Interview: Don't Tell Sarah

1: How did you decide on the name, “Don't Tell Sarah"?
The name “Don’t Tell Sarah” Is a song off the score of the 2016 film “Swiss Army Man” starring Daniel Radcliffe as a fart powered human sea-doo, we highly recommend the film. It’s just a name we could all agree on really.

2: What inspires you to create?
We want to party. We want people to get up and dance with us. We want to facilitate a good time and make people forget about their world for an hour and come lose their collective minds with us.

3: What advice would you give to someone who wants to be in a creative profession?
Don’t listen to the voice telling you to quit. You’re 110% wasting your time, but it's worth every second of it! Don’t give up on a passion or dream for the easier or more conventional routes of success.

4: Do you feel open minded about what you listen to? Do you like going out of your comfort zone?
Absolutely. Each member in this band has a unique taste in music that we all bring to the table, and we genuinely enjoy when someone shows us something we haven't heard before. We are mostly into the metal and rock genres, but we would be lying if we said we have not binged Blues, Funk, Soul, Jazz, R&B, Psychedelic, Folk, Shoegaze, and just about anything else we can get our hands on.

5: What outlets do you find out about music from? (Record stores, magazines, samplers, etc.)
Mostly word of mouth or friendships, someone showing you something they like or your cool uncle forcing a record into your hands and saying, “Go home and listen to this”. Album art is a huge deal as well, we have bought countless records based on just the artwork alone.

6: What is your favorite format to listen to music on? (CD, Vinyl, etc.)
Vinyl, but we all have Spotify because Ford never perfected the in-car record player.

7: How do you feel the internet has impacted the music business?
The internet has been both a blessing and a curse. It's a curse because it basically killed album sales and devalued music, especially pirated music. On the other hand, it's a blessing because it has taken a lot of power away from the major labels and leveled out the playing field for the independent labels and DIY recording sessions to be a more viable pathway to getting your music out there. It's a double-edged sword.

8: Who was the first band/artist that became your favorite band?

This is an individual question so:

Vince Montpetit (Guitar): AC/DC
Nick Upper (Drums): The Doors
Alex Hunter (Vocals): Pantera
Shane Preston (Bass); Guns N’ Roses

9: Who is a band/artist you think everyone should listen to?
Hard not to shamelessly plug our own band and say “Don’t Tell Sarah!”. Shane Thinks everyone needs some “Baroness” in their life, Specifically the “Red” album. Nick says that “Ween” is something we are all missing, He recommends the “Quebec” album as a great starting point. Alex cites that “Type O-Negative" as a huge influence and something everyone should try. As for Vince, he will probably lose countless nights of sleep over this and will probably never have an answer.

10: What was the inspiration for your song “Welfare Boogie”?
Although most songs are open to interpretation and we would like the audience to discern their own meaning, “Welfare Boogie” is super straight forward and leaves almost no room for that. It is basically a song about working a shitty job and having no money or any means, but always finding a way to party and make the most of it. Basically, if you are spending your last $12 on a pitcher of beer, you’re doing the Welfare Boogie.