Hot Water: A talk with BAUM

Twenty years young, pop songwriter Sabrina Teitelbaum a.k.a. BAUM, is finally coming into her own as an artist. Growing up in New York, but moving to Los Angeles to enroll in the University of Southern California’s prestigious “Pop Music” program, she has found her niche in a polished form of heartfelt indie pop, not unlike that of HAIM or Lorde. Her most recent, a coming-of-age anthem by the name of “Hot Water” showcases BAUM at the top of her game – big production, bigger melodies, and an interesting message with a whole lot of heart.

Interview and Photography by Andy Gorel

Andy: Growing up, was music something you knew you always wanted to pursue?

BAUM: It was always as if there was no other option. I started singing when I was extremely young. I’d listen to radio and sing along. I was very much like I wanna be a singer when I grow up. It took on a different meaning as I started writing, but yeah I’ve always known.

Andy: Very musical household? Parents do music?

BAUM: My parents don’t do music, but it’s a somewhat musical household. My dad is a big music enthusiast. He’s always playing music in my house – like air guitar situation. But they’re not actually musicians. My great grandmother was a musician, but other than that, no music in the family.

I think it’s so important that even if your parents or family aren’t musicians, just to be exposed to music – or any type of art in general.

Andy: Were there any artists or albums in particular that inspired you to make your own stuff?

BAUM: Yeah. 19 by Adele. I always say that’s kind of how I learned to sing the way that I do, just listening to that album. I would go home every day after school and play through the songs with block chords – I had the songbook – and just stylistically in terms of vocals, it was everything for me.

And a lot of R&B artists. Frank Ocean really helped me figure out how I wanted to get lyrics across. Also Bon Iver.

“I typically write all of my stuff alone. I don’t love writing with other people just because so much of the process is in my head. It’s very personal.”

Andy: Who are some of your favorite songwriters?

BAUM: Frank Ocean. Justin Vernon. Those are probably my two favorites.

Andy: Is there a typical creative process you find works the best?

BAUM: I typically write all of my stuff alone. I don’t love writing with other people just because so much of the process is in my head. It’s very personal. Sometimes I have a hard time articulating some of the images that are in my head so I like to work it out in my own head. But I find that if I write a chorus or I have an idea for a song, then I bring that to somebody that I’m comfortable with, it can turn into something really cool. Typically how it goes is I start with a progression. I write most of my songs on the piano, and then I write lyrics and melody at the same time. I’d say sometimes it’s like message driven.

I have a single that’s coming out – I was walking on the street one morning, getting viciously cat-called, and I wrote a song about that. Sometimes it’s from an individual experience. Most of the time I have a concrete image, and from there figure out what I’m writing about.

Andy: Do you do your own production?

I do not, but I’m very involved creatively with giving it direction. I give a lot of specific references, and stylistically things that I want. I’m there for most of the production process, but I don’t do any of the programming.

What I say to producers when I work with them is the songwriting is what needs to be king of everything. It needs to be architecturally built around the song. It’s not like my music is just production based and that’s what I want to put out there in terms of artistry. It really is based around the songwriting for me.

Andy: Your newest single Hot Water, it’s a coming-of-age anthem. What was your initial thought process like for writing this song?

BAUM: So that was what I was saying when I’ll have an idea and bring it to someone else. I had this idea that was like, “You think of sex when I spin in this dress, but I’ve never done much at all.” So it’s someone who has just come into themselves physically – like isn’t experienced. That’s kind of how I felt a few years ago at the end of high school. I just changed a lot physically. I was kind of a late bloomer. I got to college and was like, “I’m so hot. I’m the shit, and I was just flirting with everybody.” Then it was the idea of, “Oh fuck. I don’t really have any experience, and I don’t know what to do now.” Hence, “I’m in hot water.”

So I had that idea, and I had the chorus. Then I brought it to my friend, Madison, who is a songwriter, and she and I finished it together.

“… My best friends are all writers and living with them, seeing their process, seeing how they do what they do has taught me a lot and given me so many new tools. It’s been very inspiring.”

Andy: You’ve got an EP coming out soon. What has been the central theme or inspiration for this collection of songs?

BAUM: So most of my music does have that “coming-of-age” theme to it. Most of it comes from life and social experiences over the past few years, and then there’s some female empowerment, which is a theme I want to have in most of my songs. That’s something that’s so important to me; being a woman and being able to show that I’m a powerful person. I’m not any different because I’m a woman, and I’m a queer woman. I want that stuff to come through in my music. I feel super empowered when I get to be on stage and sing my songs with a band behind me. I want people listening to feel the same way, like, “I can be just as confident,” like, “whoever I am or however I look, I can be just as confident.”

Andy: So you’re from NY, but you moved out here to study Pop Music at USC. Want to tell us a bit about that major?

BAUM: It has been so important for me to be in school for music because I didn’t have a traditional music education growing up. I went to a very competitive, academic school, and was very into school when I was in middle school and high school. I was always singing and writing, but it was kind of teaching myself. I did take vocal lessons, but it wasn’t traditional training. So I didn’t know anything about music theory, arranging – I had no ear training. Getting here, it gave me a lot of confidence to be able to talk to a band and know the terminology and how to express myself. When I’m talking to other writers, producers, or my band, knowing the terminology has been so game-changing for me because I can hear something in my mind and then tell them in terms that they’ll understand what it is. Also, just in terms of meeting other writers – my best friends are all writers – living with them, seeing their process, seeing how they do what they do has taught me a lot and given me so many new tools. It’s been very inspiring.

“I’m just kind of sick of New York because I was there for twenty years. It’s just very intense. I just like being in LA it’s much more laid back.”

Andy: Since we’re the same age, I think you’d agree with me when I say how it’s cool how you’re a high school kid just doing high school, and then within a few years, something clicks with songwriting and you’re like, “Wow.” You’re eighteen looking up to people who are twenty-two as rockstars, and then by twenty you’re like, “I’m like halfway there. I wanna be there.” It’s weird how it just happens once you start working at it.

BAUM: It’s like how you read all the Spotify bios about people who are twenty-one years old and really making it in music and you’re like, “Shit. I’m sixteen.” Like when Lorde came out with her first album, she was sixteen, and I was sixteen at the time. I was like, “Wow. This sucks.” That was the time that I really buckled down and was like, “I need to be writing and practicing every single day. I need to be playing out.” That’s the year I started playing my first shows because of that competitive aspect of looking around and comparing yourself – which I don’t actually think is super healthy.

Andy: How do you feel New York compares to LA in terms of music?

BAUM: It’s hard for me to objectively compare them because when I was in New York I didn’t have a network or circle of people who were in music. I was in high school, and I was friends with the people I went to high school with. Then I came out here and was immediately immersed in a music program within a music school within LA. Automatically, most people I was surrounded by were in the arts in general, particularly music.

Andy: What about lifestyle?

BAUM: I like being here a lot more in general. First of all, the weather, and people are not as aggressive. In New York, I’m always surprised by how aggressive people are. Literally just getting a cab or that kind of thing, everyone thinks that where they’re going is the most important in the world. There’s just an energy to it. I’m just kind of sick of New York because I was there for twenty years. It’s just very intense. I just like being here it’s much more laid back.