AL ROKER: The Artist's Lounge is proudly presented to you by Citi
Sara, good morning
Thanks for being here
SARA BAREILLES: I'm so so happy to be here
It's so good to see you both
AL ROKER: You know, Sara, I got to tell you
I have a new book out called "You Look So Much Better in Person"
And a whole chapter is almost devoted to my time at the diner in Waitress, the musical you created
It's one of the things that literally changed my life and I thank you for that
SARA: I just love that so much
You were so beloved and the cast still to this day talks about you
It was such a highlight and such a thrill for them to get to share the stage with you and you were so good, Al!
You're so good
AL ROKER: Stop it
SARA: Oh, please. Congrats on the book!
That's so exciting
AL ROKER: Thank you, thank you
SHEINELLE JONES: So let's talk about the show for a moment
It follows a young singer-songwriter chasing her dreams
How much of it is based on your own life experiences?
SARA: My co-creator and I Jessie Nelson, who also did Waitress
We talk about that Bess, our lead character, and I sort of share a spirit
It's not autobiographical, it's not really my life
But there's lots of Easter eggs for people who know the details of my life
AL ROKER: So Sara, you've written music for movies, for Broadway, for radio, now TV
Is it different writing for the small screen than you would for say the radio or for a Broadway show?
SARA: It was funny that my time at Waitress I think was very helpful to inform this
Because writing for a 23-year-old girl at this point is--
I mean I'm almost 25 now everyone so that's really a stretch
So having to reach back in my own memories was an interesting exercise
And going back into another chapter of my life
But yes, the mechanism of television is really different
There's a lot of moving pieces
The logistics are tremendously difficult
SHEINELLE: Well, you wrote a number of songs for the show including the theme song also called "Little Voice"
It's actually a song that you wrote a long time ago. Is that right?
SARA: I had a dream about writing this song when I was in my 20s for my first record
And it was all about capturing my strength as a young artist
And being able to listen to my intuition
And it was called "Little Voice" and then I was told that the song wasn't good enough to be on the record
So I actually love this even more that all these years later 15 years later the song has been lying dormant
And now it gets to be the theme song and the thesis statement for our show about finding your voice
SHEINELLE: I love it. I'm so excited to hear this new song. So how about you take it away?
SARA: Take it away. All right. Thank you
('LITTLE VOICE' BY SARA BAREILLES STARTS PLAYING)
It's everything I am and what I'm not
And all I'm trying to be
This is the part where I spit it all out
And you decide what you think of me
I'm not trying to be complicated
I'm never waiting to get the last laugh
But I've been handing out benefits of the doubt
And I'd like a little bit back
It's just a little voice and if you're listening
Sometimes a little voice can say the biggest things
It's just my little voice that I've been missing
Looking over the precious moments, it hurts don't it?
They can cut both ways
No amount of remembering the better things will make the bad ones go away
But I've been broken and the one to blame
So my savior of self-defense taught me to sing what I can't say
It's just a little voice and if you're listening
Sometimes a little voice can say the biggest things
It's just my little voice that I've been missing It's just my little voice that I've been missing
It's just my little voice that I've been missing
(SONG ENDS)
AL ROKER: Oh, that was beautiful Sara
I mean, anything but a little voice
That is so spectacular
SARA: Thank you
AL ROKER: Sara Bareilles, thank you so much
Can't wait to see Little Voice streaming now on Apple TV+