gig, she fondly recollects how she returned some three weeks later to find the audience singing her own lyrics back to her. Sara's positive press comes from places as far as Belgium, yet one doesn't have to go so far afield to find her accolades. Two of her songs, "Coming Home" and "Shine Some Heaven" made it to the semi-finals of the 2005 International Songwriting Competition in Nashville, a feat that is made considerably more impressive when one considers the 15,000 other entries she was up against. Other songwriting competitions where she made a strong showing were the Great American Songwriting Competition, the Great Waters Folk Festival, and the 2006 Portland Songwriting Contest. Currently she is a nominee for Best Americana Artist in this year's San Diego Music Awards.
Her frequent companions onstage are not just one, but actually two different bands: The Tiger Mountain Boys and The Sugar Daddies. Which band she chooses depends on the kind of show she wants to stage. The Tiger Mountain Boys are a rustic bluegrass ensemble, and when Sara plays with them, they put on a variety show, complete with appropriate attire. Quite obviously, they take their name from the Petite family's Washington state homestead, and their stage personae are inspired by the residents of Tiger Mountain. Dave ‘Banjoski' Bandrowski hails from New Orleans and is also a member of the Monroe Avenue String Band. Johnny Kuhlken plays a variety of instruments including the washboard, jugs, spoons, and snare. He is a member of the Nards, the Macanany's, and the Slidewinders. Upright bassist Wade Maurer is a full time Tiger Mountain Boy and was also a member of the Macanany's. Maurer and Kuhlken are also members of the Sugar Daddies, a band whose name is a send up of their average ages (they're reportedly 40-somethings). Joining them in this lineup is lead guitarist Rick Wilkins who also contributes mandolin, banjo, harmonica, and backing vocals. According to Sara, the Sugar Daddies' sound is like "a twisted road where Dolly Parton meets Tom Petty, and Loretta Lynn meets Dylan and Springsteen. Honky tonk Americana".
Whether performing with one of these bands or accompanying herself on guitar, Sara creates an instant rapport with her audience. At a recent appearance at Solana Beach's Belly Up Tavern she immediately charmed the crowd with her friendly, affable manner and humorous anecdotes. Though originally booked as a band, she unexpectedly found herself taking the stage alone. As the opener for Lance Miller, she had less than an hour onstage so she made every minute count, treating the audience to choice cuts from Tiger Mountain as well as a healthy dose of new material. Saving most of her stage time for the songs, she gave just enough background for each to make them meaningful. Wisely, she avoided the pitfall of becoming overly chatty. I noted with some amusement that her banter took on more of a Southern drawl as her show progressed. A high point of the performance was her acoustic arrangement of "Coming Home," which displayed a gentler and lonelier tone than the recorded version. She interrupted herself during the upbeat "Uncle Irving" to ask the crowd to punctuate the next few verses with animal sounds, which they did to great effect. "Little House" is a another fun, uptempo tune that was inspired by her stay in a cramped Paris apartment. She ended the set with her poignant ode to her grandfather. After a brief introduction, she launched into a very emotional rendition of "I Hope You Fly in Your Dreams," which clearly affected many listeners. A true artist, Sara skillfully orchestrated the mood of her performance, punctuating it with humor, energy, and genuine emotion.
Having once said that music is "the hardest job I've ever had," Sara has very definite ideas about what she hopes to accomplish. Like her idols Lucinda Williams and Patty Griffin, she aspires to build a devoted following on the strength of her artistry. To her, being able to make a living from music with the freedom to write and record songs her way is infinitely more desirable than the kind of world-dominating superstardom enjoyed by the slickly packaged acts that are currently burning up the charts.
While she derives much inspiration from personal experience and family, she is not averse to lending her voice to causes she believes in. Her recent involvement in a benefit concert came about after the tragic loss of a friend to domestic violence. She was instrumental in organizing the show in support of Becky's House, a YWCA-run safe haven for victims. By all accounts it was a resounding success, garnering support from the Ould Sod management, her fellow artists and the community at large. She invited a veritable Who's Who of local talent to perform. In addition to Sara and the Sugar Daddies, such local luminaries as Cindy Lee Berryhill, Annie Dru, Evan Bethany, Molly Jensen, Joanie Mendenhall, and Regina Dawn stepped up to do their part for the cause.
More global issues take center stage in a couple of Sara's songs that are yet to be released. "Dead Man Walking" examines the death penalty, and she gives her take on the current political scene in "You Ain't a Thing Like Me." From this it's apparent that her music's subject matter is evolving along with her sound. Like any artist who takes her craft seriously, this is something that is inevitable. Yet it is the more personal songs that seem to resonate the most with listeners, lending weight to the impression that home and family are the things closest to her heart As extensively as her travels have been, Sara Petite can make a home and surround herself with family wherever she finds herself.
See Sara Petite at the Adams Avenue Street Fair on Saturday, September 29 at 5:15pm, DiMille's Stage. More information, photos, and sound samples can be found at
www.sarapetite.com.
