It’s been a pretty incredible 12 months for Sarah Blasko. After the release of her second album What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have, she did numerous tours of Australia, including not one but two theatre-based tours, which saw her adapt her softly yearning ballads to theatre settings, complete with string sections. She was also nominated for the J-Award, and last Sunday night, nearly a year to the day since it’s release, What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have won its author the Australian Record Industry Award for best pop release. One week later, she talked to FasterLouder about the award, her new DVD, and future plans for more ARIA awards.
Fans of Blasko’s work would hardly have been surprised when she got the ARIA award (after her first album The Overture and the Underscore was also nominated in the same category), but Blasko says she had no idea it was coming. “It was pretty bizarre, I really was very surprised. I don’t get played on commercial radio at all, so it was actually kinda humorous in a way to get up in front of all those people, and accept their award.”
The temptation to let loose in front of all the fair weather fans must have been pretty tempting, but Blasko resisted the urge. “I was thinking ‘Maybe now you’ll play me on the radio.’ But I decided not to be spiteful, even though it was pretty weird. You go around for years, and people are constantly telling you it’s not pop music, so we’re not going to play you. And then you win the award for best pop – it made the whole thing really bizarre.”
And does this mean she’ll be aiming to win an ARIA with every album from now on? “Absolutely. I’m going to be thinking about nothing else, when I’m writing – it’s going to be at the forefront of my mind,” she laughs.
Even though she joined an elite group of ARIA award winners that night, Sarah reports she didn’t party too hard, not even hard enough to lose the statue. “I stayed out late, but I didn’t have much to drink. But they don’t even give you the statue, they take it off you as soon as you leave the stage, and then send it to you in the mail – I’m still waiting for mine.”
What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have has also just been re-released with a DVD of the filmclips from her first two albums, as well as her debut single Your Way. Blasko provides commentary on the clips, and I asked her how it felt to be talking about her own film clips. “It was sort of funny. I find it much easier to sing than to talk about things. It was interesting to sit back and think about the clips that you’ve done, although I haven’t really done much compared to some people. It was also good to look back, particularly to Your Way – I haven’t seen that one for a while, it’s kind of a bit scar. But everything’s got its place in your history.”
Blasko’s film clips have always been documents that add to the song, rather than just accompanying it, and she always keeps control of the ideas behind them. “Even if it’s not my idea for a clip, I like to sit down and just talk about the ideas of a song. Like the colours behind it, and the feelings. It’s always a bit of back and forth – sometimes most of it will make sense, but some of it doesn’t sit well, so I’ll ask to change it. The visual element can really change the music, so you have to be a bit careful.”
And are there any plans for album number three? “I’ve started writing, and obviously it’s just some very initial ideas. It’s probably a bit early because next week I will probably change my mind. I know one thing, I want to make it as diverse as possible, so I can kind of sweep the next lot of ARIA awards – adult contemporary, best rock, best album, best hip-hop, whatever it takes.”
What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have Bonus DVD Edition is out now through Dew Process
