Interview with the Artist of the Week: Sarah Dokowicz

Sarah Dokowicz is a singer/songwriter from L.A, originally from Australia. She recently self-released an EP entitled ‘Over You’. Sarah’s songs are a blend of pop, rock, and dance. You can currently get two of the five songs from the EP on soundcloud. Check out our interview with Sarah below, find out what musicians inspire her, why she moved to L.A. and what song she’s embarrassed about having on her iPod! You can view Sarah’s full feature here.

What made you want to move to L.A.?

“Since I was nine years old, I knew I wanted to be in LA to continue the dream of being a successful Pop singer/songwriter and dancer. Therefore, before coming out here on a more permanent basis, I made a number of trips to LA in order to be trained, mentored, and worked with some of the best people in the entertainment industry. I’ve always loved this city and the fact that there’s so many opportunities within it makes me excited to wake up every morning and do what I love to do!”

How did you discover you wanted be a singer/songwriter?

“When I bought my first Britney (corny but true) record I knew singing and dancing was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life! I would play her record on repeat until I learned all the lyrics and danced around my room like a typical little girl. The same went for my Michael Jackson DVD. I practiced those dance routines for days until I had them memorized! As for writing, I began serious lyric writing before coming out to LA as I started to realize that the more assets I have as an artist, the better! Since then, I’ve been keeping busy writing and collaborating with other musicians, producers and writers.”

Who inspires you to sing an write?

“I have a number of idols who inspire me to write including: Kelly Clarkson, Jessie J, Pink, Sara Bareilles, Adam Levine, to name a few. I love Pop music and I believe each one of those artists bring something different, appealing and worthy to this genre. They sing/perform fearlessly and have interesting and often clever songs, which is why I think I resonate so well with those artists.”

Who do you look up to in the music industry?

“I look up to a number of producers and writers in the industry as without them we wouldn’t have some of the great music that exists today. I look up to producers including: Max Martin, Shellback, Dr. Luke, Greg Kurstin, Toby Gad to name a few. And songwriters including: Bonnie McKee and Dianne Warren as they have spent so much time working on their craft that they have become masters of what they do. They create amazing songs that either are hits or have potential to be hits.”

What type of music do you enjoy listening to yourself?

“I appreciate all genres however I’m mostly fond of Pop, Rock, RnB, Soul and Country. Not only do I love these genres, I like to use them as a listening tool to expand my writing skills as though structures of songs are often the same, the productions, instrumentations etc often vary and I find it exciting and fascinating.”

Off of your new EP which song is your favorite?

“I personally really love ‘Stand Up’ and ‘Gone’ as they are the overall energy and vibes I want more of my songs to sound like in terms of production and writing. My producer, Andres Torres did a really good job creating these vibes and sounds. They’re both kind of sassy tunes which depict my persona as a writer. I love to write empowered, girl anthems as well as resilient tunes that make others feel like nothing can stop them from something as simple as having a good day.”

Which lyric is the most meaningful to you and why?

“Again, I personally love ‘Gone’ the best as it is probably the most meaningful song to me about getting out of a position in life where someone doesn’t know how to appreciate your value. It was also one of my first songs I was most proud of and therefore really wanted it on the EP.”

How do you mange to stay in touch with your family and was it hard to make the move to America?

“To me, no matter where I am, I know my family will always be there for me. They’re just those kinds of loving people. At times though, it can be lonely however, that’s why it’s so important to find friends you can trust and can be there for you too. I’m grateful for technology as this makes keeping in touch with friends and family so much easier!

In general, being out of your comfort zone and feeling like you are starting a whole new life in a different country is always kind of hard at first, however like anything, only time allows you to adjust and feel ‘at home’. I feel like a local now :P”

What are some of your favorite things about living in L.A.?

“I love the fact that every night of the week, if I want to go out to watch live music, I can! Though the city sleeps way earlier than the party folks in Australia, there’s always something to do or somewhere to go out and meet new people. I also love that having studied in a college in LA, there’s so many international students, therefore I’ve managed to make friends from all over the world in the city of LA! It’s awesome!”

What is your favorite song to sing along to with the volume on at full blast?

“I love to sing so many songs full blast and it’s often the one’s I DON’T know the lyrics to so I just make them us as I go….”

What is the most embarrassing song on your iPod?

“To be honest, I have a lot of embarrassing songs on my iPod. I haven’t updated it in years!!! So I have a whole bunch of 90’s songs on there including the awesome, ‘As Long As You Love Me’ by the Backstreet Boys….. :/ Don’t judge me!”

 

Sarah’s Website: www.sarahdofficial.com

Sarah’s Facebook:  www.facebook.com/sarahdofficial

Follow Sarah on Twitter:  www.twitter.com/sarahd_official

Watch Sarah on Youtube:  www.youtube.com/thesassysings

Listen to Sarah’s music:  www.soundcloud.com/thesassysings