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It’s been more than 10 years since Sara Swenson produced a record. In February, the singer-songwriter released “Taller,” her fifth studio album, which she describes as being different from anything she’s ever made before.
“I feel like we were able to create something that pushed some boundaries in ways that I hadn't before,” Swenson told KCUR’s Up To Date.
In her latest single, “Your Town,” Swenson draws inspiration from growing up in Platte City, Missouri, and the comfort, support and welcoming feeling that comes with small-town life.
The song features more than 20 people from the Kansas City music industry — including DJs, journalists and fellow artists — singing alongside Swenson in her return to the studio.
The collaboration celebrates the sense of community Swenson feels in the Kansas City music scene, and the importance of inclusivity and giving everyone a seat at the table.
“I wanted to celebrate that in a song, and the joy that comes with that,” she said. “And involving all those people in this song was a dream.”
Swenson said creating “Taller” was a slow process, taking more than a year. But every detail was intentional, and the entire album holds meaning.
“It's a collection of my own stories, but also me absorbing the stories around me too, and channeling those into songs,” she said.
The somber lyrics of “Phantoms,” the album’s first single, draws from Swenson’s personal experiences and was her most difficult to write — challenging her to step back into unsettling memories.
“It's reflecting on heavy topics and hard things that have happened in my background,” Swenson said. “And I know that there's a world of people out there who have had similar experiences. And at the very least, we all have thoughts that dwell in our heads repeatedly that we just can't get out of them.”
Some of these heavier themes were inspired by the #MeToo movement. Swenson said she’s hopeful people feel human connection and understanding from her music.
“There's a lot of commonality in all of our experiences,” she said. “We may experience emotions differently, specifically, you know, whatever stories we're walking through, but there's a whole lot of similarities in how we live our lives.”
Event: An Evening with Sara Swenson and Matthew Perryman Jones, 8 p.m. Friday, June 5 at Knuckleheads – Gospel Lounge, 2715 Rochester St., Kansas City, Missouri 64120.
- Sara Swenson, singer-songwriter, “Taller”
