New artist Sawyer Rabin drops live EP

As a first-year undergrad, I’ve spent most of my year trying to figure out the lay of the land – the best restaurants, the quickest routes, the best way to spend a Friday night. So far, there’s been a pretty consistent pattern in some of the best nights I’ve had in downtown Los Angeles: Sawyer Rabin performed. Whether it was as a solo act, an accompanying instrument, or a modern-day trans Paul McCartney, Sawyer Rabin brings life to the Los Angeles songwriting scene, especially with the recent debut release of his new live EP, “things i meant to say.” 

As a fan of Rabin’s live performances, I wanted to take a closer look at what preceded his EP’s release while also getting a peek at what’s next for Sawyer as a rising artist. 

According to Rabin, his journey with music began from the moment he entered this world: “[My dad] tells the story that when my parents first brought me home from the hospital when I was born, he sat me on the kitchen counter, got out his guitar, and started to play scales.” Though he wasn’t forced into music, Rabin started piano lessons at a chipper five years old, eventually also picking up bass and acoustic guitar. 

From a young age, Sawyer was ready to perform – his first stint on stage was performing with the Galavantics, a group of SoCal kindergarteners. “We played venues as big as the House of Blues in Anaheim, which is still crazy to me, considering how bad we sounded,” Rabin recalled. “I think the cuteness sold us.”

Despite those adorable beginnings, Rabin never had a doubt that the stage was the place for him: “I think I always took music seriously, it was never a hobby for me. If you had asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up at 5 years old, I would’ve said something along the lines of ‘I want to be like Taylor Swift because I want to write my own songs and play them in stadiums.’” 

He even considers his call to music to be something larger than him, as music was present in his home – whether it was blasting Taylor Swift’s “Fearless” album on his iHome or listening to his father’s college band’s discography and eventually going on to perform with them at reunion shows, Rabin has never known a world without music. “I’m not religious by any measure, but there is something spiritual about my musical journey – how strongly I felt called to do it and how seriously I took it from a young age.”

With music being so central in his life, it also acts as an emotional outlet. Though Sawyer would later go on to major in Popular Music Performance and Music Industry at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, songwriting started as something to help process the hardships of being a young, queer artist with massive dreams:

“Music has helped me long before I even started transitioning. In every aspect of my life, music helps me process and tell my story. I don’t even journal, songwriting is the only way I can process what I’m feeling. So when I did start transitioning, music was a huge part of becoming comfortable in my own skin. It took a really long time, and it was a painful process, but I now feel like I’m on the other side of that pain. I lost myself for a long time during that period, and the only reason I didn’t lose it completely is because I stayed connected to myself through music. It’s the one through line I have through my entire life. I don’t necessarily write trans or queer anthem songs, rather my transness is a lens through which all my songs are written.”

Now that music has taken the academic and professional forefront in Rabin’s life, he’s found that receiving a degree in music despite already being naturally talented can change an artist’s perspective on the craft – for the better. “Until now, I hadn’t really had proper music lessons ever in my life,” revealed Sawyer. “I have become more polished as a musician,  multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter than I ever dreamed possible.” He specifically lauds USC’s faculty, saying that they have pushed his artistry into a new level, though being around other artists has particularly had a massive impact on Rabin’s creativity. “Being at music school also means being around like-minded people. I am constantly feeling inspired, and that drove me to be consistently creating. I have met unbelievably talented musicians who I know are going to be my friends and collaborators for the rest of my life. They push me to be better every single day.”

Since arriving at USC, Rabin has been involved in several musical projects as a solo artist, supporter and collaborator. Beyond ‘things i meant to say,’ Sawyer is a founding member of an “infamous” Beatles cover band at USC (of which I have been to several shows and enjoy thoroughly), plays keys for friends WALLIS and Sophia Jane, as well as playing keys, guitar or providing backing vocals for fellow students’ projects. Rabin credits his environment for the flux of creative fulfillment he’s been experiencing since starting his first year, saying, “I’m lucky to be surrounded by such amazing talent at USC and even more lucky that they ask me to be part of their projects.”

Despite performing at various venues around Los Angeles throughout the year with covers and originals, ‘things i meant to say’ marks Sawyer’s debut as a solo artist on streaming platforms. Featuring three original songs performed live, the EP is seeped in emotion and passion that the dynamic live format bolsters to make the listening experience even more impactful; however, the EP is live for more than simply stylistic reasons. Wanting to avoid perfectionism and further procrastination, Rabin decided to start with what he knows best – live performance. “I had this crippling fear that I’d release something and wish I hadn’t, because of how much better I could be. I had a realization that I will never be a perfect musician, and I will always be striving toward peak performance… The studio makes me uncomfortable and stressed, because making a recording feels very permanent, whereas playing shows all the time you get lots of opportunities to play it better. It’s a relationship I am still perfecting.”

With Rabin’s EP marking the beginning of what will likely be an illustrious career, he looks forward to “fine tuning [his] production ear” and “recording as many songs as possible” within the near future. Surrounded by other talented artists and knowledgeable faculty, Sawyer Rabin has concluded that as an artist, the best thing he can be is his most authentic self. “I remember when I was first transitioning, and I was freaking out because I thought that me being transgender was going to limit the opportunities I could get,” Rabin recounted. “I called my mentor in a panic and quite literally asked him if I should even go through with transitioning. He told me that the most important thing is for me to be the most authentic version of myself I can be. Only then will my true artistry shine through.” 

Because songwriting is a fundamental aspect of how Sawyer lives, he recognizes what he enjoys in other artists and therefore reflects those traits back on his own writing, saying, “The truth is what listeners gravitate toward. People are looking for vulnerability in artists, to validate feelings of their own.”

When asked if he had any advice for artists like him that want to seriously pursue their musical dreams, Rabin said the best advice he could offer is to “politely push,” advising to “keep nudging bookers, management, agents, venues, to try to get what you want” as you look for professional opportunities. “It will rarely be a yes, but sometimes it will, and then another door opens. It is kind of like a chain reaction, and it is imperative that you continue to push through despite the rejections.”

Sawyer Rabin shines within the numerous talented artists of USC and the greater Los Angeles area with his passion and fervor for his craft and I look forward to listening to more of his music in the future. If you’d like to keep an eye out for his future releases or performance around USC’s campus and LA, follow him on instagram here: @thisisabandname.