In May of 2020, I interviewed Sari Schorr, a powerful blues-rock singer-songwriter (go here). The pandemic and lockdown had just set in and every musician and singer I knew worried if they'd ever perform or record again let alone survive Covid-19. Sari's meaty touring schedule in Europe was scrapped and there didn't seem to be an end in sight. She courageously made a music video in a virtually empty New York, started a weekly Facebook videocast to communicate and keep her global fans close, and got busy writing songs. We stayed in touch and a friendship bloomed.
Before the pandemic, Sari co-wrote a song called Back to L.A. that appeared on her album Never Say Never. In 2019, she made a video that she decided to shelve when the pandemic arrived until times became a little brighter and when yearning to be back in Los Angeles made more sense.
Let Sari pick up the story:
In 2019, my husband and I rented an old RV to embark on a road trip through the South with our crazy pit bulls. The sense of freedom I felt on the road reconnected me with "Back to L.A.," a song about longing to return to a life l left behind but not having the courage to take the first step. Sitting at the RV's kitchen table, I decided to take action on the overwhelming need I felt to create a visual portrayal of the song.
By the time Covid hit, I had finished the first cut of the video, and my label had planned on releasing it. I requested that the video be held back and all promotion canceled until a point in time that felt more optimistic.
A few weeks ago, I felt that time was approaching. I re-edited the video to portray a greater sense of loss and isolation living through such challenging times. I was really surprised how re-imagining my song for the video, with the backdrop of the pandemic, amplified the message of my lyrics and made them more poignant.
To say we’ve been living through challenging times sounds like a cliché and an understatement. I miss my old life. I’m desperate to get back out on tour to do what I love most. As always, the hardest first step begins with the courage to move forward.
Here's Sari in her new video for Back to L.A. ...
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Sari's Never Say Never album here.
