Ahead of her new album's release, Sara Bareilles has candidly shared the emotional challenges of performing its tracks, particularly a song dedicated to a deceased friend. She acknowledges the discomfort in this raw honesty but remains committed to sharing her journey of grief publicly, a conscious decision to connect through vulnerability.
Her seventh studio album, "Good Grief," delves into the sorrow she has navigated in recent years, prompted by the deaths of her manager Chad Joseph and Broadway actor Gavin Creel, as well as her struggles with IVF treatments. These personal narratives are interwoven with reflections on the broader political climate and the impact of the pandemic. The album, featuring tracks like "Home" (inspired by conversations between Anderson Cooper and Stephen Colbert on loss), also incorporates her signature dark humor, creating an intimate self-portrait. During the album's recording in a converted church, a documentary crew captured the emotional process, revealing tearful discussions with band members about her IVF journey and the profound effect of grief on her mental well-being.
Bareilles, now 46, emphasizes her disinterest in presenting an inauthentic facade, driven by a desire to speak her truth. She finds comfort and healing in sharing her experiences, believing that the answers to her struggles lie in this open exploration and communal sharing rather than isolated introspection. The album's creation was a cathartic process, with some songs evolving over several years, like the country-infused "Still Crying" and the humorous "Nervous Breakdown." She also experimented with a collaborative production model, inviting her bandmates to contribute actively, a choice she describes as a "political statement" against concentrated power structures, seeking to create music in a more inclusive way.
This approach, while at times circuitous, proved deeply rewarding. "Good Grief" marks Bareilles' first album since 2019's politically charged "Amidst the Chaos," and despite her busy schedule with Broadway roles and writing a new musical, Epic Records has granted her creative freedom without pressure for frequent releases. As she prepares for her upcoming tour, Bareilles anticipates the emotional intensity of performing these deeply personal songs. She envisions her concerts as a "joyful grief ritual," a space for collective catharsis. She has also established a grief hotline, receiving thousands of voicemails from fans sharing their own stories of loss, reinforcing her belief in the comfort found in shared human experience.
