NPR’s popular Tiny Desk Concert series features intimate performances from “big” name artists. A national contest is giving up-and-coming musicians a chance at their own tiny desk show.
Around 6,000 entries were submitted this year, including many from our region. Acoustic pop duo Sarah and Sofia were WSHU’s top pick from Long Island!
WSHU’s Eda Uzunlar spoke with Rockville Centre natives Sarah and Sofia about how growing up on Long Island inspires their sound.
WSHU: Tell me about the origin story here. When was the first time you two realized you could make music together?
Sofia: During COVID, there wasn't much music-oriented going on at our school, even though we went to a really good high school. We went to a public high school, but they have a really good music program. And we were in the drama club, and we just spent so much time together every single day. Even after our rehearsals, we would just go to someone's house and play music. And then there was this not-for-profit benefit called Playin' on the Porch that we decided we wanted to do a set for. You turn your backyard or house into a stage, so we were like, let's do that! And we prepared for the whole summer.
WSHU: And how did that go? I want to hear all about the reception.
Sarah: By then, we weren't really writing together yet. We were more just like playing our favorite songs. We were asking around, 'What do you want to hear?' or 'What do you like?' So, we arranged this whole hour-long set with just the two of us and two guitars. And it went really well! The turnout was insane. Especially because we had never performed in that context, like pop music live. So much of the town showed up. It was really awesome.
WSHU: Tell me about getting into songwriting together and growing confidence with that.
Sofia: We actually wrote our first song ever the same week as that first gig. We played it as the last song of our set. Everyone gave us such great feedback like, 'You need to keep writing, you need to keep writing!' That was really what started it all.
Sarah: I feel like the two of us just really get each other on an artistic level. That really informs the quickness of the songwriting, so that's really cool.
WSHU: Now I want to hear about Endless Julys— that's the song you performed for your contest submission.
Sarah: I think it's so awesome that you guys reached out from a Long Island station because I feel like so much of the song is informed by Long Island summers. That's something we both experience and love together. So Endless Julys is like wanting it to last forever.
Sofia: Our other EP has a song called Chase the Shoreline that we literally wrote about Jones Beach. We write about a lot of images, a lot of visuals. Growing up on the water and on the beach has just informed me so much. We went on a road trip — we drove the length of Long Island out to Montauk over winter break, just for fun one day with two of our friends. And we took a bunch of pictures with a digital camera with the lighthouse in the background. And the two of us were like, this is the perfect album art. It's on the water, it's in the winter, it's where we're from! That's our album art. It's Montauk, it is Long Island. I think that our album definitely encapsulates what it feels like to live on Long Island and spend your time there, and just not want the summer to end.
WSHU: I want to hear a little bit more about arts and culture on Long Island. Can you tell me about the state of that in your perspective as musicians, but also as young people? Growing up on Long Island, did the arts feel accessible?
Sofia: This is the music that we like to produce together, but at our individual colleges, Sarah's studying opera and I'm studying jazz piano! And I think those niche interests within music were fostered by what was available to us on Long Island. I was always able to have groups to play jazz with, which is a small community, but there was that community there. I think Long Island does a really good job with the arts scene. There are so many restaurants that want live music and so many volunteer opportunities. We always had music at our disposal. We've spoken about this — we're just so grateful to have had so many options that let us be prepared enough to then go to school to make music.
Sarah: We're in such a sweet spot, equidistant to Manhattan and all that has to offer, as well as being by the water! A lot of the entertainment happens down there, especially in the summertime. Summer's gig season! Places around the beach will always have this presence of live music. We definitely grew up in an awesome spot to be pursuing this.
Sarah and Sofia will perform at The Delancey in New York City on August 1.
The winner of NPR's Tiny Desk Contest is expected to be announced in May. Check out WSHU's top pick from Connecticut here.
Sunday Baroque host Suzanne Bona spoke with NPR Music producer Tom Huizenga about some of his favorite classical music performances on Tiny Desk. It's part of the podcast Sunday Baroque Conversations.
