Sargasso

Photo Credit: Xinyuan Chen

Four people, three cities, two continents, one band: Sargasso. Meeting in New Haven, Connecticut, Maria Campos Saadi, Thomas Hagen, Noah Goodman, and Soledad Tejada released their debut EP in 2018, after only a few weeks together as a band. Using their diverse background, the band is able to sample a wide array of music. From the rhythms of the samba evident in “Bainas” to the LoFi indie beats and soft rock of their eponymous sophomore EP, Sargasso does it all. The band’s collaborative approach to both songwriting and production is just another way they separate themselves from the rest of the pack. With spots on two Spotify-curated playlists, including the much coveted Fresh Finds, the quartet is only moving on up. We recently spoke with Sargasso about the story behind their name, their dream collaboration, and more!

How did you start making music?

We started playing together our sophomore year of college after we met through the university’s radio station. We’ve been writing and recording songs together ever since.

How did you come up with your band name?

We’re originally named after Sargassum, a seaweed species that Soledad studied one summer. But as it turns out, the Sargasso Sea is the only sea in the world with no land borders. Instead, it’s bounded by four ocean currents, which we thought was fitting (because there are four of us).

It's your day off. What are you guys doing? 

There are no days off. However, some of our interests include Mario Kart, food, screenprinting, and nature.

What’s a secret talent that you all have? 

We all look amazing in bandanas.

What do you love most about making music? 

We love those moments of collective inspiration when someone does something unexpected that instantly resonates with everyone. We’re all singers and songwriters and enjoy trading roles in the band. We also really love performing live and feeding off the crowd's energy.

Who’s someone you’d love to collaborate with?

We’ve actually discussed this recently. Our dream collaborators would be Aphex Twin and Joni Mitchell. But if they’re busy, then we would always welcome James Blake and his dog (Professor Barold).

Any future projects for fans to get excited about?

Yes! We’re actually writing this from the studio (aka Noah’s basement) where we are working on recording our first full-length album. Get hype!