Sarah Louise
The British singer-songwriter opens up about the personal experiences behind her latest single and a bold new chapter in her artistry.
There are moments in an artist’s life when a new song feels like a reflection of everything that has happened along the way. For British singer-songwriter Sarah Louise, Different Kind of Girl represents exactly that — a confident and deeply personal new chapter shaped by a period of change, both personally and creatively. Blending contemporary pop with heartfelt storytelling, soulful vocals and acoustic influences, Sarah’s music is rooted in genuine human emotion. On Different Kind of Girl, warm synths, expressive melodies, memorable hooks and rich organic instrumentation combine with Neal Handforth’s polished production to create a sound that feels fresh and uplifting while retaining its emotional depth. Inspired by an unexpected connection with someone who saw qualities in her that she had struggled to recognise in herself, the song goes beyond a conventional love story. It explores the powerful impact another person can have on the way we see ourselves, and the realisation that sometimes we don’t need to become somebody else — we simply need the confidence to become more fully who we already are.
With multiple UK and European iTunes No.1 singles behind her, more than 22 million Instagram views for Sunflower, and performances ranging from Nashville’s legendary Bluebird Café to festivals, theatres and venues across the UK, Sarah has built an audience through authenticity as much as music. In this Indie Sound Magazine interview, Sarah talks openly about learning to trust herself, stepping away from people-pleasing, the unexpected connection that inspired Different Kind of Girl, and how growing in confidence has changed both the woman and songwriter she is today. She also shares her hopes for this next chapter, the meaning behind her new heart-shaped stone symbol, and why she feels she is not becoming a different person at all — but simply becoming more of herself.
“Different Kind of Girl” feels like the beginning of a new chapter for you. What was happening in your life when the song first started to take shape?
I think I was coming out of a period where I’d been quite a people pleaser and relied on other people’s opinions more than I realised. Even with little things, what I wore, my hair, my make-up, I’d look for reassurance instead of trusting myself.
There were changes happening in my personal life too, and I started learning what I wanted by discovering what I didn’t want. That made me look differently at friendships, family, music and myself. Different Kind of Girl came along while I was learning to trust my own decisions. I’m still me, but I don’t need quite as much permission to be her anymore.
You’ve described the song as being about someone who changed you in ways you didn’t expect. What was it about that connection that made you see yourself differently?
It was the way they spoke to me and looked at me. I felt cherished and desired, but more importantly, I felt like they saw my personality before anything else. They’d compliment me when I wore something nice, tell me I looked beautiful and sometimes actually tell me to look at myself in the mirror, almost as if to say, “Why can’t you see what I can see?”
It started changing the conversation I was having with myself. Maybe I am attractive. Maybe I am talented. Maybe I am brave. Maybe I have been given a gift and I should believe in it more. I don’t think another person can give you those things, but sometimes somebody can hold up a mirror and help you recognise what was already there.
There’s an interesting distinction in the song between changing for someone and discovering who you already were. Was that something you understood while writing the song, or did the meaning become clearer afterwards? How vulnerable was it to turn such a personal period of self-doubt and growth into a song?
I think the meaning became much clearer afterwards. At first I was simply writing what I felt, but when I listened back I realised it wasn’t really about becoming somebody different for another person. It was about discovering parts of myself that I’d neglected or perhaps been frightened to believe in.
That is vulnerable because once you put those feelings into a song, you can’t really hide from them anymore. But songwriting has always been a bit like a diary for me. Sometimes I sing things out before I’ve even properly admitted them to myself, although there are definitely some voice notes that will never be heard by anybody else!
How did working with Neal Handforth shape the sound of “Different Kind of Girl”? Was there anything he brought to the production that surprised you?
Neal hears a lot in my voice and really understands how to build around it rather than overcrowd it. He told me how much power and control he hears in my voice, which was an incredible compliment, particularly coming from someone who has worked with artists I admire.
I love the dreamy layers he brings in underneath my vocal. They create clarity and space and somehow make the vocal stand out without everything fighting for attention. Then you have the mixing and mastering bringing all of that to the surface. There’s been great communication throughout the whole team, and I think you can hear that in the finished song.
Was there a particular lyric or moment in the song that felt especially important to get right?
“You turned my edges into curves” is probably the line that means the most to me. It’s about somebody softening you, not changing who you are, but calming some of the noise enough for you to see yourself differently. I love lyrics that can say quite a lot without having to explain everything.
The song is uplifting without pretending that vulnerability and uncertainty don’t exist. How do you balance optimism with emotional honesty when you write?
The lyrics are both quite vulnerable and grounded, so I didn’t want to force optimism into them. I let the energy of the music do that instead, it lifts those heavier feelings and gives the song a sense of moving forward.
Your music often explores self-discovery, resilience and human connection. Do you tend to write songs while you’re experiencing something, or do you need time and distance before you can turn it into music?
I don’t really have one way of writing. I used to do a songwriting challenge every September and write a song every day, which was almost like emptying my brain onto a page. I also used to host Songwriting Mondays online and write with my audience in all sorts of styles.
Recently, though, I’ve started hearing hooks constantly again. I can literally wake up at two in the morning with one in my head and end up recording it into my phone under the covers so I don’t wake my household or lose it. Other times, if I’m upset, excited or overwhelmed, I’ll just start singing what I feel. Songwriting can be a diary and sometimes a form of therapy for me.
