Sarah Kinsley on How Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Queer’ Helped Inspire Her Latest EP, ‘Fleeting’

Sarah Kinsley's latest EP, "Fleeting," directly tackles the theme of impermanence—the unsettling notion that nothing truly disappears. "Who knew dead things could come back to kill us?" she reflects, citing a poem by Lucille Clifton as a key inspiration for the project. The California-born artist and producer found a striking parallel between her own emotions and Luca Guadagnino's 2024 film "Queer," an adaptation of William S. Burroughs' novel. The movie follows an American expatriate and addict, played by Daniel Craig, who becomes obsessed with Drew Starkey's character, Eugene Allerton. Their journey into the jungle in search of a telepathic psychedelic underscores a deeper loneliness and a yearning for transcendent connection. Kinsley explains, "We convince ourselves that past experiences fade away, only to wake up one day consumed by something that happened ages ago. I've never been immune to that. Watching the film felt like holding a terrifyingly jagged mirror to my own emotions."

Over the past five years, Kinsley has built significant momentum since her viral breakout hit "The King." Her 2024 album "Escaper" and four EPs showcase her evolving sound, with "Fleeting" marking a natural progression into deeply personal synth-pop. The project's release was accompanied by a self-directed video for "Truth of Pursuit," a track she crafted alone in her apartment. "I was hunched over my computer, sifting through thousands of drum samples, whispering into a mic for hours," she recalls. Written and co-produced with collaborator Jake Aron, the EP also serves as an homage to her adopted hometown of New York. Inspired by the city's nightlife, Kinsley channels the sensation of leaving a party alone after a night of connection, a solitude that left her "somehow feeling closer to myself."

Kinsley's connection with her fans has been deeply interactive, a dynamic that played out memorably during a show at the Fonda Theater in Los Angeles. She performed just two days after Paul McCartney had graced the same stage, a venue known for hosting legendary acts. During her song "Reverie," fans—having cut out hundreds of paper blue hearts and passed them out—held them up against their phone flashlights. "When I opened my eyes, it was this sea of beautiful hearts. I was so caught off guard!" she marvels. This reciprocal relationship extends to social media, where Kinsley shares her creative process. After teasing stripped-down snippets online, fans requested a reimagined version of the EP. The result, "Fleeting (The Piano Versions)," features spare renditions of all five tracks. "The first time I showed my process, it was like opening a floodgate. People were so excited," she says. "There's a newfound curiosity, especially among younger listeners, to understand what they're hearing and why it resonates."