Track By Tracks: Sandra Bullet - Somewhere In The Crowd (2021)

1. Everything's OK:

 

This song is a definition from our spirit back then; we were just having fun, doing what we loved. It's a feel good, motivating song, and being the first composition, it was only right for it to be the first song of the album. "Follow your instincts, they won't let you down, and then you'll see, happiness will come around." This sentence is a perfect example of the spirit of the song. 

2. Blinded:

This song talks about how sometimes we get blinded when we love someone, and how hard it is to let go of someone that doesn't love us back. I wrote this one for a friend of mine who was in this situation. It has one of my favorite bass lines of the whole album, very melodic and even taking the lead on some parts, while the guitar assures the basic rhythm of the song. It's also one of the most dynamic songs of the album. 

 

3. Quest:

The first song we did with me assuming the guitar composition as well. It's a very simple, uplifting song meant to get stuck in your head. It talks about trying to make someone you love happy, even when this is not in your hands. Another song where the bass takes the lead, leaving the guitar on the basic rhythm. It's also the only song featuring Ricardo's back vocals. 

 

4. Carry On:

One of our most iconic songs, it was always played on every live performance. The chorus was easily learned by the audience, and as a result everybody sang it, even if they never heard it before. It was done around the same time as “Blinded,” so it does have a similar sound, with clean guitars on the verses and a distorted chorus. The bridge adds an unexpected intensity though, and a darkness that is consistent with the lyrics. It's a liberating song, where we assume who we are, even when this is not accepted to the people that are closest to us.  

5. Bad Situation:

The first lyrics I showed to the band, but they only turned into a full song later. It's one of the most alternative songs of the album and also one of the hardest vocal performances, reaching into three different octaves. It talks about the pain of being alone, not supported by anyone, not understood by anyone; I was a teenager when I wrote this, and I think it reflects the rebellious and misunderstood teenage spirit very well.  

6. Leaving Home:

The only song we composed with Hugo on the guitar. It reflects well his jazz and blues inspirations on the guitar progression. Also one of the most dynamic songs of the album, it has five different time signatures to accommodate all the different parts. The guitar solo at the end was added by me in the production phase. It talks about having to leave someone you love behind, and the pain that it causes when your decision isn't accepted by others.  

7. Who's The Fool:

 

The punk influences are very strong on this one. It was also the last punk song we did together. It's an anthem that celebrates being different, and how everyone should be proud of their differences, because only when we truly accept that everyone is unique, only then can our society be peaceful and happy. 

 

8. U Still R:

 

The first lyrics and melody I ever composed. Back then I didn't know how to play any instrument, so it was extremely hard for me to explain how I was envisioning this song. As a result, only with our third guitar player Hugo this song came to be what it is today. Another one where the jazz and blues influences are visible. This one was also composed when I was a teenager and fell in love for the first time.  

9. Tentativa nº2:

 

The only lyrics that weren't written by me. A friend of mine wrote lyrics for another friend of hers, for him to turn into a song; but in the end she didn't like the result very much. So I asked her to let me try, since I already could play the guitar back then. She ended up writing other lyrics, and named them "Attempt number 2". I liked the name so much that I kept it. It's also one of my first compositions while playing the guitar.  

10. Why?!:

Another classic of all our live shows, “Why?!” is definitely our most commercial/ mainstream song. Also one of my first compositions, written when I was also a teenager, it has a very distinctive early ‘00s pop/rock vibe. It has one of the most challenging metrics of all my vocal compositions. Being such an iconic song, it was an easy choice for the first single from the album.  

11. Somewhere In The Crowd:

Right from the moment we wrote this song, we decided that our album would have the same name as this song. It all started with the guitar progression, the rest just happened very naturally. It's a song that talks about how we let our pride blind us, and about the importance of saying "sorry" before it's too late.

12. Which Way:

 

Another song that talks about following your own way, even if you have to do it alone. It has one of my favorite guitar arrangements of the whole album, but it was also one of the most challenging.

   

13. Anjo Negro:

One of my favorite guitar compositions, and also one of the darkest, mysterious songs from the album. It was also one of the songs that happened very naturally and even during the production stage, everything easily came together. It talks about how sometimes the bad things are the ones that feel better; and how easily it is to get lost and addicted to them. The final instrumental part of the song is a reflection of that spirit of losing yourself.  

14. Empty Streets:

This song talks about the feeling you get when you leave someone behind. You keep remembering all the small things, wanting to hold on to all the small details, and wishing you could go back in time. It was one of the hardest songs for me to produce. I always felt that it was missing something, but then I realised, that's exactly the spirit of the song, the feeling of having a part of you missing.   

15. Prisão De Sonhos: 

Being easily the most epic song of the album, this was one of our last compositions all together. It was written more or less at the same time as "Anjo Negro", but with a whole different feeling and inspiration. I was surprised with the feedback I received for this one, being the overall favorite of my audience, something that I didn't see coming since they are mostly English-speaking people. It is to me the most complete and complex song of the whole album.