Sara Gougeon is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She’s a contemporary folk artist and a Graduate of Berklee College of Music. Gougeon writes heart-wrenching lyrics that she gently tucks into sweet, folky melodies. Using stories and personal experiences, she crafts songs that are honest and relatable.
Explain the title of your album.
This upcoming album is called The Long Road. I decided on the title as I was putting the songs together – a few years ago now. I grew up in Northern Ontario, spent a few years in Southern Ontario, packed my bags for Michigan (where I went to boarding school), headed to College in Boston, and traced south to Nashville in 2020. My entire journey has been a long road. And I think that acts as an interesting metaphor for life. We’re all on this path, and sometimes the road is bumpy and winding. Sometimes you get lost, or you don’t know where to go next. But it’s also beautiful and exciting. And another big focus of this upcoming album has been the practice of gratitude through both the greatest and the hardest moments.
The Long Road shares a lot of personal experiences and is quite vulnerable. I’ve sprinkled in a few other stories – both fact and fiction. But the common theme is that most songs dare to overcome something. “Invisible Closet” announces my queerness and my struggle with identity and being seen as more femme presenting person.
“Trust In You” dares my old self to hold new standards for friendships. And this new release, “Frosted Soil Sun,” addresses the struggle of going through a breakup and having to let go of someone you’re close with.
As for the name “Frosted Soil Sun,” I’m not entirely sure how I came up with such a peculiar title. It’s warm and earthy but tainted, which is how that relationship felt. I don’t know if that will resonate with anyone else or if people will just perceive it as cool or weird. But it makes a lot of sense to me.
Do you have any songwriting tips you can share?
I have so so many! I could talk for days about songwriting tips and things I’ve discovered. I actually started a songwriting blog last year, though it’s been sorely neglected for a few months and needs to be revived. If I could only say a few words, this is what I’d say. Write often. Write a song a week. I started doing this in 2016, and it’s done wonders for my writing. I’ve written hundreds of songs, and it’s forced me to get over perfectionism in a lot of ways. Set yourself to strict deadlines and find an accountability partner if you need one. Study the songs you love and dissect the writing that you admire. Consider reading Writing Better Lyrics by Pat Pattison. Pat was my professor at Berklee College of Music and gave me hope for the education of songwriting – after I had spent some time questioning if songwriting is a skill that can actually be taught. And finally, perhaps the most important piece of advice I could give is to surround yourself with people who inspire and support you.
How are you using your platform to support marginalized people?
A few years ago, when I released my single “Invisible Closet,” I held a release show in my hometown. I decided to donate what I made off of tickets for the release show to the local queer community. I especially wanted to support queer youth. So I did some research and found a queer youth group that I wanted to support. But I learned that they were no longer operating due to lack of funding. They needed support before I got to them. That was pretty sad, but I was happy to find another group supporting transgender folks in my city, and I gave them the ticket sales from the event.
And this year, I started Queerfolk Fest to support LGBTQ+ folk music. I had the idea to host queer folk shows when I was a student at Berklee Collge of music. I played an LGBTQ+ open mic and was stunned by the realization that there are so many queer folk artists. So I pocketed that idea. This year I hosted a virtual festival that featured 16 queer-identifying acts. And now I’m trying to figure out how to produce an in-person festival in Nashville for 2022.
I think it’s interesting that some folks thought I started Queerfolk because I was excluded from shows or opportunities based on my identity. It wasn’t that at all. I was just constantly let down by the lack of spaces for queer community. And I had this vision for a space that combined two of my favorite things: queer community and folky music.
I’m also really new to booking and this kind of role, and I’m constantly evaluating how I can be better. I’m working on finding more queer artists of color in Nashville and expanding beyond the circle of artist that I (as a privileged white person) happened to be surrounded by.
What’s the best way a fan can support you?
Right now, listening to my music, following me on Spotify and social media, pre-saving this single and my album when it’s available, and sharing my songs with friends and family. And checking out and following Queerfolk Fest!
Have you ever been given something remarkable by a fan?
From the outside, I don’t think most people would consider this remarkable. But it really struck me. I was playing a show on a ferry in Ontario. I was twenty at the time. I had just released my first EP and booked myself a tour. The ferry took me across Lake Huron in exchange for a show. I stressed myself out so much before this tour that I got sick. Mind you, I was doing everything. When I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING: organizing the release, promoting the songs, booking the tour, managing my social media accounts, and even designing my own merch! By this point of the tour, I was exhausted, sick, and emotionally down, feeling like nobody on this boat cared that I was playing. As I was wrapping things up, a little girl came by with her mom. She gave me a bracelet that she made for me. Seeing her eyes light up with inspiration was such a wonderful moment. The bracelet was too small for my wrist so I tied it to the handle of my guitar case. It still lives there today.
It was so much more than a bracelet to me. It was the realization that I live to inspire. A lot of people ask me what I want to do – I’m a songwriter, an entrepreneur, a writer, and a million other things. The answer is all of it! I’ve realized that the medium of music and creativity I’m doing doesn’t matter to me as long as I’m creating, growing, and inspiring others.
Sara Gougeon — Official, Facebook, Instagram, Queerfolk Fest