Local folk artist Sarah Torres’ third album comes out next year

Humboldt folk musician Sarah Torres learned how to play the guitar from their father as a teenager. This would become a lifelong mode for expressing themselves and the movements that shape their songs.

After moving from San Bernardino with their parents, Torres settled in Humboldt in 1993 and has called Eureka home since.

For Torres, music is an essential form of expression and makes their mind more clear.

“When I play guitar, it’s for myself, for therapy, feeling better, expressing how I’m feeling. And often it’s just music … I don’t write poetry,” Torres said. “So I usually will just play the guitar some and either words will come bubbling up in my mind or something that’s been on my mind will come through.”

Torres’ third record “Songstress: My True Colors” comes out next year. The album will feature harmony tracks and other local musicians.

Songwriting process

An important part for Torres lies in the storytelling behind songwriting. Torres shared that often, she writes from places she didn’t experience firsthand. This ability has given confidence in moments of uncertainty and a place to reflect on when writing new songs.

At first, Torres’ songs were mainly about love and heartbreak. As time passed, sitting down with the guitar and writing developed and deepened into a grappling with what was clear and what was difficult.

While volunteering at a drop-in center in Eureka, Torres would look at the walls covered with zines, leaflets and old flyers for actions and events.

“I learned about Palestine, then I learned about political prisoners and reconnected with the troubles of homelessness,” Torres said. “And my writing progressed not just from love songs, but to singing about things that are harder to communicate about.”

New album and musical influences

“Redwood Highway” is one of the songs on the new album and was written by Torres’ father.

“I remember him playing the song when I was a youth and growing up, a beautiful instrumental tune,” Torres said.

Being raised in Humboldt, Torres explained that the area influenced their choice of musical style. To Torres, Humboldt lends itself to folk music, to its softer and acoustic instrumentals. This softness appears in multiple songs on the record and is a theme within Torres’ discography.

“And I think honestly, maybe it’s just like the region in which I grew up, like Humboldt is more, it’s not very urban. It feels more like acoustic guitar and violin to me.”

Torres shared that one of the biggest lessons they’ve learned through their music is patience. During slower writing periods, Torres takes their time to practice scales and develop their craft outside songwriting.

“I think often when people start to learn an instrument they will give up because they’re not hearing what they want to hear immediately,” Torres said. “And though I’ve been playing for 20 years on the guitar, there’s, and with my writing too, it’s not trying to force something that’s not ready to come out.”

Sarah Torres’ released music is available on streaming platforms: Instagram @ itsmesaraht11, Spotify and Apple Music.