Everybody, meet Sarah Blaine. She’s a tremendously talented singer/songwriter from Los Angeles whose career has recently blown up after her song ‘Never Get to Heaven’ was featured on Pretty Little Liars. Sarah had a chat with us in between shooting the video for Never Get to Heaven to talk about show business, singing and social media.
Young Adult Mag: What’s your earliest memory of wanting to become a singer?
Sarah Blaine: The first time I ever sang for an audience was when I was four. I sang “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas in front of about 100 people. Even then performing live was a rush that I wanted to experience again and again.
YA: You used to perform in commercials as a child; did you find it a natural transition to performing in a different capacity or was there anything nerve wracking about it
SB: I’ve always loved every aspect of the entertainment industry and feel lucky that I’ve been able to experience so much of it so young. I became used to having cameras around, so that’s good I guess. When I was a kid my parents helped me understand that you can turn nerves into excitement. That perspective has always helped me a lot.
YA: Growing up in LA, did you ever feel that there was a pressure upon you to become involved somehow in show business? It seems like everybody here is some kind of aspiring artist.
SB: My parents were in the industry but never had expectations for me to be involved. Being around it, though, I found that I had a love and a passion for music. It’s been a natural progression for me.
YA: Being approached to have a song in Pretty Little Liars is a pretty big deal. How did the producers find out about your music?
SB: I met the editor for the show, Lois Blumenthal, a while back and we’ve been in contact around getting my music on there since then. When “Never Get To Heaven” came around we knew it was the right one. Lois then brought it to the producers and, thankfully, everyone loved it. It’s been kinda magical.
YA: Who is your favorite PLL character? (Hopefully you watch the show!)
SB: I do watch the show! There are definitely things that I love in each character. My favorite is probably Hanna but I relate to Spencer the most. I’ve always been very driven and a bit of a perfectionist.
YA: You’re an LA girl, born and raised. What are your favorite things to do in LA when you have downtime?
SB: The beach is definitely at the top of my list – particularly beach bonfires. Disneyland is like my second home. And I’ll admit, I’m a total girly-girl and LOVE to shop.
YA: If you weren’t launching a successful career as a singer, what do you think you’d be doing?
SB: I honestly have no idea. I’ve dreamt of this for as long as I can remember. I think I had a brief phase in 5th grade where I thought I wanted to be a lawyer. I really have no clue where it came from. I guess I might be in the non-profit world. Philanthropy is very important to me.
YA: Do you have any good advice for our readers who might want to pursue a career in show business?
SB: What I’ll say about show business is that it’s brutal. You have to be okay with rejection, which takes a lot of confidence. Everyone who’s ever made it happen has received more “no’s” than “yes’s” by a longshot. To counter that, I have an unwavering belief that if you want something enough and you pursue it with all you have, that anyone can achieve their dreams whether that’s in entertainment or not. You have to put in the work though.
YA: If you could record a song with any artist past or present, who would you choose and why?
SB: At the moment I would have to say Justin Timberlake. I don’t think there’s an entertainer alive today that’s as multi-faceted as he is. He has his own unique sound, he’s an incredible writer, he’s a great actor, and, as far as I can tell, he’s a great human being. I’d love to work with someone who’s achieved so much in such a relatively short amount of time.
YA: What’s the most exciting part of your journey as a singer been so far?
SB: This whole PLL thing has been amazing. To see myself up on the charts was a huge dream of mine and now I’ve achieved it. The most exciting thing though is to look back to when I really started this journey a couple years ago and compare it to where I am as an artist now. I can honestly say I’m very proud of myself and my team, and that’s no small thing.
YA: Where and when can I catch you live?
SB: I have some private gigs lined up but we’re working on a show schedule now. If you check my social media pages we’ll have some dates up very soon!
YA: Which five songs are playing on your iPod right now?
SB: 1. Boom Clap – Charli XCX
2. Not A Bad Thing – Justin Timberlake
3. Habits – Tove Lo
4. Latch (Acoustic) – Sam Smith
5. All of the Stars – Ed Sheeran
Thanks for the interview, Sarah! You can visit Sarah at her official website, SarahBlaine.com, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can find Never Get to Heaven on iTunes, and don’t forget to check out the #nevergettoheaven tag on Twitter!