"It's crazy to think that I was in the crowd during the first wave of electronic dance music, wondering what steps I'd have to take to get there. And now, here I am," Landry tells New Times over Zoom from her new home base of Amsterdam. "We're living in the second renaissance of electronic dance music in real-time. It's amazing to know that my music or sets are the score for someone's incredible memories."
Landry is enjoying a rare moment at home before going back on the road. She has a plethora of performances scheduled that will keep her busy through the summer. It includes a stop in South Florida for Miami Music Week, where she'll take over the Park stage at Factory Town for her Hekate label showcase on March 27.
"I'm stoked. It's going to be fantastic, and I love that it's such a big moment in Miami," she says of her upcoming MMW showcase. "We're developing custom content and a whole Sara vibe check for the label showcases, too. It's going to be a lot of really cool music from friends of mine who are talented DJs and producers. We're just going to throw the fuck down and have a great time."
Landry is no stranger to ravers in the Magic City. At III Points last year, the Queen of Hard Techno helped close out the RC 95 stage with a setlist that ranged from an edit of Nickelback's "Rockstar" to Charli XCX's "Guess" and cuts from Landry's debut album, Spiritual Driveby.
"III Points is always such an amazing festival. The crowd brings this unique vibe that you don't get anywhere else, and that's what makes playing there so special," Landry says. "That set was one of my favorites because it had everything I love: high energy, chaotic moments, and such a connected crowd. It's moments like that where I feel the most alive on stage. It's probably my second favorite set from that whole festival season."
In On the Joke
Landry dropping a Nickleback song during her set may have surprised those unfamiliar with her, but it reflects the producer's tendency not to take herself too seriously."It's always a polarizing track. Some people really like it, and some people are like, 'Fuck you!' loudly," she explains. "For me, it's a troll. It's something that makes me laugh. My manager hates it every time I play it. People think I'm out here saying, 'This is the highest possible art.' No, it's a joke. It's a track that shouldn't work, but it somehow does. Those are the moments I love most in the studio, where I'm like, Let's see if I can pull this off. I love chaotic moments like that."
That is quintessentially who Landry is. While she comes off as effortlessly cool, she also feels like that friend who posts memes on X regularly. "The inspiration behind some tracks is like the SpongeBob meme where he's floating with headphones on. That's the mood board for those euphoric moments I try to create," she adds.
Landry's feel-good, health-goth vibe extends into her music. "I'm a longtime health goth. I love things with an organic, metallic, or otherworldly feel — euphoric, esoteric, almost angelic. I don't do scary or dark vibes," she says. "I want to create moments that are uplifting and trippy in the best way. I love to create moments that juxtapose religious, choral vibes with club tracks."
That much is evident on her debut album, 2024's Spiritual Driveby. With a 49-minute runtime, the listener is given a crash course in Landry's sound across 12 tracks, featuring a diverse cast of collaborators like Nico Moreno, Shlømo, and synth god Mike Dean."Those are the moments I love most in the studio, where I'm like, Let's see if I can pull this off. I love chaotic moments like that."
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"Mike Dean DMed me on Instagram, and I randomly found it while craving chaos and checking my request folder," Landry says of how she came to work with the producer who has worked with everyone, from the Weekend and Lana Del Ray to Travis Scott and FKA Twigs. "I was in LA one day and took an Uber to his house with all my production gear, and we just started vibing. He noodled on the synths, and I recorded and arranged it all into the track. It was such a unique experience. Working with him was insane. His studio had the best sound I've ever heard, and the track name 'Spiritual Driveby' came from us joking around."
If it had been up to Landry, the album would have never been released last year. With 2024 already looking packed with shows across the globe and a main stage appearance at Tomorrowland, it all seemed too daunting. However, about a year ago, Landry's manager insisted he needed an album from her.
"Go fuck yourself! Have you seen my tour schedule?" she told her manager. Eventually, she relented and saw it as an opportunity to go into the studio with her friends and work on new ideas.
"I wasn't painstakingly choosing tracks over the years. It was just me having fun in the studio with my friends, creating something authentic and collaborative," she says of Spiritual Driveby's creation.
Sara Landry will be honored as "Producer of the Year" at the inaugural Femmy Awards on March 27.
Night Department photo
Beyond Techno
Besides the label showcase at Factory Town, Landry will attend Femme House's inaugural Femmy Awards at the Palm Tree Club, where she will be honored as the "Producer of the Year."The Femmys were created to celebrate women in electronic music, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Women-identifying producers like Charlotte de Witte, Deborah de Luca, Lilly Palmer, and Peggy Gou have all been making strides and finding success in an industry with a history of misogyny and overlooking women's contributions to dance music.
"The landscape has changed a lot, but there's still misogyny," Landry says. "I think it's more of an old habits die-hard situation rather than people being intentionally malicious. In the techno scene, we all get along and are kind and supportive behind the scenes. There's this little sisterhood that exists, and it's so important When I was starting out, I felt like I didn't have a community, which is often the case for women in music. Now, this network of women understands what you're going through, and it's a beautiful thing."
After Miami Music Week, Sara has a packed schedule, including her long-awaited Coachella debut. She was set to play at the Indio, California, festival in 2020 before the pandemic forced its cancelation.
"I fell to my knees and crashed out in the middle of the H-E-B when I found out they had canceled it," Landry says. "I bought out the store-brand jalapeño kennel chips and was just bummed out about it."
Also performing at Coachella this year is her idol, Lady Gaga. It's a full-circle moment for the Texas native.
"Lady Gaga is going to be there, and she's the reason I went to NYU," she says. "I'm going to try and remember the dances and throw ass in the VIP section; it's going to be absolutely sick. I'm probably going to be a menace, so if you see me catching a vibe in the crowd, no, you fucking didn't."
Beyond the techno scene, Landry dreams of working with Gaga, Charli XCX, Megan Thee Stallion, and Doja Cat, as well as performing at Red Rocks, Club Space, and Berghain. For now, she's enjoying a moment to breathe and reflect.
"There's a crystallization of so many things I've worked so hard for," Landry says. "So many things have come together all at once in divine timing, and I feel thankful for the people who've worked with me and believed in me."
Sara Landry Presents Hekate. With AK Sports, Charlie Sparks, Godtripper, Nico Moreno, Raven, and Ultrathem. 7 p.m. Thursday, March 27, at Factory Town, 4800 NW 37th Ave., Miami; factorytown.com. Tickets cost $120 via dice.fm.
Find the full list of Miami Music Week 2025 events here.
