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by D H Matthews
Deceptively simple and usually light-hearted
Sarah Packiam seems to
exude tranquility to the world around her. Sitting at
a table near a bustling sidewalk, she is the center of
calm and confidence such that random passersby feel a
vague uplift in the air, unsure why but still instinctively
glancing in Sarah's direction. Or perhaps the crowd is
not that sensitive.
After all, Sarah is stunningly gorgeous, to the point
of being hypnotically distracting. She is aware of her
own beauty in a minor way, but has clearly become comfortable
with the attention it brings. "I was a Pampers baby," she
notes, attention being something she has garnered all
her life.When mention is made of the impact of her appearance,
though, she simply shrugs it off. Her uncle, she relates,
is a producer in India's famed movie capitol of Bollywood;
there, Sarah says, "all the girls look like me."
But, while looks may draw a glance, it is her inner talent that has Sarah on
the verge of stardom. And, like her beauty, Sarah's musical abilities are a
product of both heredity and environment, a gift innate inside her and honed
almost from birth. |
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Sarah Packiam is the daughter of an Irish mother and an Indian
father, who has made his living as a blues musician travelling
across Europe and Asia. Sarah grew up in this most eclectic
of atmospheres, absorbing influences from all over the
musical map. She knew even as a child her destiny was to
be a songwriter, and by the time she was thirteen she entered
her song "Homeless Teenage
Girl" in an international writing contest and won the
Irish section, finishing second in Europe.
Sarah spent the next few years developing her style. Her music is deceptively
simple and usually light-hearted, only revealing her empathetic perception and
precise observations when more closely examined. Her characters are falling in
and out of relationships, experiencing the ebb and flow of love and loneliness.
The sharp perceptions and witty arrangements caught the notice of many, including
Jon Secada. Secada persuaded Sarah to move to Miami to explore where her talents
might lead her.
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Now, with one CD well-received
and reviewed and hard at work on its successor, Sarah
seems at peace with her life. She notes her birthday
is the same as Ghandi's, a person whose aura might have
been similar; but that birthday is also Sting's, and
the combination of the former Police frontman and songwriter
with the Indian leader seem to fit Sarah's style perfectly.
Sarah notes that her influences are as eclectic as her background. While she
mentions Sting as a big influence, she also says Karen Carpenter and her songs
mean a lot to her. Combined with the blues background from performing with her
dad, her melodic pop has surprising depths lurking in most of her songs.
While many artists would be nervous wrecks with potential
stardom so close, Sarah seems to have thoughts only on
her work and how she wants to do it. She is focused on
doing the songs she wants to write, and performing with
her three-piece band as she chooses, without a thought
as to manipulating things for commercial reasons. Sarah
knows her own mind. One of her songs, "You're A Star," explores
an early exchange with someone who insisted Sarah should
make changes to her work. The song makes it clear that
Sarah may listen to advice, but is confident in her own
path and doesn't need someone to give her direction. |
Love
over gold is her choice
When
talk comes of career choices and deciding what is important,
Satah doesn't hesitate. Love over gold is her choice,
and she'll play and write what is in her soul rather
than make changes to garner commercial success. She
is already living the life she imagined for herself
as a child, and, while she notes that "money is great," she refuses
to be a Katy Perry, remaking herself over and over until
the lords of fashion proclaim her famous. Instead Sarah
allows she will be true to her heart, and her confidence
fills her eyes, golden in the twilight, as she discards
other paths as "not myself."
Sarah's career advances, aided by "a team I trust," including
her band and management, while she continues to work
on new material. Her shows feature carefully chosen covers
of Cindy Lauper and Bill Withers, drawing an emotional
connection to her own songs. Fronting the band on guitar
and mandolin, Sarah is currently the act playing at small
venues that catches the wandering eye; at a local steakhouse
where Sarah plays regularly in the lounge, staff had
to be admonished to stay at work rather than ease into
the other room to catch a minute of Sarah.
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Sarah and her team are working on finding the next level for
her. She has a song, "Mr.
News," about a glimpse in real life of a television newsman she found attractive,
that is currently being pushed as a possible theme song for Will Farrell's sequel
to "Anchorman." Social media is a major tool for
Sarah's rise, and the work on songs for the second CD continues.
But her talent and hard work have already given Sarah the life
she envisioned for herself so long ago, just out of those Pampers,
and it feels like she is playing with house money now.
To learm more about Sara check out her website at : http://www.sarahpackiam.com |
