After
veering from the adult contemporary and pop worlds, Montreal blues
singer Sarah Sokal is bringing a sensational and powerful new album Twisted Games
to listeners led by a delectable, brawny single "Man Made." It's a
beefy, bluesy, party-starting track that showcases Sokal's alluring and
alarmingly strong pipes, keeping the blues alive by bridging the gap
between tradition and modernity, drawing in a younger audience who
appreciate both timeless blues and the appeal of mainstream music.
"Man
Made," co-written by Sokal and Stewart McKie and produced by DUBë (who
also mixed, recorded, and engineered the song), brings to mind the likes
of classic Amy Winehouse and the late Sharon Jones with its feel-good,
uplifting tempo and confident, self-assured arrangement. Keyboardist
Dave Lines complements Sokal's introductory verse before guitarist Andy
Dacoulis, bassist Dray Woods, and drummer Jean Nadeau flesh the "Man
Made" to perfection. It's a track that almost out-Dap-Kings Jones'
iconic backing group.
"I
feel like being a woman in the industry calls for having a male sherpa
to climb up!" Sokal says. "I have always been accompanied by a chosen
male advisor/protector. I would love to experience being more surrounded
by women creatives in the future, but it wasn't in my cards that much
so far."
Sokal,
who cites Beth Hart and Susan Tedeschi as influences along with icons
such as Peggy Lee, Etta James and Dinah Washington, grew up listening to
rock and rhythm and blues in her teens. That blues passion resurfaced
and solidified after meeting producer Marc Dube for a coffee in Montreal
a few years ago. "I had two songs written, and I had a strong desire to
record a full blues album destined to be a vengeance album, turning the
ugly I've experienced through my journey in the industry into something
beautiful and empowering," she says.
"Man Made" is from Sokal's Twisted Games
album, a 13-track release whose origins began during the pandemic and
faced challenges with social distancing during the recording process.
Wanting to put her own stamp on the record, Sokal found the freedom to
"express myself better" with this record and developing her artistic
identity and sound. She also says the creative process is what fuels her
passion. "It is never fully conscious decisions; I just go along with
my instincts," Sokal says. "I like to paint and write songs without a
plan or a proper canvas. That's where the pure and true energy feeds my
imagination."
Sokal
has had an illustrious career thus far. Writing her first song at age
five (entitled "Pourquoi"), the musician professionally recorded her
first song "I'm Lost" when she was just 15. From there she performed as a
teenager in various hotels around Montreal and Quebec before forming
The Sarah Sokal Band. Her group performed at various private functions,
corporate events, and fundraisers, showcasing a musical mix of pop,
adult contemporary, and blues. She is also a vocal coach and has worked
with a variety of Juno Award-nominated and Juno Award-winning artists.
Sokal's previous releases include EPs entitled Ink and Paper, the five-song effort Your Song and Broken Promises.
The singer, who recently performed at Montreal's Sutton en Blues
Festival, was also a runner-up in the International Songwriting
Contest's Song of the Year category.
https://sarahsokal.com/
