Sara Jackson-Holman’s third collaboration with Stefan Macerewich, ‘SUPERCINEMATIC’, creates a compelling, intoxicating world, at once nostalgic and contemporary. Lush arrangements support Jackson- Holman’s rich, emotive voice, which moves effortlessly from smoky depths to airy heights, in this sumptuous exploration of personal mythology. “Tell me everything, that’s my kinda dopamine,” the singer shares early in the album. Lyrically, ‘SUPERCINEMATIC’ offers up a generous collection of vulnerable snapshots of psyche, by turns embodied, dissociated, anxious, wry, self-aware, consumed, revelatory and euphoric, SUPERCINEMATIC feels its way to meaning.
Introduce yourself- who are you? What are you about?
Hi! I’m usually in my own little world– sometimes preoccupied, sometimes anxious, constantly, constantly in my feelings– and I have an insatiable appetite for making meaning of my experiences / the world around me. I’m irreverent and have a pretty dark sense of humor, in part, I think, informed by my years-long experience and work with my OCD. It’s put me in contact with a tremendous amount of discomfort but also, having a human brain is just funny as hell. So creative and embarrassing and fragile and yearning!
What I’m about! My close relationships, therapy, EATING!!!/ talking about food, cooking, Larry David, vintage clothes hunting, reality tv, playing drunk therapist to my friends/ deep diving into/ trying to understand what motivates the people around me, traveling w/ my husband, reading reviews about weird things on amazon, shitposting, my dog Moo-Shu.
Who or what inspired you to make music?
I’ve played classical piano since I was very young, but I wrote my first songs while in college because someone told me I should. I had been playing and singing “Don’t know why” by Norah Jones in the dorm lounge one day when no one was around, and he’d walked by and heard me– he encouraged me to write my own music. I was instantly hooked, I loved the immediacy of performing my own music and connecting with people in that way, after so many years of stiff, stuffy, intimidating classical piano concerts.
If you could open a show for any one artist, who would it be?
Oh man. Rosalia, mostly because I’m dying to see her live.
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Other people’s feelings are their responsibility, and, more importantly, my feelings are my responsibility.
What sets your music apart? what is unique, or at least uncommon?
I’d like to think my gift is translating feeling. Songwriting is often the process by which I make my own emotions known to myself.
What are your top two favorite albums of all time? why?
We’re in such a singles world right now that I haven’t thought about that in a bit!
Off the top of my head, probably Rihanna– ANTI and Father John Misty– I Love You, Honeybear.
Reflecting on it, they’re both very emotionally forward and viscerally honest. They aren’t afraid of offending; they don’t make themselves small or diminutive to make the listener comfortable (at least not lyrically). I think I really gravitated toward music / people/ entertainment / anything that felt more embodied, because I spent quite a bit of my twenties dissociated and unsure of my voice. I love that music can feel like an invitation to live in someone’s world for a bit, and that’s how I feel about these albums–they’re gorgeous and I can really live in either album in their entirety really comfortably.
What’s the last show you watched on tv?
I have two categories, MY shows and OUR shows (with my husband). The last MY show I watched was RHOBH (can’t wait for the reunion and hope we can get to the bottom of THE question– who IS Hunky Dory?) With my husband, it’s been Nine Perfect Strangers
If you could learn any language fluently, which would it be?
Spanish. I love Mexico, and practically speaking I definitely could see myself living in Mexico City or on the beach somewhere.
Do you have any lucky items? Superstitions?
I’d consider myself much more sentimental than I am superstitious.
If you were to write an autobiography, what would the title be?
I am 100 pages into an autobiography of sorts (it’s sort of a coming of age with OCD story). The title is Bad Fantasy 🙂
If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?
Are we happy?