Meet Sara Ontaneda

Ecuadorian-American singer-songwriter Sara Ontaneda is here to help us start the week off right. The artist's steady rhythm, and illustrative lyrics, coupled with their warm tones perfectly encapsulate my early morning summer feelings.

In our latest interview, we chat about their latest single “Separated by The Sea” along with some other fun stuff. Give the track a listen and get to know the artist a little better below.

A self-portrait by Sara Ontaneda

Would You Rather

only be able to buy things with coins or by trading random objects? Please explain.

I generally do not carry any coins and barely cash so I would rather trade random objects. Plus I think the element of surprise could be exciting in trading random things and not knowing what you are going to get.

Some questions with Sara Ontaneda

If you could create your own Ben and Jerry’s flavor, what would it be?

Coconut mint ice-cream! My two favorite flavors combined.

What kinds of stories do you gravitate towards in your writing?

Anything that has to do with the human experience. I write about love, breakups, but also about issues like discrimination, gender violence, and self improvement. Sometimes these stories are personal, and way too personal.

There is a clear narrative running through your latest single "Separated by the Sea." What inspired the track?

The reason behind the lyrics was a feeling of guilt of not being able to see my family and friends more often. As a musician who before covid-times had a busy schedule, I was often not able to visit or see my family as much as I wanted. This whole pandemic situation made me realize that sometimes we take for granted the things that truly matter in our lives and that's why I chose to release it during this time. I thought about the concept behind a music video, and with the lack of shows, and human interaction, thought it would be a great idea to ask people in my social media to donate polaroids of nice memories. I had a great response and was able to make the music video. Overall, I think we captured the feeling of togetherness and what I wanted to say with the song.

Who was your most influential family member growing up?

I would have to say my mom and my brother, can't really decide who has been more influential. My mom is extremely supportive of everything I do but at the same time pushes me to do more and work hard. She's a boss with running her own business and having that female-empowered role model has really made me who I am today. My brother, Sebastian, is a music producer and engineer and without his support and input, I feel like sonically I would be lost. Also, it's great to have someone who understands the creative process behind the music and can give really good feedback.

Have you noticed any changes in your creative process during quarantine?

I notice that I have more time at home and therefore more time to focus and experiment with the music I'm making. I've been working on little beats and ideas and "exercising" many aspects of making a song like production, songwriting, and writing instrumental parts. I started sharing little demos of that in my social media. It's actually been kind of nice to not have any outside pressures. I also started to think about how the coronavirus has affected musicians' income and decided to start sharing some exclusive content on Patreon.

What is the most positive impact making music has had on your life?

The feeling of belonging. I felt a little out-of-place growing up and music gave me a space with other like-minded individuals where I immediately felt like I fit in. It also made me more sure of myself and of the things within music I want to pursue. I'm really into innovating and trying to create a unique sound and I'm still on that search.

What is the worst mixer of all time?

All of them. I don't like mixing anything with sugary drinks.

Any final comments? (This is your electronic soapbox for one last answer.)

I'll do some shameless self-promotion. Checkout the music video "Separated by the Sea" on youtube and listen to the song on all streaming platforms. And lastly, thank you The Family Review for the interview!

Sara Ontaneda