Sara Noelle Kronenberg had a revelation when she plunged into the Pacific at Ocean Beach in San Francisco on New Year’s Eve 2018.
“I realized I wanted to do something to leave a legacy,” says Kronenberg, who fronts the Sacramento band Sara and the Devil. “I had always enjoyed playing music, but I’d never taken it seriously.”
Kronenberg played guitar since age 15, but it took until her late 20s—and the frigid dip in the ocean—for her to decide to pursue a music career. A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Kronenberg grew up in Woodland and attended American River College before moving to Chico State for a degree in forensic anthropology.
Her degree qualifies her to be a coroner, but she quickly realized, “I don’t want to look at dead people for the rest of my life.” She found her way into marketing for a local TV station and enjoys her day job. But music really lets her shine.
“I love talking about mental health in my music,” says Kronenberg, whose band name is a nod to the personal demons she overcomes through music. “We’re raised to not talk about our emotions, but we need to change that rhetoric. This whole nation is struggling with anxiety and PTSD—we’re not equipped to deal with all the stress that we have these days.
“Music is my outlet to talk about what I couldn’t talk about with my friends or therapist. ‘I’m Sara and I’m able to create beautiful music and relationships, but at the same time, I’m my own worst enemy.’ I struggle with PTSD and anxiety disorders, which is something I’m constantly working on.”
After her Pacific plunge, Kronenberg connected with two producers at Think Tank Music. They helped the singer-songwriter take the next step. She released her first EP and embarked on a tour across Britain, Europe and Israel. Back home, she started performing at the Starlet Room at Harlow’s, Old Ironsides, Goldfield Trading Post and Shine.
Her solo act soon evolved into a full band. Her brother Jeremy plays drums on many tracks and she’s collaborated with other local acts, including Mateo Briscoe (a solo artist who provides background vocals for Sara and the Devil) and rock duo Cities You Wish You Were From.
Kronenberg insists that while the pandemic hurt the music scene, it didn’t stop her from creating. In fact, she says, “It forced us to revisit what’s most important.” The only two shows she performed in 2020 were fundraisers, one for Black Lives Matter and another for the Sacramento LGBT Community Center.
Looking forward, Kronenberg is optimistic. In January, she released a single, “Deja Vu,” which she says “touches on the familial experience of constant disappointment from friends, loved ones or struggles you might be experiencing about your own self.” She’s working on an untitled new project with Cities You Wish You Were From, plus a new song with transgender artist Briscoe.
No matter what she creates, her focus remains the same. “If I can relate to somebody through my music, that’s the ultimate goal.”
For more information, find Kronenberg on Instagram @saraandthedevil and online at saraandthedevil.wixsite.com/saraandthedevil.
