Sarah Shook Shakes Things Up: 13th Floor Interview

Sarah Shook and her Disarmers released their 3rd album, Nightroamer earlier this year. They’ve been touring ever since.

The 13th Floor tracked down Sarah to talk about music, politics and growing up in Rochester, New York

The Disarmers have been going through a few changes, which is where our conversation begins:

Listen to the interview here:

Or, read a transcription of the interview here:

Sarah Shook 

My longtime guitarist Eric Peterson, started having some arm trouble last year and early this year decided to take a hiatus to pursue a diagnosis. So we’ve gone through a few guitar players, a few pedal steel players, right now my drummer and I are the two that have been in the in the group the longest. So I feel like the more rock’n’roll aspect of the live shows that’s a somewhat recent addition. Not super recent, that I feel like that thread has always been a part of the, the tapestry, so to speak. But more so than usual. Yeah, I feel like it’s just the result of a, of a new fresh bunch of people who…you know, these songs are new to these players. And in the old band, you know, we’ve been playing the same songs for like six years. So it’s actually been pretty cool and, and refreshing to have some folks on board that are excited to play what’s, you know, new material to them, and sort of put their own signature touch on it.

Marty Duda 

When you’re looking for new players, new band members, what do you look for?

Sarah Shook 

Talent and availability and personality. Because, you know, nobody wants to be stuck in a van with someone who’s miserable.

MD 

I believe that’s how The Ramones spent their later years. Yeah, nobody wants that. Now, of course, in the States, you guys just had your midterm elections, and you’re somewhat of a political animal, I believe. So what’s your reaction to what’s going on over there these days?

Sarah Shook 

Honestly, I sent in my absentee ballot, because I knew I was going to be on tour. And I could not allow myself to follow what was happening, just sort of out of dread of something horrible happening. But it turns out, it’s not as bad as we anticipated. And, you know, my, my partner, Ian and I were talking about it. And I was just like, ‘Dude, it’s, you know, I feel like the the GOP is on a mission to just wreak as much havoc as they can with people who are just trying to live their lives’. And it’s really weird to me, because it’s like, if you have the entire force of being a political party, why would you not throw that force into improving the lives of your constituents? It doesn’t make sense to me.

MD 

No. And the other thing that doesn’t make sense to me is a lot of the folks who support the GOP are the kind of poor blue collar workers who think that for some reason, they’re going to do something for them, and they never do. And it’s like they aspire to be one of them and it’s just it never works that way. I don’t understand it either. But there you go. Now, I believe you’re from Rochester, New York. Am I not mistaken?

Sarah Shook 

That is correct.

MD

Me too.

Sarah Shook 

SS: What? That’s crazy!

MD

I moved here in New Zealand from Rochester in 1994. So and I lived there for many years. I don’t know if you’re aware, but there are quite a few notable rockers from Rochester, Kim Gordon from Sonic Youth, Wendy O. Williams from The Plasmatics and Lydia Lunch all are from Rochester. So are you aware of this legacy that you’re a part of?

Sarah Shook 

That’s that’s incredible. I knew about Wendy O. Williams. I did not know about Kim Gordon. That’s awesome.

MD 

When was the last time you were in Rochester?

Sarah Shook 

We just played up there. Yeah, that was part of our last run. And the venue was about a seven minute walk from Java’s Cafe on Gibbs, which of course, I did take the band over there and I introduced my bassist to Turkish coffee. That was fun. Yeah, it was good to be back. My parents’ old landlord came to the show. Yeah, he’s a great dude. So that was, you know, a blast from the past. I haven’t seen this man in 20 plus years.

MD 

Did you live right in the city or in the surrounding burbs?

Sarah Shook 

No, we lived pretty far away. Um, I think I was born at St. Mary’s in Rochester. And I actually grew up in Lima. Yeah, when I was a kid and and then when my parents moved around to different states a bunch and then when we wound up back in New York, we lived in Seneca Castle, which is a tiny little suburb of Geneva.

MD 

My first job outside of high school was at St. Mary’s Hospital. I worked in the cafeteria.

Sarah Shook 

Wow. The guy who mixed and engineered Sidelong and Years, Ian Schreier, was also born at St. Mary’s.

MD

Both of my daughters were born there, one of them around the same time that you were born. So there you go, we’re all family. So with the with the album having been out for a while now, and especially with new players being added to it, does it change the way you look at what you did with that record and how you approach those songs?

