Sarah Bettens
Sarah Bettens | |
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Sarah Bettens in 2015 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Sarah Bettens |
Born |
Kapellen, Belgium | 23 September 1972
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Instruments | vocals, guitar, bass guitar, piano |
Years active | 1993–present |
Associated acts | K's Choice |
Website | SarahBettens.com |
Sarah Bettens (born 23 September 1972, Kapellen, Belgium) is the lead singer of the Belgian band K's Choice. Sarah and her brother Gert Bettens are the two best-known faces of the band. She is known for her enigmatic, husky voice. The band is popular in Belgium, the Netherlands and France, and has toured in the U.S. with The Verve Pipe, Tonic, Alanis Morissette and the Indigo Girls, as well as on their own. Bettens has maintained a successful solo career as well by providing vocals for movie soundtracks, including Underworld, Wild Things, Zus and Zo and more recently Leef!.
2002 to present
Bettens has had a large lesbian fanbase since the beginning of her career with K's Choice, but it wasn't until May 2002 that she officially came out to the public.
In 2003 K's Choice split, with siblings Gert and Sarah exploring solo projects. Bettens made a mini-album of her own, called Go. Her first full-length solo album, Scream, was released in Europe on 14 March 2005, and in the USA on 23 August 2005. K's Choice reformed in 2009 as "The new K's Choice".
In March 2007 she released an EP through online music label Fuzz. Her second full-length album, Shine, including new mixes of the tracks from the Fuzz EP, was released in 2007. It was produced by Brad Wood. The full CD was distributed for free with 13 October edition of the Flemish newspaper De Morgen in Belgium, which sold 180,000 copies. Normally this newspaper sells 95,000 copies.[1]
In 2007 Sarah Bettens won an EBBA Award. Every year the European Border Breakers Awards (EBBA) recognize the success of ten emerging artists or groups who reached audiences outside their own countries with their first internationally released album in the past year.
In late 2008 Bettens released the album Never Say Goodbye, consisting of recordings of live performances of K's Choice and solo songs, covers, and new songs which had been played during previous tours. The album is only available at concerts and from her online shop.[2]
There were plans to license the single Come Over Here from her LP Scream for episode 409 of the American series The L Word. However, the plans fell through due to problems involving the songs' co-writer and record label. The song also appears on the premier Music With a Twist compilation (Sony).
After having played Michigan Womyn's Music Festival in 2006 solo, she organized an all female band for a performance in 2007.
Bettens currently lives in Johnson City, Tennessee, USA with her partner, two step-children, and two adopted children.[3] In June 2012, she became a firefighter in the Johnson City Fire Department.[4] Following a year as a firefighter, she returned to music as her career, and has reformed K's Choice with her brother Gert.[3]
Discography
Albums
- 2004 Go (EP)
- 2005 Scream
- 2007 Shine
- 2008 Never Say Goodbye
Singles
- 2002 "Someone To Say Hi To"
- 2002 "You Always Know Your Home"
- 2004 "Fine"
- 2005 "Not Insane"
- 2005 "Stay"
- 2005 "Leef"
- 2006 "Come Over Here"
- 2006 "I Need a Woman"
- 2007 "Daddy's Gun"
- 2007 "I Can't Get Out"
Video
- Sarah Bettens in backstage
- "I can't get out"
- "It's alright"
- "Put it out for good"
- Sarah Bettens in live at l'Elysée Montmartre in Paris_Part 1
- Sarah Bettens in live at l'Elysée Montmartre in Paris_Part 2
References
- ↑ VRT news article about the Shine action
- ↑ 'Never Say Goodbye' on Sarah Bettens' shop on Jax Junk
- 1 2
- ↑
External links
- SarahBettens.com
- Sarah Bettens discography at MusicBrainz
- Interview with Austin Sound Check
- Sarah Bettens on Last.FM
- Sarah Bettens at the Internet Movie Database