Sarah McClurg is a singer-songwriter from Ottawa, Canada. Having already made a splash in Nashville with her 2010 debut, “Tennessee Rain”, Ms McClurg is now set to embark on a tour of the UK with Silver Creek. Despite being in the critical stages of preparing for her upcoming UK tour, Sarah McClurg was kind enough to wake up early and grant Bluesbunny's Peter McGee a few minutes of her time.
PM: You’re set to depart for the UK shortly, is that right?
Sarah McClurg: Today, in fact! Tonight!
PM: Fantastic! So, are you excited about the tour?
Sarah McClurg: Oh yeah, very excited! We’re going to be doing a whole bunch of shows at different venues, and we have some other musicians who will be playing with us also, like Danni Nicholls and Sara Petite. I look forward to meeting them.
PM: Will this be your first time visiting the UK?
Sarah McClurg: Yes, it will be. You know, I’ve never been overseas, so the whole experience is going to be amazing. I’m getting excited! I woke up this morning and went “Oh my gosh! Today I’m actually going to the UK!”
PM: I guess now I’ll go to the topic of your album, “Tennessee Rain”, which gathered a good deal of acclaim for its blend of rock and country music. What inspired you to make such an album?
Sarah McClurg: I went to Nashville initially. When I first went to Nashville, I just went with one song. I went around about twelve different music venues and I passed out my CV, trying to find someone who might want to work with me, and I came across Danny White, who would produce “Tennessee Rain.” I really wanted an album based more on contemporary country than pop/rock, but still with components of classic rock and pop. At the end of the day, the album came out with everything I wanted on it!
PM: Could you tell us a little about your influences? What or who made you want to pick up a guitar in the first place?
Sarah McClurg: I always had songs in me, and I had no way of communicating them. Now, all my friends are musicians, so they taught me a few simple chords on the guitar, and from that point I started writing a few songs with basic chords. As I was learning to play guitar a little better, I felt that my songwriting was getting better, too. I’m still just a singer-songwriter and not a guitar player, but learning guitar has been the biggest door to open for me. It’s been able to let me communicate more effectively through song. I always had melodies and lyrics, but making a song without the guitar was the hard part. It was one of the best decisions I made!
PM: What does performing live mean to you?
Sarah McClurg: It’s almost indescribable. I’ve always felt that being onstage meant finally feeling that I know where I belong. It just feels natural.
PM: What else do you have planned for 2011?
Sarah McClurg: We have some shows lined up here (Canada), and I have other tours in mind. I’m getting a lot of airplay in Australia. A few different things really! I’ll be heading down to LA, for an awards show. We’ll also be shooting a music video for “Tennessee Rain” in April.
PM: Ms McClurg, thank you for your time!
Sarah McClurg begins her UK tour on Sunday 13th February 2011, in London, and plays Glasgow’s Grand Ole Opry on Sunday 20th February. For additional information, visit her website.