Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah MK strikes the balance between message and music with graceful mastery. Seamlessly alternating from slow-burning R&B to full-blown MC, she has an impressive sonic versatility, characterized by fine-tuned lyrics over warm, soulful backdrops.
Sarah is an Université de Montréal alumni, with a bachelor’s degree in Jazz vocals. She independently released her 2011 debut “Worth It” to widespread acclaim from music critics and fans alike, becoming a sought-after collaborator at home and abroad. She’s worked with the likes of local legends Dubmatique, virtuoso pianist Anomalie, family-oriented trio Brown and emblematic RapKeb group Dead Obies, among countless others. MK has extensively toured North America and Europe, whether at international festivals performing as a soloist or in support of such highly regarded acts as the incomparable Fred Wesley, Canadian rapper Socalled and world-renowned clarinetist David Krakauer for the funk-klezmer hybrid project Abraham Inc.
Her new album Wax & Gold marks a return to form for the visionary songstress. Reminiscing on a chance encounter with mega-impresario Scooter Braun where her sonic aesthetic was brought into question, Sarah found herself at a personal and professional crossroads. Considering the current R&B climate, she originally sought a more folk-oriented direction. This marks the beginning of her ongoing collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Christopher Cargnello, who along with MK co-produced the album. The core of her band, composed of keyboardist Caulder Nash, drummer Anthony Pageot and bassist Jonathan Lorgis was first assembled during a local Jazz bar residency in 2017. The bulk of the material is a byproduct of the synergy that was born of those rehearsals, one that can only be achieved through jam sessions with live musicians in flow state. Sarah wrote 8 out of the project’s 10 songs during a 3-month creative outburst in 2018. About the impetus to compile her album, she says: “I went in with the intention of ‘let’s play together'”. The formation is completed by a horn section made up of Andy King, Alexandre Dion, Christopher Vincent and Rachel Therrien.
She addresses a wide array of themes, such as in the nostalgic “Hey Richard”, a song about an involuntarily estranged friendship, or the tongue-in-cheek “Pancakes For Supper” a syrupy Funk number co-written by Salin Cheewapansri on the drums. Sarah’s all-star assembly of artists and musicians helps bring her songs to life, enlisting recording artist Clerel and co-writer Judith Little to assist on vocals as well as Caro Dupont, who plays the flute on “Goodbye”.