Interview
Petite Syrah, better known as Sarah Brennan, is a Portland-based, California-raised DJ who spends her time crafting auditory cocktails, blending succulent rhythms with stiff bass lines, delivering delectable mixes with each flick of the fader.
Having spent years repping the one and only Third Eye Pine Cones, not to mention many other travels and experiences that have imparted upon her their sonic terroir, Sarah's understanding of the dance floor is informed by a deep involvement in the domestic dance music, and beyond.
On a more personal level, Sarah is the deepest connection made amongst those hosted on the show who we met at a certain mountain party in Santa Barbara. I fell in love with her while in the mix, and have only fallen deeper since.
After a hiatus from the decks to focus on her MBA, Sarah is back to both shake and stir dance floors with global grooves and cutting-edge productions in whatever way they compel you to move.
After your break from mixing, what's inspiring you to get behind the decks again?
I took a break from mixing because I felt like I had put myself in a certain musical box that no longer felt authentically aligned with the music I was connecting with day-to-day. A large part of my inspiration to revisit mixing as a hobby and creative outlet after a 2ish year hiatus was attending Bass Coast Music and Arts Festival in July of 2023. The genre-bending and innovative hybridized sounds I was hearing were blending elements of techno, African rhythms, broken beat, and footwork and reminded me that so much of the fun and beauty of DJing as an art form is weaving together sounds outside of the “box” and playing what moves YOU, as the DJ, rather than focusing on what will move the audience. Having the opportunity to connect with dance music artists at Bass Coast like DJ Lag, Priori, Move D, Bianca Oblivion, Interplanetary Criminal, and Client_003 reignited my excitement about where dance music is at today and my desire to dig back in.
I'm curious what reflections you have on the US festival scene from your time with third eye pine cones.
Oh gosh, after 4 years of working at music festivals as a full-time seasonal job, I have quite a few reflections. It’s hard to reflect on the US festival scene as a whole because there is so much variance from region to region and event to event in terms of curation, production, and cultural norms. The piece that feels consistent across the board is the desire we have as humans to experience a sense of belonging, and how festival culture provides an access point into a subcultural group that offers this feeling of “community” or belonging. I’ve gotten to witness and experience SO many beautiful healing human connections at US festivals and see communities of creatives and artists valued and supported in their work. I think that’s one of the reasons why Third Eye Pinecone pendants were so loved within the US festival scene– because they became an emblem and symbol of that belonging.
Over the years, I grew dissatisfied with the evolution of most of the festivals I attended–the music, the art, and the workshops were the same. I felt like I had matured and wanted something different out of the festival experience, but the festivals I knew about were still offering the same experience. To be honest, this is where I stand now. I feel like I’ve sufficiently squeezed the juice out of the US festival scene at this moment in time, and have moved on to more localized intimate parties where the depth of intention and impact can be cultivated with more integrity, or to events where the music lineup is different and diverse and reflects my current musical inspirations.
How has your relationship and perspective on music changed for you since? Has living in the city had any particular affect on these?
Moving from Santa Cruz to Portland has absolutely affected my relationship with music. I haven’t lived in a city in my adult life with a thriving music scene, particularly one with an underground dance music scene, so it’s been very expansive and inspiring for my relationship with music. Even the radio (shoutout to KMHD) is amazing!
Being able to stay engaged with all different genres of music simultaneously is a constant palate cleanser to the rollercoaster of life that we’re on. It’s been such a refreshing reminder that I want to stay as open to tasting the infinite flavors of music as I can because music is a reflection of the dynamism of what it's like to be a human in a complex world and is a powerful tool for making sense of all the kerfuffle. Having the opportunity to go see jazz shows, psych shows, international musicians, house and techno shows, whatever it is, has moved me in the exact way I needed to be moved. What a gift and a privilege!
Among the times you've DJed, do you have a favorite memory in particular?
I think I had my favorite experience DJing in September of this year at Cntrl Disco in Ventura, CA during Art in Motion, a sustainable fashion show event produced by two of my sweetest friends. The event was a big friend collaboration and was the first time I had played music around this constellation of wonderful humans in a couple of years. It was really special to be given the headlining time slot and to offer a little piece of my heart alongside a group of friends who have witnessed my relationship with music since Day 1.
Can you share about the relationship between your experience with music and your community?
I’m a big lover of food and cooking, and I feel like the reasons why I love to cook are the same reasons why I love music– to share them with community to foster feelings and experiences of connection. Of course, I care about the ingredients that are used and how the food tastes, just like I care about the musical artists and their stories and how the music sounds, but what drives me to deepen my relationship with both of these art forms, is that they are tools to bring people together in deeper connection with themselves and the people around them. I think music is a foundational access point to building community for most of us. Going to music events and sharing music is how we can meet like-minded people, share in the joy of art and culture, cry and laugh together, move energy through our bodies together, support each other's raw expression and talent, and the list goes on.
Anything else on your mind musically or otherwise that you'd like to share?
Just that I am a humble lady who loves music and loves to share music with other music lovers. Nothing fancy or performative. I don’t aspire to be a professional DJ, never have and never will. Making money off of other people’s creations, especially when many of those come from ethnicities and cultures that aren’t my own, doesn’t sit quite right for me, and, to be honest, I’m still figuring out what my relationship with DJing is! I do know that if there are any other femme-identifying aspiring DJs out there who want to learn, hit me up! I’m always down to share what I know with my fellow queens.