You’ve spoken about spending years doubting yourself and trying to fit into what you thought others expected of you. What would you say to the younger Sarah who was struggling with that? Do you think becoming more confident as a person has changed your voice as a songwriter?
I’d tell her to stop asking everybody else for permission. Listen to advice from people who genuinely know more than you, absolutely, but learn the difference between valuable guidance and somebody simply having an opinion.
I’m also learning that confidence isn’t never being frightened. Some of the changes I’ve made have given me sleepless nights because they’ve pushed me completely outside my comfort zone. But if I want something to change, I have to change something. I’m allowed to get things wrong too, sometimes making the mistake is how you finally learn to get it right.
Your songs feel personal, but they also leave enough space for listeners to see themselves in them. How important is that balance between telling your own story and allowing someone else to make the song their own?
That’s really important to me. I’ve always loved involving my audience; I used to write songs with them live online, and it was such a fun period because we’d write everything from dance and reggae to jazz.
What’s changing now is that I’m giving myself more freedom to finish the music I want to make before asking what anybody thinks. Then I take the finished song to people and they find their own meaning in it. I love hearing that one of my songs has reminded somebody of a person, a dance, a family memory or even an emotion they’d forgotten. The story may start with me, but once I release it, it belongs to the listener too.
You’ve performed at Nashville’s legendary Bluebird Café as well as festivals, theatres and venues across the UK. What does performing live give you that recording a song in the studio can’t?
Being live forces me to be completely present. In the studio you can stop, analyse something and do another take. Onstage, the moment is happening whether you’re ready for it or not.
I’ve actually been teaching myself to enjoy that more. Instead of thinking, “Is my hair okay?”, “Will I hit that note?” or panicking if my guitar goes slightly out of tune, I try to look at the audience and think: be here. I have their attention for this moment, and I want to give them everything I can.
Is there a particular live performance from your career that you still think about — perhaps because something unexpected happened or because the audience reaction stayed with you?
I remember walking onto the stage at Party in the Park in Colchester in front of around 5,000 people and suddenly losing my breath. My mouth and throat went completely dry and for what felt like forever I just couldn’t start. I remember looking at this huge crowd and thinking, “If I don’t sing, I’ve got 5,000 disappointed people in front of me!”
Then something clicked. I basically told myself, Sarah, this is what you’ve always wanted. Embrace it. I swallowed, started singing and got on with it. I still remember that feeling because it taught me such an important lesson about pressure, sometimes you must stop overthinking and be present in the opportunity you’ve been given.
You’ve described “Different Kind of Girl” as an evolution in your artistry. If this song represents the beginning of a new era for you, what do you want that era to sound and feel like?
I’d describe the sound as dreamy pop, with touches of 80s anthem and pop music and 70s dance and soul brought into a modern world. I want this era to feel deeper too, with the music and visuals connecting more.
I’m also introducing heart-shaped stones as a new symbol for this chapter, taking over from the sunflowers that have been such a big part of my journey. I love how the stones are naturally shaped over time, and for me they represent how all the different experiences in our lives can shape who we become. I’m going to start creating some decorative heart stones and leaving them for people to find.
In a way, that’s what I want my music to do too find the right person at the right time.
Are there parts of your personality or experiences that you feel you’re finally allowing into your music now that you might have held back in the past?
Definitely more romance and a little more messiness and edge. I’m allowing myself to write about not having everything figured out, because I’m not trying to teach the world, I’m sharing my journey with it.
I’m pushing myself lyrically too. There have already been a few slightly raunchier lines where I’ve immediately said, “No, I can’t possibly sing that!” But never say never… I am a Different Kind of Girl now!
What has this new chapter taught you about confidence – both as a woman and as an artist?
That confidence has much more to do with accepting yourself than becoming perfect. I’m getting older, my body changes, and of course there are things I look at and wish were different. I’m learning to embrace that rather than constantly fighting it.
Keeping a gratitude list has helped me enormously too and listen to podcasts on long journeys when I can. I get to make music, perform and do something I love, and I don’t want to lose sight of how fortunate that is. I’m starting to believe that my best years might actually still be ahead of me. I’m also trying to turn that feeling of being scared into excitement. I don’t know the ending yet, but perhaps that’s part of the fun.
Finally, if “Different Kind of Girl” is about becoming the person you were always capable of being, who do you feel Sarah Louise is becoming now?
I think I’m becoming someone who trusts herself more and isn’t as frightened of getting things wrong. I also want my daughter to see that you can build a career doing something you genuinely love, even though there’s an incredible amount of work behind the scenes that nobody sees. She’s seen that side of it more than anyone.
I want to make her proud, but I also want to make sure we have time to enjoy life together. One of my dreams is to travel more with her and to spend valuable time with the people I love and making memories. I don’t think I’m becoming a different person — I’m becoming more of myself.
If you could describe the Sarah Louise of this new chapter in three words, what would they be — and why?
Braver. Evolving. Focused.
Braver because I’m doing things even when they scare me, evolving because I’m allowing myself to change, and focused because I finally know what I want to work towards.
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