Sarah Kinsley Finds Beauty in the Passing of Time With “Fleeting”
- Vaneza Gutiérrez Wyckoff
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
A reflection on impermanence, cinematic pop, and the new chapter ahead.
Article Contributed by Vaneza Gutiérrez Wyckoff
Sarah Kinsley has built a career around capturing fleeting moments — and with nearly one million monthly Spotify listeners, she’s clearly not the only one listening closely. During our recent chat, she spoke about time the way some people speak about weather: ever-present, uncontrollable, and quietly shaping everything in its path. It’s a fitting entry point for Fleeting, her latest cinematic release and the first glimpse into a new chapter of music arriving in 2026.
“I think this EP in particular is about impermanence, you can still feel euphoria or catharsis even knowing something isn’t going to last.”
That idea of impermanence runs through “Fleeting” not as loss, but as motion. The track carries subtle ‘80s textures, shimmering and atmospheric without tipping into nostalgia. It feels suspended between urgency and softness, allowing emotion to pass through rather than settle permanently. Kinsley was clear that she resists prescribing meaning, preferring instead to leave space for listeners to bring their own experiences into the song.
“I want people to take whatever they want to take from my music, I don't want to prescribe a specific experience,” she explained.
That openness extends into the influences shaping the upcoming EP. Kinsley cited listening heavily to The Blue Nile’s Hats, especially “Let’s Go Out Tonight,” alongside New Order’s Substance and the work of Blood Orange. These weren’t references she approached analytically, but sounds that lingered in the background as the songs took shape, contributing to the EP’s emotional palette.
For Kinsley, process was just as important as inspiration. This project marks the longest stretch of time she’s allowed between writing, producing, and releasing music, a pace that encouraged patience, an open mind, and deeper listening. That slower rhythm gave her room to examine not just the songs themselves, but her relationship to making them.
Her background in classical music remains part of that equation, though she described it as something she’s constantly negotiating with rather than following blindly. The discipline and theory sharpen her instincts, but they can also challenge her trust in intuition. She explained how, “It becomes this real wolf inside you that you are fighting,” stating that “the rules around music-making are the most intense thing ever.”
Film has long served as a bridge between those worlds. Kinsley has embraced the idea of “cinematic pop” as a natural meeting point between her classical roots and her evolution as an alternative pop artist. With this EP, she leaned further into texture and sonic world-building, describing herself as a maximalist who has learned to be more intentional with every layer. As she put it, “I’m a maximalist producer, I love to fill the song with a lot of elements,” but now, intention guides inclusion.
“Making music that scores your life is such a big dream and goal for me.”
Emotionally, the EP reflects a period of personal reckoning and clarity. Kinsley spoke about reaching a new level of honesty, one rooted in saying what she wants to say plainly, without sanding down the edges. That directness feels embedded in “Fleeting,” where vulnerability and restraint coexist.
“The music on this EP…feels like a newer level of understanding of myself of just being honest about what I want to say and being honest with myself and just saying it, point blank.”
That same honesty carries into her live shows, which have become known for their dreamy intimacy. While Kinsley brings intention to the stage, she emphasized that the atmosphere is a shared creation. The crowd’s willingness to lean into both energetic and quiet moments shapes the experience just as much as the performance itself.
“There are moments where I feel that people really dig in…and are really energetic, and then there are moments that feel so intimate and peaceful… I feel like the people that are coming are choosing to do that.”
Production-wise, Kinsley highlighted “Lonely Touch” as a defining moment on the EP. The song’s outro builds into a dense wall of sound, packed with instruments and full-volume feeling, meant to mirror the emotional weight of unrelenting desire. She also pointed to “Reverie,” a ballad on the upcoming EP whose production stands among her favorites on the project.
“I love being drowned out by sound, and the outro is just packed with so much… so many instruments, so many sounds that are ‘full-volume’...”
Threaded through all of Kinsley’s work is an ongoing meditation on time. Rather than resisting impermanence, this new chapter seems to sit with it, allowing the future to unfold without force. When asked what “Fleeting” might say to Escaper, her answer felt less like instruction and more like permission.
“Let the future reveal itself to you, let people reveal themselves to you.”
With “Fleeting” out now and her biggest tour to date kicking off this March in Seattle before running through the spring, Kinsley’s next era doesn’t ask listeners to hold onto anything too tightly. Instead, it invites them to stay present — and trust what remains after the moment passes.
