A new beginning can happen at any time. No matter where you may be on your journey, you can always start over once again.
After 26 years, nine albums, and over a thousand shows, The Motet embark on another chapter galvanized in equal measure by their longstanding bond and a surge of fresh energy. The genre-breaking group—Dave Watts [drums], Joey Porter [keys], Garrett Sayers [bass], Drew Sayers [keys, saxophone], and Ryan Jalbert [guitar]—officially welcome Sarah Clarke [lead vocals] to the family. Their inimitable instrumental interplay proves just as fiery as ever, while her addition only fuels their collective flame higher.
They ignite a new era with their 2024 full-length album and first with Sarah on the mic, Love Time.
“It’s our first step into the world as this iteration of The Motet,” affirms Sarah. “It’s also an opportunity for folks to hopefully jump aboard and see where it goes.”
“It is the beginning,” agrees Dave. “We’re not in this for money or fame. We just want to be able to write songs and play shows. The fact we can travel as far as we do, go through everything as a team, and play music we wrote together is humbling. To see people coming out to shows, smiling, singing, dancing, and sustaining our careers is nothing short of a miracle.”
The Motet bubbled up out of Colorado back in 1998. Their catalog has grown to encompass a bevy of fan favorite albums. In between, they have packed houses coast-to-coast. The band has impressively headlined their hometown Red Rocks Amphitheatre seven times as well as gracing the bills of Bonnaroo, Bottlerock, Electric Forest, Bumbershoot, Summer Camp, and High Sierra, to name a few.
The Motet first crossed paths with Sarah on tour. Blown away by her performance with her band Dirty Revival, Dave kept in touch, and asked her to sing at a handful of Bay Area shows in 2022. Sparks flew, chemistry sizzled and the collaboration showed immense promise. She soon found herself in the studio with the group, lending her powerhouse pipes to “Natural Light” and “We Got U,” paving the way for the new album Love Time.
“We’ve continued going down a path of funk, soul, and disco, but Sarah takes it all up a notch,” Dave smiles. “She has a unique way of approaching and lyrics, and she collaborates with the rest of us really well. We’re on the same road, but it has a different color to it.”
“As soon as we started working together more, I was so inspired,” Sarah adds. “It’s an honor to play with musicians of their caliber, and I knew The Motet was where I wanted to be.” They wrote and recorded at a comfortable pace, locking into a groove throughout 2024. With Sarah based in Portland and the rest of the crew in Denver, they carved out pockets of time to collaborate on what would become Love Time.
The Motet went on to tease the album with a series of singles, including “Love Time,” “Thinkin Too Much,” and “Something Better.” On the latter, a pliable guitar lick weaves around strains of organ anchored to a head-nodding beat. Sarah’s soulful delivery on “Something Better” simmers until it practically melts into the song’s strut. Through her lyrics and against this smooth backdrop, she wrestles aloud with the insecurities and anxieties of parenthood.
“When Joey sent me the music, I was instantly drawn to it,” Sarah exclaims. “It gave me these feelings of listening to old Marvin Gaye. I wanted to bring some of that energy. Joey, Dave, and I all have kids, and there’s something about this world that can be a little scary as a parent. I was thinking of my son and wanting a better world for him.”
On “Thinkin Too Much,” an electric guitar groove and slick drums shape the soundscape as the vocals resound with vibrancy and vitality. It culminates on a chantable chorus punctuated by a bit of wisdom, “Don’t be thinkin’ too much about it.”
“I had such a fun time developing the lyrics with Jalbert,” Sarah says. “We quickly settled on a concept surrounding the difficulties that come with overthinking, anxiety, and how difficult it is to focus on the positive parts of life. Sometimes, we have to focus on the little things that bring us joy instead of the bigger things that make us crazy. Perhaps, that’s easier said than done.”
On “Love Time,” a buoyant soundscape ushers bodies straight to the dancefloor. Revolving around slinky riffing and hypnotic synth-craft, the tune reaches its climax at just the right moment, “It’s make a little love time.”
“‘Love Time’ was fun to write, because I decided not to take it too seriously,” Sarah reminisces. “I wanted something that felt bouncy and happy—It’s a silly, flirty thing that plays with themes of attraction, sex, consent, and the funny feeling you get when you meet a potential partner for the first time. It’s joyfully unserious. In true Motet fashion, all we want you to do is dance.”
Then, there’s “Daydream.” A laidback slice of tripped-out funk bliss, Sarah sets the scene with no shortage of bright color, “Messages received, from neon greenery amidst the digital buzz, take me away.”
“A few folks in the band have enjoyed psychedelics before,” she grins. “We wanted to address some of the feelings that can come about in that space. It’s talking about freedom of mental expression, but also kind of getting lost in that space in a very positive way.”
“We’re all so thankful and excited to be here,” Sarah leaves off. “It was amazing to work on a studio record together, but the live show is where it’s at. Now, I’d encourage you to come out and see it for yourself.”
As this new chapter gets underway, there’s still nothing like getting lost in the world of The Motet.
