Sara Beth loves to write songs. It’s pretty simple. Sometimes, when the bills are stacking up needing to get done and the to-do lists aren't to-do’ing themselves, she finds herself writing songs instead. It just feels easy, it just makes sense. The guitar she bought 10 years ago in Baton Rouge while she was recovering from heartbreak in New Orleans with her family has given most of these songs life. It’s not flashy, but it sounds good. She grew up playing piano but when Sara Beth tunes the guitar to Open D and navigates her way around with the little white capo, something magical happens.

A significant turning point happened in her therapists office last year. Sara Beth was having a hard time releasing music and had just talked about a Dropbox folder entitled “Emily listen to this." The plan was to send 5-10 people this Dropbox folder filled with 31 songs, starting with her friend Emily, then poll the favorites from each friend. Ultimately, basing her selections on everyone else's opinions, she’d decide which songs to put on her EP. When Sara Beth told her therapist the plan, she sat for a moment, then said “Do you have favorite songs on your Dropbox? Why are you asking other people to decide who you are as an artist?” Sara Beth did have favorite songs, was quiet, and thought a lot about this. It was a question that touched her deeper than deciding songs for a forthcoming EP. It was no longer “Emily listen to this,” it became “Sara Beth listen to this.”

And she did. Sara Beth picked her favorite songs from her Dropbox and produced an EP with the help of her friend in his home studio last winter. The EP is called Strange Creatures, named after the beings which are the subjects of her songs (and that also remind Sara Beth a little of herself). It’s a gathering of stories and feelings that touch on romance, family, insecurity, and heartbreak. The almost-self-titled EP will be released this winter.

Sara Beth is excited to be writing even more creatively and bravely now, and hopes to release more albums or EPs soon. Thanks for believing in her work or simply just listening to it. Either way, she’ll still love writing songs.