Expression comes in threes for Sara Petite
By: JIM TRAGESER - Staff Writer
While she acknowledges having two sides to her music ---- a rock 'n' roll side that she expresses through her band the Sugar Daddies, and a country side that gets aired in her Tiger Mountain Boys band ---- San Diego's Sara Petite will be showing a third side tonight when she opens for Todd Snider at the Belly Up Tavern: solo singer-songwriter.
While she admits to being a bit nervous about appearing without either of her bands, she's much more excited about opening for one of her favorite artists of all time. It is Snider's intelligent lyrics that Petite says she loves so much.
"Most country music doesn't make you think," she said during a recent interview in Encinitas. "The average person doesn't want to have to do anything that makes them think."
Snider, she says, makes you think.
It's an attribute she aims for in her own music.
She began writing her own songs while in her early 20s; she came home after a lousy day at work and picked up her brother's guitar and vented her feelings about her supervisor with some lyrics she improvised on the spot.
"And then I had my own song." she laughed in reminiscence.
Thirteen years of piano lessons starting at age 5, and another 13 years of competitive artistic roller skating had given Petite a pretty broad background in music.
"I got a big exposure to classical music through piano, and other stuff through skating," she said of growing up in a small town southeast of Seattle. An older brother who was into classic rock ---- she cites The Who and the Rolling Stones as early influences ---- and a mom who liked R&B and classic country also helped broaden her musical interests.
Perhaps it's all these disparate influences that have given her her split musical personality.
"I can't just choose one thing," she said. "I've always been divided."
But if divided in her musical taste, her focus in building her music career has been laserlike in its singular intensity since forming her first band two years ago.
After moving to San Diego, she attended United States International University (now Alliant University), earning a degree in international relations. While there, she continued to write ---- and it wasn't long before she was performing at open mics around town.
Then, two years ago, she was asked to help organize a benefit show for Amnesty International at the Ould Sod in San Diego, an Irish pub where she tends bar one night a week. In the midst of preparations, one of the bar's owners made it clear that he expected Petite to be one of the performers. With all the other acts being full bands, Petite said she didn't want to do a solo set ---- and so put together her first band.
Since then, she's played dozens of shows, toured Ireland twice, recorded her first CD, and built up a nice following in the area via a regular monthly gig at the Ould Sod.
While it's paying dividends in terms of a larger following and greater local awareness of her music, Petite says that she's not making much money with the music to date ---- everything is being built for the future.
"It's the hardest job I've ever had."
Maverick CD Review - January 2007
It's Ladies Night on The Americana Highway and we'll take our hats off to some of the best female singers and songwriters in Bluegrass, Americana and Country music.
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This week we turn our Highway headlamps onto some of your favorite ladies including: Rhonda Vincent, Kasey Chambers, Julie Roberts, Lee Ann Womack, Michelle Nixon, Joan Osbourne, The Wreckers, Tresa Jordan, Amy LaVere, Sunny Sweeney and Mindy Smith.
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You'll also hear a song from Amy Speace who you'll have a chance to see live on Saturday, December 9th at Brackin's Blues Club in Maryville, Tennessee at 9pm. If you've not see a live performance from Amy Speace & The Tearjerks...then don't miss this one! She plays all of her great songs, a few clever covers, plus you might even get to "sneak preview" of few of the songs from her new cd which is due out in 2007. For more information go to www.amyspeace.com or for directions to Brackin's go to www.brackinsbar.com.
Roses In The Snow by Michelle Nixon
Tennessee by The Wreckers
Never Gonna Be Your Bride by Carrie Rodriguez
You've Still Got It by Alecia Nugent
Out Loud by Mindy Smith
Finding My Way Back Home by Lee Ann Womack
Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends by Joan Osbourne
White Lightning by Robinella & The CCStringband
Coming Home by Sara Petite
Taking Back My Brave by Carolyn Dawn Johnson
Doesn't Anybody Love Like That Anymore by Annie Sims
Step Out Of The Shade by Amy Speace
No Man's Land by Garrison Starr
Everybody's Got A Vice by Amy Dalley
'Til They Come Home by Rhonda Vincent
Too Damn Young by Julie Roberts
Ripple In The Water by Casey Kessel
Runaway Train by Darcy Lynne Ward
Angels Cry by Tresa Jordan
What I Did Last Night by Catherine Britt
Nothing At All by Kasey Chambers
Nightingale by Amy LaVere
I've Forgotten You by Shannon Mock
If I Could by Sunny Sweeney
Becky's House, Ould Sod and Sara Petite
By: Charlotte Tenney
The Presidio
You may wonder how it is possible that a neighborhood bar in Normal Heights would end up doing a musical review as a fundraiser for a battered women's shelter. But then you don't know Sara Petite. At the Becky's House event at the Ould Sod Irish Pub, on Sunday, October 22nd, her name was on everyone's lips. She was everywhere behind the scenes as well as on stage, making sure that artists got announced, raffle tickets got picked, the schedule respected, CD's sold, not to mention energizing the room with her own strong vocals during the set that she performed that night. She coordinated six hours of music by a dozen singer-songwriters, as well as donations for raffles and a team of volunteers to help. Her passion and compassion shone through in her music and in her dedication to making a difference. But, she'd not want to be the subject of this article, since her intent was to showcase and benefit others. If you are interested in more about her, check out www.sarapetite.com or you can hear her play on the first Friday of the month at the Ould Sod at 3373 Adams Avenue.
