Dead Sara’s Emily Amstrong Reveals ‘Heroes’ Personal Connection to Kobe Bryant
While Dead Sara's current single "Heroes" is very much about self-reliance and not expecting a hero to come help you save the day, that doesn't mean the band doesn't have some heroes of their own. And sadly one of those heroes, NBA legend Kobe Bryant, will always have a connection to the song, according to singer Emily Armstrong.
The singer tells Loudwire Nights host Toni Gonzalez that the first time the band was set to play the song live was the day that the Los Angeles Lakers great tragically died, and being a Los Angeles native, it hit home for her.
"I love him so much and we actually played that song live for the first time, unrelated as we didn't know yet it had happened, but he had that accident and died. I hate saying that. And we were scheduled to play that song that day. We had already rehearsed it and we were on the road and it was so exciting, and then … you know. It then had extra meaning for me when we played that song."
When asked if that song will always have a Kobe connection for her, Armstrong stated, "I think so, a little bit. I don't really think of him when I'm playing it, but there's just something to it. I think about that when I'm asked a question about the song. It was completely written and had its full conceptual idea of what the song was [beforehand], but then we went to go play live and it was just like, 'Whoa!' I was balling my eyes out. It was terrible and so unfortunate."
That's just one part of an emotional journey that Dead Sara's new album, Ain't It Tragic, takes listeners on. Armstrong reveals that she faced some brutally honest moments exposing insecurities in order to complete the new album and give the songs the emotional heft they deserved.
"We did lose our minds," she adds, referencing the album's closing line. "By the end of this album cycle we were like, 'What is life anymore? What is you? What is me?' We went through the gamut and went through everything you possibly could and every avenue in your psyche to make this album. We went to the depths. We went there and when that happens, you just have to start gathering up the pieces again."
Dead Sara's Ain't It Tragic album arrives today (Sept. 17), featuring "Heroes," the 2020 single "Hands Up" and the newly released song "Hypnotic." Get the new record here and catch the band on tour at the stops listed on their website.
To hear the full discussion with Dead Sara's Emily Armstrong, tune into Loudwire Nights with Toni Gonzalez tonight at 7PM ET here or by downloading the Loudwire app.