Tonight’s lineup at Silverlake Lounge promises to be a melting pot of delicious music. In addition to the quirky, throwback pop of The Parlour Suite and the new folk/alt country sounds of The Quick Hellos, the electro-acoustic duo Thurlow will be performing at 11:00pm, who you might remember from Monica Christoffels’ review of their Spokes EP or my review of their performance at Silverlake Lounge several weeks ago. They’ve even got a new video for “Through Your Eyes” that’s available for viewing below. But before they go on, LA-based singer/songstress Sarah Winters will be performing at 10:00pm. Her debut album Smallest Bones was just released this month April of last year, and against the backdrop of the piano-central arrangements her vocals are reminiscent of Tori Amos and Fiona Apple. She also has the rare ability to deliver emotionally heavy lyrics in a way that manages to showcase both her vocal power and vulnerability. But lately, she’s been posting videos of herself performing covers by pop and hip hop artists like Kanye West‘s “Runaway” (see video below) that seem completely at odds with her original music. It was the first thing I asked her when I spoke to her on the phone the other night, as well as what she had in store for her audience on Thursday:

Laurel Kathleen: How did you get into doing those kinds of covers? They seem so different from your recorded music.

Sarah Winters: I never really did cover songs before I did “Dynamite” which was my first one. I didn’t want to do a cover song that I couldn’t make better than the original, or at least up to that same caliber. Usually you’re like ‘oh my god, I could never do something as good as this’. But I heard “Dynamite” on the radio and thought, ‘hmm I kind of dig this’. It has a good melody and a good hook, and it all just kind of worked itself out. I went and recorded it in the studio and we took an hour to two hours total to mix it and do a quick little mastering, and people loved it.

Kanye West’s “Runaway” covered by Sarah Winters

LK: How do you select each song?

SW: I think how I pick them…they have to have some sort of melody that catches my attention. I’ve heard all of these songs on the radio, and if I’m singing along and it’s not just one note-like a Ke$ha song- then it’s got something for me to work with. I tried to cover one of hers once but it didn’t work out. I just didn’t know what to do without a melody.

LK: Will you be doing any covers Thursday, or all originals?

SW: I’ll probably do a mix of both. We just recorded four cover songs actually, and they’re currently being mixed and mastered. “S&M” was one of them, as well as “Runaway”. There are also two more that have yet to be revealed. A lot of people will be at Coachella, so I think I’ll debut one of the covers that people haven’t heard yet.

LK: What was the recording process of your debut album like?

SW: Oh my gosh. Smallest Bones took a long time because I am very poor, being an independent musician. I went to a music college, McNally Smith, and so we used the free studio time which only came in four hour blocks. By the time you get all the mics set up and everything…you don’t have a lot of time. So it took a little over half a year total.

LK: What are your very smallest and very largest musical aspirations?

SW: Hmmm. I think it always means a lot to me when people come up to me after a show or write to me online, who I’ve never met before and say “I was really moved by this song” or “this line of lyric” or “it’s good to know that I’m not the only one that feels that way”. Just to have people who feel touched by my music, which is basically every musician’s goal, I hope (laughs). And then I think the biggest aspiration….I have to pick just one? I guess this isn’t aiming too huge, but at this point I am hoping within five years to just be a musician full time. I think that would be the ultimate goal for me. Even if I’m a struggling musician still, if I’m at least able to buy a house that’d be spectacular. Ultimately, that’s what every musician wants, to just do music and not do anything else.

If you’re in the northern Los Angeles area, come check out Sarah Winters at Silverlake Lounge tonight at 10:00pm and don’t miss Thurlow at 11:00 (and don’t forget to check out their video below!). It’s guaranteed to be a great show, and if you’re there be sure to say hello via Twitter @BestNewBandsCom or @laurelkathleen. You must be 21 years of age and older to enter, and tickets are $8 at the door. Sarah Winters‘ debut album Smallest Bones is now available on iTunes, and her covers EP will be dropping on her website at the beginning of May. For more information on her upcoming performances please visit her Facebook page or follow her on Twitter.

Thurlow “Through Your Eyes”