Interview with Sara Abdelbarry (Teen Idle)

By Sonia Schnee | Posted Wednesday, April 13, 2022

In February of this year, Asbury Park alt-rock songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Sara Abdelbarry (a.k.a Teen Idle) released her first single in 2 years, entitled “Burning”, and this Friday, 4/15, she’ll also be releasing the official music video for it.

With the exception of drums recorded by Simon Ogilvie and Danny Murray, Sara played all the instruments featured in the song and recorded them in her basement. (Shoutout to Andy Schichter for mixing and Kramer for mastering!)

In March, Sara’s guitar and synth skills plus backing vocals were featured on the Arabic-language song “La ElWa2t Yesra2”, produced in collaboration with Egyptian artist 200 Shams, which you can listen to here.

If you’re craving more by Teen Idle, you can catch Sara performing live on 4/28 at Finnegan’s Pub in Hoboken, NJ with Sonic Blume and ØM-53, and again on 4/29 at Stage Dive in Glassboro, NJ with Awesome Possum, Winkler, and Nadir Bliss.

Sara/Teen Idle is currently working on a full-length album. If you want to be the first to find out when it drops, and stay up-to-date on upcoming shows and other announcements, be sure to follow @teenidlemusic on Instagram and Twitter.

To learn more about the inspiration behind “Burning”, Sara Abdelbarry’s personal and musical journey, and her plans for the future, check out our interview below.

Congratulations on the release of your recent single, “Burning." You had me hooked in the first 18 seconds. I was transported. Would you say “Burning” is a continuation of your past work or a departure from it?

Thank you so much. I’m glad the song was able to transport you — that to me is the best compliment. “Burning” feels like it grew naturally from the sounds of my EP, since I wrote it during the same time, but it’s also strikingly different in some ways (at least to my ears). Some people who listened to the single described it as shoegazey, which is interesting because I think of it as the least shoegaze inspired song I’ve released. The song incorporates a lot of the fuzzy guitars and sonic patterns of my prior releases, but with this song I definitely wanted the focus to be on vocals and lyrics in a way I wasn’t thinking about on my EP.

What can you tell us about the inspiration behind the song? Did you have a clear idea of what you wanted it to be about when you started writing? What was that journey like?

It was definitely a journey. I remember starting the song about 3 years ago when I was a senior in college. The first part I wrote was the instrumental, which I recorded into a computer. I remember thinking there was strong potential there. At that time I wasn’t thinking about subject matter or lyrics at all; I just thought I had a fun guitar riff. The instrumental ended up sitting around until one weekend when I came home from school. I was feeling torn about a crush I had, which sort of characterized my last few months of college, so I started to write some lines of poetry in a notebook. I was just spilling my feelings. Later, when I wanted to put those words to song, I remembered I had the instrumental for “Burning”; luckily it seemed to match up with the words.

I kept tinkering around with certain lyrics. I doubt anyone would think this a song about an unrequited crush by looking only at the lyrics, yet it is! Some of the lyrics are pretty dark without context — “glowing is the sunlight, but all I see is black” — but they‘re about being in a funk because of a complicated crush gone sour. For some reason, whenever I sing the song and get to that lyric, I end up smiling. I think it’s because this seemingly bleak lyric is actually empowering when I think about how tiny of a struggle this crush was in my life compared to what it felt like back then. Almost comically. It’s awesome to feel like you’ve matured.

Where did you record/who did you record with?

I actually produced the song alone and recorded it in my basement, which I turned into a DIY studio. I was lucky to have my friend Danny play live drums on the song and record it at a separate studio. Other than that, I played all the other instruments myself. It was definitely a learning experience, and super fun. You really have to commit to finding certain sounds for a song — in a dream situation they come in five minutes, and other times in five days. It took weeks for this one riff to come out that I think made the whole song. The nice thing about recording at home is that you’re not under some deadline or budget, but I definitely have more fun when friends play on my songs.

Is music-making something that runs in your family? How did you get to where you are today?

Boy, I feel like this is a fun one. I don’t know of anyone in my family, even generations back, who pursued music as a career, but one side of my family is definitely the more creative one — it seems like all my first and second cousins make art in some way, whether singing, visual art, or even tattooing. My mom used to make paint and collage and my grandmother used to write poetry. My dad also makes these doodles that I find artistic.

Back in Egypt, where my family is from, my one side of the family was involved in the film industry, with my grandmother’s first cousin managing to make a name for herself. Some of the family started acting or getting involved with film, so I feel like that’s a major influence for me. Even if it’s film, not music. The sentimentality of Arab cinema is actually a huge influence on my creativity, which I didn’t realize until recently.

The reason I became obsessed with music in the first place was because of family — my older cousins, who I thought were the coolest people ever, would watch MTV with me and illegally download songs for me on LimeWire. This is why I was listening to 50 Cent in kindergarten. I was so into MTV that the first album I ever bought as a child was Sweet Escape by Gwen Stefani, after seeing her music videos on there. This and Kelly Clarkson made me want to be a performer.

