A Chat with Sandmoon (08.09.22)
Led by singer-songwriter Sandra Arslanian, Sandmoon brings their own type of folk-pop/indie-folk music to the world. We speak with Arslanian about their single ‘Where Do We Go From Here’, what music means to her, and what she’d do if money were no object.
OSR: How was Sandmoon formed and how did you come up with the band name?
Arslanian: I started Sandmoon a bit more than ten years ago. First I was alone then I found musicians to accompany me for gigs and recordings. Sandmoon is actually Sandra and the Moon. Over the years, the Moon has waxed and waned, welcoming a set of different musicians along the way. The musicians that play with me now – Sam Wehbi (guitar), Georgy Flouty (bass), and Dani Shukri (drums) have been around since 2016. And we really feel a deep connection. I’ve recorded the last two albums with them and I couldn’t be happier.
OSR: What does music mean to you?
Arslanian: It’s the most immaterial form of art. It is made of (sound)waves, of vibes. You can’t touch it or see it but you can feel it, deeply.
OSR: Is there a backstory or theme to the single ‘Where Do We Go From Here’?
Arslanian: The literal meaning of the song is to ask guidance from a trusted person, a mother, when you feel lost in this crazy world. The deeper one however touches the subject of dementia. I am seeking guidance from my mom who has had Alzheimer’s for the past 12 years. How can someone suffering from dementia be of any help, let alone be a guide in tumultuous times when she herself is absolutely lost? Spending a lot of time with mom, entering her world where facts and figures don’t matter, where emotions are the centre of everything, took me on a journey within and made those tumultuous times more bearable. She cannot guide us in the real world, but she can guide us to our hearts.
OSR: What do you hope people take from the single and your music?
Arslanian: Many people told me, after hearing this single, that it had a healing effect, like a catharsis. There is a deep meaning in this particular song. It is honest, raw, pure. Very personal but at the same time universal. I guess I want to move people. Music has that capacity.
OSR: ‘Where Do We Go From Here’ is taken from your upcoming album While We Watch The Horizon Sink. What can you tell us about the new album?
Arslanian: A blend of many influences, delicately intense and unexpected.
OSR: If you could change anything about ‘Where Do We Go From Here’, what would it be?
Arslanian: Nothing, I guess. It is how it was supposed to be when it came to be. The initial version, which we played live a few times, had no drums. It was more ethereal. But we thought that adding bass and drums would sound better on record.
OSR: What do you think makes Sandmoon unique as a band?
Arslanian: I’m going to quote Analogue Trash, as they summarised it pretty well: “The band has some thought-provoking dualities at its core, not only looking East and West culturally but also to the past, present and future for musical inspiration.”
OSR: If money were no object, what would you do?
Arslanian: Where to start!?
With regards to my personal musical journey, I’d have a big album release tour organised with the whole band amongst numerous other things! I would also develop or help develop many creative projects and support the independent Lebanese cultural scene.
So many things to be done for yourself and the world if money were no object.
OSR: What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Arslanian: I recently read a small handbook by Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh in which he invites us to remember that we are all a mixture of strength and weakness, altruism and selfishness, generosity and greed. And so, whether we face critics or receive compliments, we should always say: “You are only partly right”. Something to meditate on…
OSR: Do you have any future plans as Sandmoon?
Arslanian: The release of our album While We Watch The Horizon Sink.
Many thanks to Sandra Arslanian for speaking with us. For more from Sandmoon check out their official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
