Annabel Lee Brings All Of Her Ghosts To The Stage

As global politics continue to test our patience, one glimmer of hope in the chaos is Annabel Lee. This Los Angeles-based project of Sarah Borrello is a call to all things deeply feminine and the angst that brews within. Her most recent project, Mother’s Hammer, works through complete exhaustion, blood, walking in the shadow of another and the tsunami of emotions that women grow up with.

After starting her music career at a young age with classical piano training, Borrello’s artistry runs deep alongside her longtime love of performing.

“I always loved being on stage, I was acting before singing or performing on stage. I always loved being in front of people and being ridiculous, and I figured out that I can do all of these things at once. It took me until I hit puberty to realize that was the ticket,” said Borrello.

Photo by Aurelia.

These days, Borrello is known for writhing with energy on stage and releasing unabashed power. This evolution took time and life to develop, as well as years of introspection to compile into the Annabel Lee that so many know.

“Every year I would play at the talent show, and I would play Chopin, and that was cool, but who cares when you’re 13,” explained Borrello. “I had my first boyfriend, my first breakup, and all the awkwardness and anger of a teenager, all of those things combined kind of led me to [Annabel Lee].”

Embracing the realities of life as a teenager becoming a woman allowed Borrello’s music to evolve alongside her, although unique challenges developed as a result.

“I performed under my birth name, Sarah Borrello, for a long, long time. Which caused a lot of issues, because Sarah Bareilles is a brunette who also plays piano. So, you can imagine, I’ve signed her CD before. People came to my shows and I did a whole radio interview once, where they thought I was her,” said Borrello. Still following her art through these troubling experiences, Borrello honed in on her deep creative energy and explored the world of alternative music and experimental production.

Photo by Emma Cole.

“I was 25 when I decided I was gonna finally commit to an artist name, which was the best thing I ever did. I needed that separation mentally,” said Borrello.

While debating over an artist’s name, Borrello remembered the poem “Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allen Poe and her grandfather’s love for poetry. She decided when she moved to L.A. to introduce herself as Annabel.

“It’s a poem, unfortunately, about a child bride, which was not why I chose it, but I like to think that I’m giving her the voice she did not have,” said Borrello. “It’s a gorgeous poem. Poetry was the impetus for everything. It was the reason I wanted to write music, and I was obsessed with it as a kid.”

Intentionality and meaning bleed through every note of Borrello’s discography as she performs vocal acrobatics. Uncanny effects bring texture to the soundscapes that trickle behind the strength of Borrello’s voice. Now, settled into the personal reflection that is Annabel Lee, Borrello’s life is consumed by music, touring and art.

“I have two modes that I get in. There’s the me that’s out, very open and vulnerable to the public in a really excitable way. And then there’s the me that hides in a cave for as long as possible. I’m an introvert. I love people, but they take my energy. I don’t get energy from people. I have to retreat and have a lot of solitude, to be able to tell the stories that I tell,” explained Borrello.

The heavy narratives and physical toll of Borrello’s vocals make this need for solitude seem quite reasonable. Borrello’s voice slides through eerie and hypnotizing harmonies down into grungy alternative anger. With explosive vocal energy, stories twist that you didn’t know you needed to hear. Conjuring love and life lessons in her art, Borrello has her own rituals to tap into her creative zones.

“I light a lot of shit on fire,” Borrello chuckled. “I end up sitting at the piano and set up a microphone so that it sounds really good. I always mic myself up when I’m going to write, because even if I’m writing something that sucks, at least my voice is sounding nice, and the piano sounds good.”

Borrello writes, composes and collaborates with her band and a few producers who match her experimental stylings. Her most recent project, Mother’s Hammer, stands as her first full-length album, though she has quite a backlog of material. This 2023 project is deeply personal to Borrello and is filled to the brim with harsh relatability.

“[Mother’s Hammer] is me stumbling through my 20s. Learning about different kinds of love that you have for different people and losing love, and the kind of love that is your soul mate. There’s a lot of grief on that album. It’s definitely intense for me. It was a really hard once the album was out, really hard mentally, because it was like, ‘Oh, my God. Now everybody knows all my shit.'”

Now, fans across the country share the grief and love exposed within Borrello’s art. Borrello just came through Denver on tour this spring, but definitely has plans to bring her music back to the Mile High City again. “I love Denver and always have fun shows there. I’ve only played in Denver three or four times, but every time they move, they scream. There are cities that do not,” said Borrello. These days, Borello is preparing for another tour over the summer and the release of her next album.

“This one is more of the world from my perspective. So it’s a bit more looking outside, and we can’t not look outside right now because shit is burning. It’s a lot more charged, socially charged, politically charged.“

Follow along on her social to prepare for the official album release or catch an Annabel Lee show this summer and experience a sneak peek of the new music live.