Sarah Kinsley is stepping into her new chapter with clarity and intention. Following the emotional weight of her debut album “Escaper,” her upcoming EP “Fleeting” (due out February 13th) explores the feeling of time passing, and the connections we carry with us after. In conversation with Juice Box Press and 1824, Kinsley opened up about vulnerability, creative growth, and the choices that are guiding her music forward.Â
“This EP in particular is really just about impermanence,” Kinsley explained during a recent press conference. “It’s about understanding that you can still feel euphoria or catharsis even knowing that something isn’t going to last.”
That acceptance is the center of the project. Rather than attempting to preserve fleeting emotions, Kinsley allows them to exist fully and then dissolve.
Saying the Thing Plainly
For much of her career, ambiguity served as both a stylistic choice and a form of protection. Metaphors created space between the song and its origin, giving listeners room to interpret while allowing Kinsley to keep parts of her life private.
“When I was younger, I found it very powerful to be ambiguous,” she said. “It was a way to hide a little bit. I could twist the meaning if someone asked what a song was about.”
Now, that instinct has flipped. On “Fleeting,” the language is more direct, even when the emotions are complex.
“This year, I realized that just saying something exactly as it is feels much more freeing and much more powerful,” she continued. “There’s still metaphor, but there isn’t that same wall anymore.”
Instinct Versus Training
Kinsley’s writing process is shaped by a lifelong relationship with music. Classically trained on piano, she grew up immersed in structure, discipline, and music theory. That foundation remains present, though not without tension.
“If you’ve had music training, it becomes this wolf inside you that you’re always fighting,” she said. “You’re constantly trying to figure out whether something is real intuition or just an intrusive thought.”
That push and pull between instinct and technique plays out across the EP. Rather than rejecting her training, Kinsley treats it as a counterweight, something to be acknowledged but not always obeyed without question.
“I’m grateful for that education,” she added. “You just spend so much time trying to unlearn… and strip everything away to get back to that root of being a child and having childlike wonder.”
That curiosity, the willingness to follow a sound simply because it feels right, has become a guiding principle in her recent work.
Building a Cinematic World
Kinsley’s music has always carried a cinematic quality, an atmosphere that feels expansive without losing intimacy. That sensibility is intentional, rooted in her early connection to film scores as a bridge between classical music and pop songwriting.
“The first bridge between my classical world and becoming a pop artist was film score,” she said. “Making music that scores your life is such a big dream and goal for me.”
On “Fleeting,” that approach extends beyond melody into texture and production. Kinsley describes herself as a maximalist, someone who loves layering sounds until they feel immersive. Still, restraint plays a crucial role.
“Something becomes more cinematic when you choose really specific sounds and textures,” she noted. “It’s not about adding everything. It’s about understanding why something belongs.”
That attention to detail is especially evident on tracks like “Lonely Touch,” where dense production mirrors emotional overwhelm.
“I love noise,” Kinsley admitted. “The outro of that song is packed with sound, and that was very intentional. It felt like the only way to represent that kind of unrelenting yearning.”
Shared Time, Shared Space
While much of Fleeting was written in private moments, often while moving through New York City, the songs take on new meaning when performed live. Kinsley speaks about concerts as shared emotional experiences.
“When I lock eyes with someone in the crowd and we’re having the same emotional experience, it feels timeless,” she said. “It’s like the meaning of the song is being pulled from the past into the present, and somehow shaping the future too.”
That exchange dissolves the boundary between artist and listener. What begins as a personal reflection becomes communal, reframed by the energy of the room.
“It sounds kind of spiritual when I say it out loud,” she added, laughing softly. “But it really does feel like we’re all stepping into the same moment together.”
Sarah will have the opportunity to share emotional experiences sooner rather than later. Her 2026 headline tour kicks off in March and spans the entire United States, and in May expands into the UK. Plenty of chances to connect directly with fans and share her new music.
Time as the Through Line
Across her catalog, from early EPs through “Escaper” and now “Fleeting,” one theme continues to surface: time. Its passing, its weight, and the fear of losing it.
“I have this ever-growing fear of time passing, death, and loss,” Kinsley said. “It permeates everything I write. I don’t know if that will ever not be a part of my music.”
Rather than trying to outrun that fear, “Fleeting” acknowledges it. The songs don’t offer solutions or closure. They instead offer presence, the idea that meaning exists even in moments that don’t last forever.
In letting go of the need to escape, Kinsley has found something. Clarity and acceptance. And in doing so, she has created a body of work that feels like an invitation to experience it while it’s still here. “Fleeting” releases February 13th. Pre-save the EP here.
Featured Photo Credit: Florence Sullivan
Nathan Smith is a Providence-based music photographer and journalist focusing on capturing the special moments and unfiltered magic of live performances. Whether he’s shooting established artists at sold-out TD Garden shows or documenting the rise of emerging local bands, his goal is the same: to pull viewers directly into the heart of the moment.
His writing spotlights rising artists and local scenes, with a focus on telling the stories that often get overlooked. A lifelong music fan and musician himself, Nathan approaches interviews and portraits as conversations rather than transactions, building trust with artists so their genuine personalities can shine through. Whether he’s backstage, in the photo pit, or at home in front of the keyboard, he brings the same curiosity and care to every assignment.
Outside of his press work with Juice Box Press, Nathan works regularly as a photographer with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, as well as numerous bands in the Boston and Providence area. Nathan also plays violin with a local orchestra, follows Celtics basketball almost religiously, and is an avid fantasy reader.