Sarah Shook 

Not really I feel like we did a lot of really solid pre-production on the record before we went in the studio. And I’m really happy with the arrangements that we came up with. We are changing a few things here and there on some of the older songs for the live versions, which has been new for me and pretty fun. I feel like I’ve been playing these songs the same way for a really long time and being able to throw in something a little different, and, you know, challenge my brain to remember the changes, has been really good.

MD

Now I see you have a tune called No Mistakes. There’s a video with some line dancing in it, do you get line dancers coming to your shows?

Sarah Shook 

I wish…not so far. I feel like they’re out there. Maybe they’re just they’re too shy to start doing it on their own. But yeah, line dancing is always encouraged.

MD 

And anything you want to tell me about the song itself?

Sarah Shook 

Yeah, that’s actually probably the oldest song that’s on the record. And I think I wrote that in 2011/2012. So it’s pretty old. And it went through a few verse rewrites or small alterations before it came full circle. But it’s one of a few songs that I have that I wrote back in the day when I was just sort of getting my start. And I always wanted to be very clear from the get go that I’m bi. So writing a song about a woman, you know, being a country artist, I just kind of wanted to put that out there and make sure that it was established.

MD 

Well, it seems to be more and more established or not, you know, odd or unique anymore. So that’s a good thing. And I was just at the AmericanaFest in Nashville a couple of months ago,  and the diversity among…everything, the music and the people was very impressive. It was it was great to see. I’d never been to Nashville before. Have you ever played one of these AmericanaFest things?

Sarah Shook 

Yeah, we’ve played a few, quite a few. And my birthday is September 15, which is always when AmericanaFest is happening. So I think I’ve had four out of the five last birthdays at AmericanaFest.

MD

Now another song I want to touch on was I Got This, which is just brimming with positivity. I was very thrilled to hear that. What inspired that?

Sarah Shook 

You know, it’s funny because I put out two records this year, and both of them have the one song that really pops out that’s like, ‘Damn, that’s really positive, for sure. Look, what’s going on over there?’. Um, I felt like, at the time that I wrote I Got This I was kind of freshly in sobriety and recovery. And, you know, you go through a lot of an onslaught of different emotions in those stages, like you’re pretty emotionally vulnerable. And I felt like when I was writing that song, that I was making a conscious decision to acknowledge the fact that recovery and sobriety is something that although it’s like scary, especially and it’s in its infancy, it’s something that brings you clarity, it’s something that brings you a sense of purpose and direction. And, you know, as long as you keep moving forward in the direction that you’re going, you know, you’re going to be fine. You’re going to get through those dark patches. And yeah, emerge on the other side, you know, a healthier and more grounded person.

MD 

So you toured Europe before the current run of shows in the States. Is there a big difference, are you sensing between the European audiences and vibe and what’s going on in the States?

Sarah Shook 

Mmm. I feel like the biggest difference is probably more just how much nicer everything is over there. All of the hotels are nice. We were there for 30 days and we only stayed in one somewhat divey hotel. The venues take really good care of you. They feed you really well. You have healthy options, which isn’t often the case here.

MD 

I’ve heard that from other folks as well, so it must be a thing.

Sarah Shook 

It is a thing to a point that there are bands that only tour Europe because they don’t even want to…

MD

Have you ever been down to this part of the world?

Sarah Shook 

Not yet. It’s definitely on the list for sure.

MD  

Yeah, it’s different. So you have new songs in the works are plans for another album anytime soon? What’s happening?

Sarah Shook 

I do I do. I have been on the road…I think the last time I checked, it was like 170 days this year, I have managed to find time to write some new material that I’m pretty excited about. And my plan is to get it, get arrangements set and then demo it with a click track and send it to the new lineup. And then when we start touring again early next year, start rehearsing this stuff at sound checks, and eventually have, you know, a couple of weeks’ worth of full on pre-production before we make the next record.

MD 

Cool. And how do you think its gonna sound? You’re going to use the new members, I assume that you have in the band?

Sarah Shook 

Yeah, I feel like from just gauging from the material that I’ve written already. I feel like it’s going to be a little more like Sidelong, and have that sort of touch of recklessness and just a little bit more, you know, off the rails country. So I’m looking forward to that.

MD 

Sounds like fun. All right. Well, hopefully you can come down here and play some songs for us at some point. Maybe we’ll catch you at the next AmericanaFest who knows.

All righty. Have a good time and next time you’re Rochester have a garbage plate for me if you will.

Sarah Shook 

Will do thank you so much, Marty.

Click here for more Sarah Shook & The Disarmers