Petite would rather that the focus be on the work being done by the YWCA to offer safe haven to victims of domestic violence through their shelter Becky's House. The growing need in San Diego has outstripped YWCA's current capacity and a second facility, Becky's House 2, is planned for opening in October of 2007. The new building will provide a thirty-day safe haven for up to fourteen women and their children, offering them legal assistance, job skills training, onsite schooling and counseling. YWCA has raised about 75% of the funds necessary. More information is at www.ywcasandiego.org. Petite's event at the Ould Sod is part of the effort to fill that gap, and was her first experience at organizing a fundraiser. If you ask her about her connection with Becky's House, she will tell you that a losing a close friend, to a domestic violence murder, motivated her to use of her music as a force for positive change. Working at the Ould Sod she was able to take advantage of their policy of lending the venue once a month for community fundraisers. And being a musician, she was able to connect with other powerful women in the local music scene to join her in singing out the message.
The musicians, like members of an extended family, rallied around to cheer, tease and encourage each other, staying well beyond the time for their own sets. And it was a veritable gourmet buffet of performers that Petite incited to be there. Any one of them would be worth a special effort to hear; having them all in one place had the impact of an ever-increasing energy and excitement. Annie Dru delivered songs of regret and love gone bad, making use of well placed discord to convey the emotions, along with rock rhythms that brought people to their feet. Regina Dawn, an Amazon in both presence and voice, with an uninhibited style reminisiscent of Janis Joplin, sang songs about poverty and . Evan Bethany and Molly Jensen took turns backing each other on guitar for their vocals, with haunting harmonies in pure folk tradition with strong storylines and then finished up with a sing-a-long " You are my Sunshine" punctuated by comical vocal imitations of back-up instrumentals. Joanie Mendenhall's group was a string section, with fiddle, bass and guitar, that covered a range of ballad, Doo-Wop, and traditional folk. Cindy Lee Berryhill brought in poilitical satire and protest with her "When Did Jesus Become a Republican" that was so well received at the Democracy Fest a few months ago. The mood changed to classic rock with Saba backed by a full band and percussion. That theme was continued by Sara Petite and the Sugar Daddies, with Sara's voice coming strong and clear above the dance rhythms and drums, making it evident that she is the spark plug that ignites action all around her, no matter what she takes on. You can find connections to Becky's House to give a donation or to her guest artists on her site. www.sarapetite.com.
Women musicians combine forces to benefit domestic violence shelter
By: JIM TRAGESER - Staff Writer
It promises to be a beautiful day of music: a baker's dozen of the top local female musicians performing during the course of six hours on a Sunday afternoon at a friendly Irish pub.
But the cause the show benefits, as well as the motivation for its existence, couldn't be more tragic.
"One of my friends died of domestic abuse a couple of years ago," San Diego singer-songwriter Sara Petite said of her motivation in setting up Sunday's benefit for Becky's House at the Ould Sod in San Diego's Normal Heights neighborhood. Petite said her friend was leaving an abusive situation with her children, but came back to her home to pick up a few personal items and was shot to death by her husband, who then turned the gun on himself.
A shelter run by the local YWCA, Becky's House provides a safe place for women and children who are in danger from an abusive family member. Due to the number of women seeking shelter, the YWCA is raising money to build a second shelter.
Of the 13 musicians and bands donating their talent and time to the cause, there are several from North County: Cindy Lee Berryhill resides in Encinitas, Steph Johnson is from Poway, and Regina Dawn is newly relocated to San Marcos. Also on the bill are Petite, Chelsea Flor, Molly Meekin, Annie Dru, Evan Bethany, Molly Jenson, Joanie Mendenhall, Dee Ray, Saba and Arabella Harrison.
The show begins at 3 p.m. and runs until 9; each artist will perform a 30-minute set. The $10 per person cover charge is being donated to Becky's House, and there will also be a raffle and auction to raise money. In addition, Petite and several other performers will donate all proceeds from the sale of their own CDs at the show to Becky's House.
Petite said the Ould Sod has a legal capacity of only 99, so she suggested getting there early. The Ould Sod is at 3373 Adams Ave. in San Diego. Visit sarapetite.com.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/10/19/entertainment/music/14_08_2510_18_06.txt
George says: There are few better combinations than good music in support of a good cause. You'll get both Sunday at the Ould Sod in Normal Heights, where at least 12 notable area singer-songwriters and one band will perform a six-hour benefit concert. Proceeds go to the non-profit Becky's House, which provides a wealth of services for San Diego women in need. The lineup for this 3-6 p.m. gig includes Cindy Lee Berryhill, Joannie Mendenhall, Sara Petite, Steph Johnson, Arabella Harrison, the lone-named Saba, Regina Dawn, Evan Nethany, Annie Dru, Dee Ray, Molly Meekin, Chelsea Flor and Molly Jenson. For $10, it's the best deal of the week by far.
http://weblog.signonsandiego.com/news/weblogs/music/