What do you hope people will walk away feeling or thinking about when they listen to “Burning”, specifically, and/or your music in general?

Dang, I just hope that you gain something from listening to this song or my other songs. Whether that’s a comforting feeling, a realization about something in your own life after listening to the lyrics, or just a new song that you can add to your playlist and bop your head to. I secretly (yet not so secretly) hope that people are playing “Burning” in the car and feeling nostalgia. I don’t think about this when I write, but it’s cool when someone listens to your song and walks away with a lingering feeling of happiness, hope, reflection, whatever, that they’re thinking about for days.

What’s next on the horizon for you? Are you playing any shows? When can we expect to hear your full-length album?

So many things! I’ve been hard at work on a full-length album for what seems like 5 million years now, so once I get around to reaching out to some people and making the moves I need to finish it, it’ll be out. Hopefully before the end of the year. I’m definitely starting to play more shows in NJ. I’m playing at the basement of Bond Street Bar on 4/7 with Idle Wave, and 4/28 at Finnegan’s Pub in Hoboken with Sonic Blume & 0M-53. Tickets for Hoboken are on sale at the link in my Instagram bio.

Is there anyone who you’d like to give a shout-out to?

Most definitely — everyone who listens to my music and especially those who take the time to message me about it. I appreciate you. Also my parents for being literally the most supportive people ever. Catch them at most of my shows. My mom helped me make some stop motion art for the promo of “Burning,” and it turned out incredible, so go take a look at the Canva video that Spotify plays on your phone with the song! My mom made that.

Is there anything else that you want people to know about you and your work?

I started putting together a compilation during Women’s History Month, which will include female artists from around the area and beyond (as far as Australia) covering songs by other female artists. It will be available on Bandcamp and all proceeds will go to Nomi Network, which helps women who are at risk or victims of human trafficking get a jumpstart on their lives through social and economic assistance. Follow my Bandcamp for notifications when it’s released. I wanted to do something to celebrate talented women making music, but it’s also important that we’ll be doing our small part to raise money for a great cause that empowers women globally.

Do you have any words of advice or encouragement that you'd like to share with people who need it?

When it comes to making music, I feel like the most success is had when people stop focusing on fancy gear or plugins, and instead just try to make the best song they can make. For life in general, my life started to open up in ways I could never have imagined when I stopped giving in to fears. If you take baby steps to get rid of whatever fear holds you back, you’ll see how magically the world starts to open up. Take a step out of your comfort zone! And eventually your old comfort zone will be uncomfortable.

Finally, where can people listen to your music and connect with you online?

You can find me on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, YouTube, all the usual streaming platforms! Even TikTok which I’m trying to master. My music is also on Bandcamp at teenidle.bandcamp.com

I’m on Instagram and Twitter as @teenidlemusic!

Interview with Teen Idle

By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Thursday, September 30, 2021

Teen Idle is the moniker under which Sara Abdelbarry writes, records and performs her own music. Since the release of her first EP in June of 2020, she has released a handful of singles, and even performed her first show this past August. When I saw Teen Idle, I was enthralled by the atmospheric guitar playing and mood she set with just her vocals and a guitar. Since her recordings include some more studio work, I recently asked Sara about her project, her recording and songwriting process. Thanks again, Sara! 

When did you first start writing your own music?

I’m pretty sure I wrote my first song when I was 15. At the time, I was taking lessons at Lakehouse Music Academy in Asbury and being introduced to and surrounded by so much music. Plus, most of my teachers were in touring bands of their own, so being in such a creative musical environment like that definitely sparked my interest in songwriting. I also owe a lot to the show American Idol, which I used to watch all the time with my family and cousins, for introducing to me a lot of classic ‘70s and ‘80s artists which piqued my interest in songwriting.

Who were your influences when you first started and how have they changed?

My biggest influence was and will always be Fleetwood Mac. All three songwriters in that band are impeccable, the production is intricate and smart, and the songs are super emotional in the best way. I know people who listen to my music might not hear Fleetwood Mac as an obvious influence, given my music sounds quite different from theirs, but I think each member of that band influenced my approach to writing music in a big way: Stevie’s lyricism, Lindsey’s production, and Christine’s melodies and affinity for jazz chords. Sometimes I’ll write something and feel later on that band was a subconscious influence, even if just for the groove and feel of a song. I find myself drawn to the dancy nature of many of their songs in my recent songwriting.

If we’re talking direct sonic influences for my releases as Teen Idle, that’s all over the place just like my music taste. For my first EP and most of the stuff I was writing at that time (2018-2019), there’s a heavy shoegaze and almost slowcore-ish influence. At the time I was really into bands like Beach House, Alvvays, and Slowdive, so the music bears a slight sonic resemblance. That kind of reverb-drenched, dreamy sound with shrouded vocals suited the subject matter I was writing about at the time, like heartbreak, so that just happened naturally. Now, though, I don’t really have an interest in that particular shoegaze sound anymore and want to focus more on lyricism and letting vocals shine. The new stuff definitely still has a ‘90s type influence and dreamy guitars, but I’d say recently I’ve been influenced by artists like Mitski, SASAMI, Japanese Breakfast, and Sharon Van Etten. 

