Interview: Sarah Potenza Declares The Message "I work for me," with New Album

“I work for me,” Sarah Potenza declares at the beginning of Road to Rome, kicking off her second solo album — a record of self-empowered R&B, swaggering soul, and contemporary blues — with her own declaration of independence.

Thanks for chatting with Music Update Central! You recently released your new album "Road to Rome". What are you most excited about the album? I'm just so thrilled to let these songs be heard all over the globe. We worked really hard on them, and I couldn’t be more proud!

When writing for the album, where did you draw your inspiration from? My feelings, memories, my inner shame and pain verses my inner survivor, my fighter.

What advice would you give to other females in the music industry? Don’t expect it to be fair. Get over that right now. Don’t feel bitter or jealous of other women. Embrace the idea of community, lift up your sisters, share your contacts and spot light with them. You will be tempted to keep that shit to yourself, because too often there’s a ton of room for the guys and only one or two open spots for us. But we need to change that. We need to stop fighting over scraps.

You were a contestant on NBC's The Voice. How has that impacted your musical career? 

Um… it helped me get into the ears of more fans. And it certainly helped me to make more money. It has opened a lot of doors for me, but it’s not the end of the hard work and hustle. It’s the beginning. 

You can follow Sarah Potenza by connecting on sarahpotenza.net and following on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.