SLAT LAKE CITY — Texas-bred singer/songwriter Sarah Jaffe likes the responsibility of being a solo artist.
"I like the fact that everything falls on me," Jaffe said during a telephone call from her home in Denton, Texas. "There's a comfort in that. And if there is some sort of mess up, it's an 'oops' moment everyone can appreciate. Playing by yourself is what it is."
When Jaffe comes to Salt Lake City, however, she'll be backed by a band.
"While I'm not technically playing solo, it's my solo work," she said. "But I'll be playing in a band with some incredibly talented musicians.
"I will be going out solely by myself soon, something I haven't done in a long time. But I like playing by myself and going back to playing with a band because it leads to a lot of experimentation."
Jaffe's love for music started with her parents.
"It had everything to do with what they were listening to," she said. "Dad was listening to Cat Stevens, Joni Mitchell and James Taylor. I fell in love with folk music early on, and that dictated what style of writing I would go for."
When she started playing music seriously, Jaffe was a solo artist, and then she joined a band called Tomahawk Molly.
"We were a lighthearted band and did not take ourselves seriously," she said. "We played rockabilly and covered Patsy Cline. It ... did really well, but everyone else was in bands themselves or had solo projects."
So in 2004, Jaffe decided to do some more solo work.
In 2008, she released a six-song extended play CD called "Even Born Again." The disc served as the perfect stepping stone for the full-length CD "Suburban Nature."
"Recording the EP helped dealing with a full-length," Jaffe said. "I worked with the same producer (John Congleton) on the EP as I did on the full-length. And I also met every one of my (solo) band members through making the EP. And after recording the EP, which was a blast, I was ready for the full-length."
When Jaffe writes her songs, she knows she could go too far and reveal too much of her personal life.
"I think there is a definite line, but I haven't figured out if I'm crossing that line or not," she said. "I know when I'm writing the song, it feels correct to me and it doesn't feel like it's too much. But there are a lot of songs I listen to that make me feel uncomfortable and violated.
"I don't know if I'm going that far. I just go and write a song."
She also said she's aware that if a song is too emotional, it can make people "feel uncomfortable."
"I do feel like there are ways of putting yourself out there and not giving yourself away, but it's important to me to relate to people," Jaffe said. "So the risks are worth it."
If you go…
What: Sarah Jaffe, Isaac Russell, Brian Bigham
Where: Kilby Court, 741 Kilby Court
When: Aug. 27, 7 p.m.
How much: $8
Phone: 801-467-8499, 800-888-8499
Web: www.smithstix.com or www.24tix.com
e-mail: scott@desnews.com