Americana Music Magazine – Bluegrass, Roots, Folk, Blues, and Old-Time
For Sands Hall, music was an early creative outlet with which she has had a varied relationship over the years. From her first songwriting attempt at age 14, through time pursuing writing and theater ambitions in New York, and a sojourn in LA where “her kind of music” was discouraged by the circle in which she found herself, she made it back to her northern California point of physical origin, as well as her musical roots. The long journey meant that her music waited a while to be recorded and shared with wider audiences.
After relocating to Nevada City, Sands connected with a supportive musical community. “…[I] met some wonderful musicians and they were like ‘These are great songs! You should do more,’ Sands recalls. “And so that eventually led to my first album, which the joke is, it could have been an LP…[or] an 8-track…”
It’s easy to understand the familial connection Sands has with creative endeavors, as her father (Oakley Hall) was a Pulitzer-finalist novelist and her mother a professional photographer. “We were always encouraged, my siblings and I, that art was a great place to live a life.” While Sands has devoted most of her creative energies to theater, writing, and teaching, she sees a symbiotic relationship between all the things she’s involved with: “They really feed each other in such an extraordinary and satisfying way…” Comparing her different endeavors Sands says, “I think if I applied to my songwriting what I do when I’m working on a novel, I’d probably write more songs. When I’m working on a novel or memoir, I’m pretty faithful every day…” In contrast, Sands tends to capture songs whenever they happen to come to her.
Sands’ new album is called Sturdy Boots. On it she looks at love from a variety of vantage points, using a rich musical pallet. While her singing and guitar playing invite a flattering comparison to Joni Mitchell, Sands certainly has a distinctive style that encompasses folk, jazz, country, blues.
To find out more, visit https://sandshall.com/music. Hear the full interview here.