Sara Trunzo
Photo by Chip Dillon of Blue Horse Photography
Are you from Maine originally?
Nope-- not a Mainer by birth. I was born and raised in suburban, northern New Jersey but moved up here at 18 to attend Unity College and rural Maine became home instantly. And was my only home until a few years ago when I started to spend time in Nashville and travel for music. Now I’m somewhat migratory, seasonal, and flexible to music opportunities. I currently live on a 30-foot sloop on Penobscot Bay.
How did you become a musician? What inspired you?
I always loved and even was distracted by music and songs, but I never thought I would become a songwriter. I love/was obsessed with the work I used to do: running a food bank farm called Veggies For All that grew organic vegetables for food pantries. After a sudden breakup of a long-term relationship, I suddenly found the bravery to start writing and sharing songs, and even attending a workshop in Nashville with my favorite songwriter. Lightning struck at that workshop and I couldn’t just go back to the farming and grant-writing and workaholism. I ended up hiring a successor, quitting, selling the house, and getting rid of everything that didn’t fit in my Tacoma to leave for Nashville. I sort of just took the leap. Stories from my old work still influence my writer’s voice.
Tell me more about the new track Liberty Tool. What was the inspiration behind it and what story does it tell?
‘Liberty Tool’ was inspired by Maine homesteaders, feeling trapped domestically and relationally, and is named after an iconic tool emporium-meets-museum-meets-performance-art-shop in rural Waldo County, ME. I always loved the double play of the words liberty and tool.
Maine has a strong history of back-to-the-landers, often young couples, coming from the suburbs to embrace ‘the good life, which is proximal to what I did, and it’s a beautiful way to live, but it doesn’t solve all your problems by a long shot. This song is a melancholy country waltz about a relationship that’s well overdue to be over… kind of like a long Maine winter that is dark and numb, with everyone waiting for something to happen. Maybe to go to the tool store, which re-opens during mud season.
As I mentioned-- the video (filmed by Amanda Kowalski, former bass player for Della Mae) featured many Maine artisan products: Emily Schaefer and The Cave Lady jewelry, Herbal Revolution beauty products, Nancy Sferra’s leatherwork, etc. Emily’s earrings, which I wear in the video, were made using tools she bought at Liberty Tool!
Do you plan to launch new music?
Yes! I have a new EP coming out on Friday, September 24th called Cabin Fever Dream. It has lots of good Maine stories on it… ‘Liberty Tool’, a song about Uncle Henry’s called ‘Free for the Taking’, and a song about waiting tables in a tourism state called ‘I Work Saturdays’... among stories that take inspiration from elsewhere in my life.
Do you plan to perform live or virtually anywhere in the near future?
Yes! I was planning to do a release party at the Common Ground Fair (a favorite event!) but that’s canceled due to the COVID upsurge. So I’m doing a ton of tiny pop-up shows around the region to celebrate my release instead.
The one show I’ll highlight because it’s public and due to the connection of this podcast is that I’m playing at 1 pm and 3 pm on Saturday, October 2nd at the city of Bucksport’s edition of Maine Craft Association’s Maine Craft Weekend.