Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles ~ Punk + Rockabilly = Hardhonk!

Words by Brent Conley
Photos by Joe Koch

Over the years Bean Town has produced an array of artists ranging from Aerosmith to G.Love. Whether you fancy rock, punk or country, Boston offers it all. What some people tend to overlook is the great Americana scene which has developed over the years — real authentic music, which is country in its presentation but filled with all the angst of punk.
One such band that has made a name for itself is Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles. The band is comprised of Sarah on guitar and vocals, Binky on bass, Rob Dulaney on the drums and the newest addition on guitar, Lyle Brewer. Their previous guitarist, Mike Castellana, recently left the band to start a family. They have toured the United States by van, they have played in Europe and released two fabulous albums — Silver City in 2005 and Diamonds in the Dark in 2007. During the time spent on tour and in the studio they have developed a sound which sets them apart from their peers. They understand who they are and the type of music they want to play. They have managed to take their country - Americana sound and infuse it with a punk attitude resulting in a live show that rocks.

While performing in Rochester, N.Y. this summer at the Big Rib Blues and Bar-B-Que Festival, I was able to sit down with Sara and Binky in between sets and talk about their tour of Germany and what the new material is going to sound like. I immediately noticed that both of them were sporting the same tattoos on the inside of their forearms — It was a duplicate of the broken 45 they use as their marketing symbol. "The day our record came out, Diamonds in the Dark, we had played on the radio that day … Then we went down to the tattoo shop and got them done," said Binky.

Sarah and the band were recently given the opportunity to record at the historic Sun Studios in Memphis, Tenn., home to legends like Elvis, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. They had just finished a tour but couldn't pass up the chance; Sarah was tired but ready to rock. "It was good," she said. "It was St. Patrick's Day and it was at the end of a tour which didn't involve a whole lot of sleep. So the whole thing is kind of like a dream. I don't really remember doing it. If we didn't have the video tape, I wouldn't know that we did it. But you know there was definitely some sort of feeling that came into playing that made it better than normal, probably all the ghosts that live there."
Binky was equally impressed with the experience: "I thought they made the vibe really cool. I thought that it was going to be like a museum, like 'Don't touch that,' 'Don't look at that,' but they were like 'Here's a Beer.' That made it relaxing."
There was even a dog present. Not a hound dog ala the King, but a Labrador. But he was wearing, Sarah joked, blue suede shoes.

Always trying to expand their fan base; they recently found themselves treking over to Germany where they found out that vehicles on the Autobahn don't always speed along at 100 mph. They were caught in a three-hour traffic jam — "a real survival experience," said Sarah. She was hungry and there was no place to pee, but luckily Binky remembered their tour manager, Jeannie, was just ahead of them with snacks. "So Sarah, myself and Klaus ( their German promoter) decided to walk the half mile down the Autobahn to get them. It was such a surreal experience," said Binky.
The traffic started moving but they were able to make it back to their van safe and sound.

Off the road and in the BARS/,The band got a good response from the German crowds.
The first show was in Marburg, where Klaus is from, so he did a really good job of organizing. "We're pretty unknown over there. Until recently our record wasn't even available in stores, so it was tough to get the word out," said Sarah.
Germany may not have known much about Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles before the tour, but it was successful enough that a second tour looks promising within the next year.
Perhaps Sarah's interview with Radio Bremen had something to do with the demand for a second go round. Radio Bremen is a broadcast all over Germany. it is comparable to NPR over here in the states. In addition to Germany, the second tour will stretch into the United Kingdom as well.

For the future, Sarah and Binky are exuberant when they talk about writing and recording material for their next record. They already have five to six songs written; they sampled three of the songs for those who attended the show in Rochester. The new songs definitely show signs of them trying to capture the vibe of their live show; more of a rock sound.
"Our only idea so far about our next record is that we want it to be a happy record," said Sarah. "You should be able to put it on in your car, in the summertime, turn it up really loud and roll down the windows and know that you're going to a good party". The record is going to be "an exploratory adventure. She says, "We have these songs set but we're gonna see what happens, just let the rest form in the studio. Since we have been out in the world so much and know what kind of people are out there a little bit, we'll probably try to make a record that we think is appealing to them…We're probably not going to Britney Spears it up anytime soon."
As much as Sarah likes performing live, there's nothing like the creative freedom that you get when locked up in the studio.
"For any number of weeks at a time you get to sit and be creative and focus on just one thing. The shows, before you know it, the darn thing's over and there's no chance to sit and examine what you just did. But a record is like a tangible thing that you were there and you made that," she said.

Photo by Joe Koch

Sarah Borges continues to produce music that she believes in, never selling out to appease the corporate giants. She never puts herself above her fans; always finding time to meet and talk with fans before and after her shows. She even incorporates them into the act as she will regularly acknowledge them by name, when she’s on stage. Her loyal following continues to grow; she loves them and they love her. I wouldn’t be surprised if she eventually knows them all by name.

For more information go to: www.sarahborges.com/