The view from the top.

Sabrina is really down to earth and sweet. She's been at full speed and has been carrying a great career. Here is what our interview dug up about her past, present and future. This was all done via e-mail because she is a busy girl yet, there is a real sense of who she is and what she is about.


Q: I love the fun, punky and sweetly lovable sound you have created, especially in "last call" and "fatal hand" what are some of your
inspirations in music, in life?

A: A big inspiration for me is frustration. If something is
bothering me, I channel it through a song. It's a way to say things I normally wouldn't say to someone's face (or about myself). Another inspiration for me is travel. I was really inspired by my time touring
in my last band. I'm fascinated by people, how they live, what they do. I also love soaking up the energy of a different city. I usually take some of that and incorporate it into what I write.

Q: So tell me how you hooked up with Mike Dirnt (Greenday) on this ep?

A: Mike had asked me to sing a part on a Frustrators record years back. It didn't pan out, but a few years later I ran into him, and we chatted it up, and he mentioned in passing that we should do something in the future. So when I was putting my solo stuff together, he came to mind. I gave him a demo of my songs, which was just vocals, guitar, and some pretty rad drum machine tracks, and he dug them. So we took it from there.

Mike was just finishing up American Idiot when we started, and was flying all over the place between sessions. He was generous enough to take what little spare time he had to do the record. We ended up recording 12 songs, 5 of which are on the Smoking Gun EP.

Q: Who are some of your favorite bands and/or people to work with in the
music biz?

A: It was great working with Mike, of course. He's a real musical talent, and not just with bass. He has a great ear for arrangements. And his bass lines are tasteful--he's not going to play all over your vocals, or detract from a melody line. He really cares about the song. It's not as easy as it would seem to pull that off. Also, his band is the reason I even started playing music, so it was a real honor to get to work with him.

And Chris Dugan is another great talent. He played drums, engineered and mixed the whole record. He's always coming up with rad ideas. It was his idea to put slide guitar on "Last Stop Today," which really brought the song to life. We actually didn't have a slide when we were tracking, so he took a piece of drum hardware, handed it to me, and was like "go for it!" We had a great time.

Rise Against was great to tour with, they're really supportive dudes. Groovie Ghoulies rock, and my live band, who are awesome guys. I've met a lot of great people, so I could go on forever.

Q: Where is the best place you have traveled for a tour or any time?

A: I pretty much enjoy touring regardless of where it is, but I do have a soft spot for the UK and Europe. The audiences over there on the whole seem to appreciate live music more. And most venues have showers, which is really nice.

Q: "Last stop today" and "La Rondalla" are totally endearing, Do you have
someone special in your life? If so, is it hard to spend time with them
when music is such a big focus? ( it’s personal I know, You can skip it
if u want!)

A: I do have a special someone now! But I wrote those songs when I wasn't in a relationship. "La Rondalla" is about two people who are lost in the world. It's that point where you both know there's no way anything could ever work out between you.

"Last Stop Today" is probably one of the first real love songs I've written. I wasn't planning on putting it on the record, but at the last minute I decided to. It was a pretty emotional experience writing that song.

Music has been the main focus of my life for so long, that it can be challenging to find a place for other things, such as relationships. It's all about finding a balance.



Q: Do you feel it is sometimes harder for a women to establish themselves
in the music biz, more so than a man?

A: Yes. I used to not think that, but now I do. When I started playing shows at 17, I saw the music world as a level playing field. I really did. But I kind of went out of my way to not be too girly. Like I started to wear ties on stage (yes, even in the pre-Avril Lavigne years, I
think I was just trying to be like Billie Joe). I didn't want to be seen as just another chick band. I didn't want to be a gimmick, and I thought dressing less girly would make people listen to the music more.

But I've given up on that now. That doesn't mean I'm going to go whore myself out, but people are going to pigeon-hole you no matter what you do. And it's really too bad, but it's still a man's world, even in music. I've seen men in the business who, when they find out you don't want to sleep with them, just blow you off. And some don't take you as seriously.


Q: "smoking gun" shows a darker side of you. Does it shock people
sometimes when they hear the "not so sweet and innocent," side?

A: I'm not sure. It's an ugly song in the sense that it's an ugly topic. The song is about abuse or feeling powerless, but also realizing that you have a part in it
too. If you're in an unhappy situation, it's up to you to get out of it.

Q: What do fans have to look forward to in future tracks? Tell me your
plans for upcoming touring? In the studio, projects, ect.?

A: We have 7 more tracks from the session I did with Chris and Mike! There are some great songs on there, and I really can't wait to get the rest of the record out. It's got a bunch of more up-tempo pop punk stuff, reminiscent of what Flipsides fans might be familiar with. There's another love ballad on there called "This is Desire", which I think is one of the best songs out of the 12.

In the meantime, any updates will be on my site (www.sabrinastewart.com), and the EP is out on Ruler Records, and available online at interpunk.com. Ok, there's my plug.

We finished up by saying thanks again and I told her I would love to come see a show of hers soon. She was excited and really liked the attention and praise. You really have to work hard in the music biz and it takes a lot out of you. So as we parted she left me with these words, "Thank you for the interview! I totally appreciate it. It was fun."