Sara Bareilles admits that she is currently enduring a difficult period of mourning. During a recent interview conducted via video chat from Chicago, the singer-songwriter became visibly emotional, noting that the end of September is consistently challenging for her. She shared that she is currently experiencing a “grief spike,” highlighting the persistent impact of loss even as she navigates her latest concert tour. According to her eyes started brimming with tears during the final question, revealing that her last sob session occurred just that morning. “I’m having a little bit of a grief spike,” she, Over a video chat from Chicago while on tour. “The end of September is rough.”.
The emotional weight she carries stems from the loss of two significant figures in her life. She is mourning Chad Joseph, her former manager and college best friend who passed away in 2020 following a Stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis, as well as Gavin Creel, her “Into the Woods” Broadway co-star who died in 2024. These profound personal losses, compounded by the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, the unexpected cancellation of her television series “Girls5Eva,” and years of struggling with unsuccessful fertility treatments, have all shaped her new solo album, “Good Grief.” The 46-year-old artist describes the record as an honest collection of anguish, rage, and joy, describing it as “mixed up and baked in a beautiful pie.” Sitting on a cream-coloured couch with her ever-present dog Louie snuggled beside her lap, Bareilles explained the pummeling anniversaries approaching: the birthday of Chad Joseph, her best friend from college and former. Along with the uncertainty of the lockdown phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cancellation of her Tina Fey-produced comedy series “Girls5Eva” and years of disappointing f, the pain of losing both men in quick succession. Because grief “feels like the blanket that everyone is tethered to in some way,” Bareilles doesn’t hold anything back in these lyrics or performances.
Promoting this project has been emotionally taxing for Bareilles, who candidly admits to feeling “wobbly” while discussing her late friends. She acknowledged that she often needs tissues nearby during interviews and joked about the inevitable future compilation of her crying on camera. Despite the pain, she remains committed to transparency, refusing to shield herself from the heavy emotions that come with revisiting her grief. This vulnerability was evident during a recent SiriusXM performance where she allowed herself to break down while singing “Forever,” requesting that the raw moment be included in the final broadcast. So it’s understandable that Bareilles felt “wobbly” even trying to say her friends’ names while making the rounds (with plenty of tissues on hand) to promote the album and its accompanying making-of documentary, now in t.
Bareilles rejects the label of a “grief guru,” emphasizing that she has not magically overcome her suffering. Instead, she views herself and her band—consisting of Misty Boyce, Butterfly Boucher, Rich Hinman, Joe Ayoub, Mona Tavakoli, and Derrek Phillips—as “grief sherpas” who are there to support their audience. She describes herself merely as a student of the grieving process, stating, “I would be lying if I felt like I had any kind of expertise to offer.”
Her artistic mission centers on radical truth-telling and communal healing. The tour itself functions as an art project designed to foster connection. Her team has established a dedicated hotline at 888-282-4062 where individuals can leave voicemails, some of which are played during her live shows as transitional elements. Additionally, concert attendees are encouraged to write responses to prompts like “What do you carry with you always?” or “What keeps you from feeling totally free?” on gift tags attached to an installation in the lobby of each venue. Through tracks like “Home” and the upbeat “Just a Kid,” which draws inspiration from Joseph’s lasting impact, Bareilles extends an open invitation to her fans: “Tell me your story and I’ll tell you mine.”
