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Sarah Callaghan's "Wake Up" Named June "Best Song Of The Month"
By Dale Kawashima
Sarah Callaghan, a promising, young singer/songwriter based
in Los Angeles, CA, has won the SongwriterUniverse “Best Song Of The Month”
Contest for June, for her song “Wake Up.” This song is one of the key cuts she
has recorded for her debut CD project, which she has been working on with Los
Angeles producer Dan Marfisi.
Sarah Callaghan
“Wake Up” is a fresh, uptempo, modern rock cut, which has a
very catchy chorus. It’s a very commercial, instantly hooky song, which could
easily be heard on the radio. The recording features Callaghan’s clear,
distinct, lead & harmony vocals, plus her acoustic guitar playing. Marfisi
expertly plays all the other music tracks (guitars, bass, drums, programming)
on this song.
Callaghan (who is 21) grew up in Ottawa, KS (a small town
near Kansas City). She was introduced to music at an early age by her
grandmother (a local singer & pianist), who taught her to play & sing
songs by Patsy Cline and other artists. Callaghan learned piano first, and she
would subsequently perform at local fairs and jubilees. Then in high school,
she started playing guitar, and began writing songs on guitar.
She went on to attend college, first at Pittsburg State
University, then at Kansas State. During college, Callaghan continued to
develop her writing and performing skills, and in 2002, she was a Top 5
finalist (out of about 500 entries) for the “KC Idol” artist competition on the
popular 95.7 radio station. She ended up performing live on a 95.7 broadcast.
Sarah Callaghan
Then in 2003, Callaghan moved to Los Angeles to further her
music career. She met Marfisi, and they began recording together. “Wake Up” was
one of the first songs they worked on. “I wrote ‘Wake Up’ when I was at
college,” explained Callaghan. “It’s about (dating) boys in college, and it
reflects some of the bad experiences which my female friends and I had. It’s
about not wasting time on guys, because they can be jerks; they’re players. All
of my songs have come from things that have happened in my life.”
Callaghan is starting to build a following in Los Angeles,
where she performs gigs at Genghis Cohen and other clubs which spotlight
singer/songwriters. She has written many new songs, and she is looking forward
to recording more with Marfisi. “Dan is great; he really helps with the
arrangements, and bringing my songs to life in the studio,” said Callaghan. “I
want to continue working on my CD project, and get my songs out there the best
that I can.”
Here are the Top Five Songs which were submitted for this month's contest, with the songwriter credits, plus their e-mail and website links. To hear the songs, please click on "Listen To Song".
"Best Song Of The Month" Winner
"Wake Up". Written & performed by Sarah Callaghan, Los Angeles, CA.