Sara Hickman grows more influential and masterful with each album. Yet she manages to retain her quick contact with her inner child. Motherlode (2006) is a two disc set that brought out all sorts of Austin elite to act as backup or musicians. Musicians like John Mills, Mitch Watkins and Eddie Hobizal. Backup and harmony vocals from people like Jimmy La Fave, Shawn Colvin, and Kelly Willis. And that's not everyone, just enough names dropped to let you know that Motherlode is all top notch work, starting with Sara Hickman and moving through everyone who worked on these two CDs.
Sara Hickman's large discography expanded into DVD in 2004, with her release of I Am Going on a Journey. This DVD contains six hours of Sara Hickman performances (including Austin City Limits and The Tonight Show), music videos, and photos spanning her career. (Read Virginia's review of I Am Going on a Journey.)
There are at least 14 albums in Hickman's discography, including two made early in her career with a group called Domestic Science Club. Most of her albums are for adults, but she also does children's shows and music and has several albums for kids, including Newborn, Toddler, and Big Kids.
Hickman supports many social causes, and the proceeds from some of her albums go to charity. For example, the proceeds from I Am Going on a Journey benefit the Klein Foundation.
Spiritual Appliances, released in 2000, is considered by many to be her essential recording. The album is optimistic, and hopeful like Hickman herself. Austinwoman recently featured an article about Sara Hickman as the cover story of the magazine. Austinwoman said, ?Hickman's lyrics do reflect an upbeat, positive and, yes, occasionally silly person. She's been told by those in the "biz" that her music isn't dark enough and has been written off by critics as too sweet. But a closer look reveals a woman who's seen her share of the darkness of the human spirit and chooses to focus on the light.?
Sara Hickman is from Houston. Her early years were filled with art. Her father is a painter and her mother is a weaver. Hickman herself, like some other Austin musicians, paints and produces various other types of art in addition to music.
At one point she signed with Elektra Records. While with Elektra, she made Necessary Angels, which Elektra decided not to release. Her fans rallied around and raised the money to buy Necessary Angels from Elektra so it could be released by Sara Hickman. She has worked without a major label since then, but it certainly has not slowed her down.
Michael Bertin, writing the The Austin Chronicle, said, ?her sweet but not sappy voice really sustains her and gives her a kind of grace.?
Visit sarahickman.com for more information.
Her music is available from amazon.com or from CDBaby.
