Sari Schorr reveals the video for her seductive and electrifying new single, “Cool Hand Rider.”
Taken from her new album, out today in Europe and 30 October in the U.S.A., via Provogue Records / Artone Label Group
LISTEN | WATCH
A powerful and deeply personal record pulsing with defiance,
resilience and hope in dark times.
Also watch the videos for previous singles “Running Wild” and “Mr. In The Middle”
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| New York singer-songwriter Sari Schorr reveals the music video for her latest single, the seductive and electrifying “Cool Hand Rider,” to celebrate the release of her hotly anticipated new album, Running Wild, which is out via Provogue Records / Artone Label Group today in Europe and on 30 October in the U.S.A. She is currently touring Europe in support of the album with an extensive run of shows. Talking about “Cool Hand Rider,” she says, “It began with my love of horses and that intoxicating sense of freedom I feel when I’m riding. The power, the movement, the adrenaline, and the feeling of surrendering yourself completely to the moment. But as the song evolved, the rider became something more. It became a metaphor for desire, chemistry, and a woman who isn’t afraid to want what she wants, or to go after it.” She continues, “That’s what I love about songwriting. You think you’re holding the reins, and then the song takes over and carries you somewhere far more dangerous and exciting than you expected.” With the music video, she wanted to visually represent that mix of feelings. “We wanted to create a world that felt fast, seductive and alive,” she explains. “We filmed scenes with my Harley-Davidson and combined them with incredible projections created by graphic artist Kee Koo, using images of the road, lights and motion to create this constantly shifting visual world. We also brought in footage of the band in rehearsal because, at its heart, ‘Cool Hand Rider’ is a song that was always meant to come alive onstage.” The journey to Running Wild has been long and fraught with complications, twists and turns along the way. But Sari takes it all in stride and channels it into creative, personal expression. From classical beginnings to the clubs of the South Bronx, she made her name by pushing musical boundaries and bringing different genres together. This led her music to the ears of Mike Vernon — who had helmed fabled British blues-boom classics including 1966’s Beano with Eric Clapton and Fleetwood Mac’s self-titled 1968 debut — and who came out of retirement to produce Schorr’s 2016 debut, A Force of Nature. The album established her as a formidable solo artist on the international stage, and that momentum continued with 2018’s Never Say Never and 2020’s Live in Europe. She also joined Robin Trower for 2023’s Joyful Sky, lending her voice to some of the legendary guitarist’s finest contemporary songs. Sari’s roots stretch across oceans and generations. Her great-grandfather grew up in Kyiv, then part of Russia, where he struggled to feed his family before leaving for America in search of a better life. Her parents became first-generation New Yorkers who raised her with love and encouragement. Sari dreamed of becoming a musician, but alongside that ambition grew a powerful instinct to help others — from marathons to working for charitable organisations such as the United Nations in Haiti and India, as well as featuring on Amnesty International’s 2012 anthem “Toast to Freedom” and personally bringing Marianne Faithfull, Jane Birkin, Carly Simon and Christine and the Queens into the project. Whether through music, advocacy or sheer endurance, the impulse is the same: to turn empathy into action. She continues to use her platform to speak out on issues including gun violence, migration, corruption and freedom of speech. This activism also shows up in her music, with songs such as “Better Day,” “Afterglow” and “Call It Freedom” exploring compassion, empathy and the migrant experience. The album runs the gamut of emotions. The recent single “Running Wild” is about the tension between desire and control — wanting someone intensely without trying to contain them — while “Mr. In The Middle” is about the intoxicating pull between two people who cannot quite let each other go. The song captures that seductive, maddening tension and the moment when attraction is no longer enough. Eventually, someone has to choose. Running Wild channels a restless momentum into Schorr’s most personal and defiant record yet. “There’s a moment when you stop trying to fit the shape the world has made for you and start listening to the person you’ve been becoming all along,” she says. “I’ve reached a deeper understanding of who I am as an artist. I’m still searching and learning, but I trust my instincts more now and worry less about whether a song is behaving itself. I follow it wherever its emotional truth leads. These songs are about self-discovery, defiance, resilience and transformation. I hope they leave people feeling freer, lifted above the weight of everyday life, and bold enough to believe that something better is possible.” |
