Swiss-born and New-York based sautereau releases a bright and lively pop single infused with optimism and possibilities.
“What if” is one of those songs that just have that radio-quality. It packs a punch in only 2:37, with a condensed structure that flows seamlessly and is exciting and engaging all the way. This effective conciseness is a testament to sautereau’s songwriting, and so are the lyrics, which manage to tell a whole story and evoke images and sensations in snappy, succinct lines that vividly paint the picture of an exciting encounter. (And of course, we have to appreciate someone who can so seamlessly throw in a reference to “Logic Pro” in the lyrics!)
sautereau is not only a great singer and songwriter, but was also involved in the production of the song, along with Toby May, with the mix and master done by John Arbuckle at Cove City Studios.
The production of the song is ingeniously simple, a sparse arrangement centred around sautereau’s lively guitar playing, a nimble beat that tightly follows the guitar rhythms and of course, the vocals. This straightforward arrangement only works so well because the vocals are so strong. sautereau sings efortlessly, with a natural zest, a crispy tone and a pitch-perfect intonation – the kind that was performed like that, and not tuned to death in post production.
Nothing less to expect from someone who had songs on national radio in Switzerland before relaunching with this new project.
Talking about the song, sautereau explains that it is about “that moment you hit it off with someone for the first time and relive all those little memories that are crisp in your mind.”
“It’s about evoking new experiences and discovery, but also an ode to New York City and its little wonders that we often overlook.
We wish sautereau the best of luck with this brilliant new single, and if you’d like to see what else she’ll come up with next, be sure to follow the socials:
Julia Tache is a musician, social media enthusiast and writer. She releases music under the moniker Jewelia, is the founder of IndieGems and co-owner of Dual Productions.