How did last year's lockdown affect your songwriting if at all?

In the beginning, around March, I was super productive and even managed to curate this pandemic compilation with the intention of donating the money to COVID-relief efforts. I ended up getting artists from I think 10 countries on it, made some new international music friends, and contributed a song I wrote at that time, called “When Yr Gone”. That was probably my favorite stretch of the lockdown, if one had to choose. But towards November, I stopped writing songs entirely or even listening to new music really, which wasn’t intentional but just happened. I’m usually always writing and interacting with music, so it was a super weird and depressing time for me. 

Like a lot of us were, I was feeling very down about the fact that I couldn’t be out in the world anymore. I like to be out and about, I like to travel and explore, and I’m a pretty social person who loves to meet new people and go out, so I feel like that part of my life was stolen away, making it hard to feel inspired. My writing typically comes from real life experiences, encounters, or other people’s stories I hear, so in a way I didn’t feel I had anything to write about. I was also more focused on maintaining my mental health than songwriting at that point. It was difficult to get myself out of that place mentally because I felt like I was in a hole for so long. I’m so glad that stuff is all over, and that my mental health is back to being as good as it used to be now that normal life has basically resumed. I did end up writing one or two songs I’m very proud of last winter, so I do cherish those.

What is your songwriting and recording process like?

This will probably be a long-winded answer — usually I’ll start a song with guitar or piano. I’ll usually be noodling around on either instrument, or on rare occasions the bass too, sometimes with the intention of writing a song if I’m feeling a certain way, other times just fiddling around. Then I arrive at a progression I really like and make sure to record it on my voice memos. Once I have that basis, I’ll keep building on the progression. When I feel that I have something there, I’ll start singing random words over the instrument to figure out where I want the melody to go. I’ll work on the melody for each part of the song, sometimes starting with the bridge, sometimes starting with the verse. It also varies because sometimes I’ll have an idea for a bridge that I want to write with strings in it or something and then build the song from there. 

As for lyrics, a lot of the time I’ll keep some of the random words I was singing while figuring out the melody, or just use words that rhyme because they match syllabically. Then once I know exactly what I want the song to be about, I’ll chip away at the lyrics, usually writing them all at once or over a span of a few days. I usually will refine the lyrics until I feel like they get the message across exactly how I intended. 

For production, that doesn’t happen typically until I have a finished demo of a song on guitar or piano on Voice Memos. I have the structure of the song laid out in a demo, I’ll start building it in Logic from the ground up. I like to start with the bare bones: drums, demo vocals, and then guitar and bass. From that point, it happens rather serendipitously and without explanation. I address each part of the song — verse, chorus, bridge, very likely cinematic outro — separately, working to make each part flow into the other and match the emotions the song conveys. I play and record all the live instruments at home myself, except drums which I let a very talented friend do in a separate studio, and use analog sounds with a combo of virtual instruments, synths, and weird Logic presets and effects to get the sound I want. Songwriting is more calculated, whereas in production I feel like it’s more divine intervention, where I let myself go wherever the song takes me. Sometimes I come across sounds I never expected by making mistakes or putting effects in a chain that engineers would scoff at. Then I do a rough mix and send the songs off to a mixing engineer because they do that better. 

What does your project name mean to you?

Teen Idle is a name I had in my back pocket since freshman or sophomore year of high school, I think, after I saw a Marina and the Diamonds song with the same name. I never even listened to the song, but I remember thinking it was an amazing pairing of words, so I never forgot it. I always kind of knew I wanted that to be my band name if I had one in the future. But now that I think about it, I was kind of an idle teenager; not by design, but I didn’t go out of my way to get good grades in high school, never studied, and never really went out either because I was super shy at the time. So the name for me reflects how I was a late bloomer in life, basically blossoming in and after college and coming into my own then.

What is your favorite song you've written? Why?

This is hard to answer, so I won’t answer directly. I think out of the stuff I’ve released, I’m pretty proud of “Dreaming” because it was the first song I ever released. And it was written rather randomly after jazz practice in college one day, but I’m proud of the lyrics and how the song builds based on the same chord progression. I am also really proud of “In the Morning” because I think it’s the most different from the songs on the EP, and “Sometimes” for the build up to the outro at the end.

Plans for the future?

I’m hoping to keep playing gigs in the area and NYC, building my audience locally, and just continuing to release albums I’m proud of and show my growth in my craft.

I just also started producing for other artists, so I‘d like to keep doing that as well as write for more artists I believe in, maybe even producing full albums for artists. In the long term I’d definitely love to write the score for a movie soundtrack, or have a song be in a TV show or movie. I also have some future plans to start a record label.

You can keep up with all things Teen Idle here and listen on Spotify here !