Nothin' Special by Sarah Leete - Premiere

Our Song of the Day is Nothin’ Special by Sarah Leete. Although not officially released as a single until tomorrow, we’re so lucky to premiere not only the song in its entirety but also its music video!

Combining the no bulls--t artistry of Michelle Branch with the honest and relatable storytelling that the country music format is known for, resulted in her newest single, Nothin’ Special. She entrusted producer Michael Muchow from The Moon Room in Brisbane to find the sound she was searching for, a throwback to catchy 00s choruses and resolves, with hints of Lori McKenna and Miranda Lambert.

Nothin’ Special was actually inspired by a creative writing exercise Sarah wrote in high school.

Sarah says, “I had to write a creative writing piece, and I chose to do a boy meets girl story, but it didn't work out, then as the resolve instead of the typical 'and she was better off for it' I decided that they actually went and worked it out. My teacher handed it back to me and told me to re-write the ending. She wanted me to finish the story as 'she was better off without him'. For whatever reason, that has always stuck with me”.

Written during the lockdown in 2020, Nothin’ Special reflects where Sarah is at in her life (maturity not circumstance), and her realisation that there is no ‘happily ever after’ and real love and most other things in life, requires consistent effort.

Sarah adds, “This song is a reflection [on] that it can end either way. You can forget him and be happy or stay together and work it out and be happy. That's the beauty of life I guess, we get to make the choice.”

The music video was shot and produced by Richard Harmey, and filmed around the small rural towns and beautiful landscapes of Kempton and Bothwell in Tasmania, while she was on holidays with her husband in January.

Sarah says, “It has been beautiful and sunny the whole time we had been there, but the day we shot it was freezing! It was a real treat to shoot some of the scenes at the historic Castle Hotel in Bothwell, and my husband even makes his first acting cameo in the last scene! This part of the story is shown in the open and close scenes where I am fed up waiting at the bar and leave, and at the closing scene shows that he turns up too late and I am gone.”

Originally from the Central Coast, Sarah now calls the small town of Baan Baa in the Narrabri Shire home. She released her self-titled debut EP in 2016 (which was produced by award-winner Catherine Britt), after receiving a Young Regional Artist Scholarship. Since graduating from the CMAA Academy of Country Music, Sarah has supported many artists including ARIA-winner Fanny Lumsden, Bill Chambers and the Viper Creek Band. She’s also performed at Gympie Music Muster and the Tamworth Country Music Festival, and was also one half of the brains behind the Write Like A Girl showcase with Hayley Marsten, which received record crowds.

Watch the video below!

Keep up to date with everything Sarah Leete and follow her on Facebook here.

For more premieres on CountryTown, check out here.

Image: Supplied