Sara Bareilles isn’t just baking pies these days. Fresh off her latest Broadway run with Waitress, the multi-talented singer-songwriter is ready to unleash a new album — her first since 2013’s The Blessed Unrest — and this time, she’s got a little extra bite.
During a sit-down with Kyle Meredith, Bareilles opened up about her single “Armor” and the journey that led her back into the studio. If you haven’t caught the track yet, it’s a battle cry draped in T-Bone Burnett’s signature earthiness, powered by a Bo Diddley-esque piano riff and Bareilles’s resolute lyricism. Written in the aftermath of the 2017 Women’s March and accelerated by the Brett Kavanaugh hearings, “Armor” is an anthem of resilience and sisterhood. “I’m so proud that ‘Armor’ is about the strength we receive from each other,” she said, adding that the track isn’t just for women but for anyone drawing power from their community.
For Bareilles, working with Burnett was a teenage dream realized. “I actually have a piece of yellow legal pad with his name scribbled on it when I was 18,” she laughed. The partnership has resulted in a record that’s rooted, raw, and sophisticated — a blend that perfectly mirrors the shifting tectonics of Bareilles’s personal and professional life.
Beyond the music, she’s embraced her role as an activist. She spoke warmly of her connection with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and the excitement she feels seeing women dominate the political landscape. But she’s also aware that the real work lies in unity. “My hope is that we can unify our message as a party and speak to the real issues at the heart of what’s bothering people.”
Even with her plate full, Bareilles isn’t done. She’s teaming up with JJ Abrams and Apple TV+ for Little Voice, a show loosely based on her life that she’s co-creating with Waitress partner Jessie Nelson. And while she acknowledges that her packed schedule can be “harrowing,” she’s not complaining. “It’s all amazing moments,” she says.
Bareilles’s world is one where Broadway meets protest marches, where old diner nostalgia rubs elbows with modern heartbreak, and where activism isn’t a side project — it’s part of the music. Whether she’s crafting love songs, feminist anthems, or soundtracking a new TV series, one thing’s certain: She’s got plenty left to say. And you’d better believe we’re listening.
Listen to the interview above and then check out "Armor" below!
