A Quick Chat With Rainbow Sally
Rainbow Sally bursts onto the scene with Double Dare, a sugar-rush debut single out now that blends bright indie-pop with raw emotional bite. The alt-pop project of Sarah Short, Rainbow Sally channels years of genre-hopping songwriting into a bold, playful sound crafted alongside ARIA winner Ben Lee. Double Dare shimmers with nostalgic charm — from its upbeat drums and glimmering piano to vocals that float with sweetness and edge. Beneath the candy coating lies a lyrical dare: a fearless challenge to own up, speak out, and reclaim control. We caught up with Rainbow Sally to talk about her debut, her journey, and what’s next.
Can you tell us what this track means to you and what you want people to take away from it?
Double Dare is about reclaiming power in a situation where I once felt like I had none. It’s a playful sounding song but underneath is this quiet defiance, like, I know what happened and I’m not afraid to say it anymore. For me, it’s about shifting the dynamic, when someone once had power over you and now you’re the one who gets to decide how the story is told. I hope listeners that can relate feel that strength in themselves too.
Who are some of your influences, and why?
I take influence from a really wide range of artists, but my music weirdly doesn’t sound much like any of them. The main ones though are My Chemical Romance for their passion, Bright Eyes for their lyrics, Twenty One Pilots for their ability to genre-hop and Imogen Heap for pushing the boundaries.
What's the creative process for you, from writing through to recording?
It’s always a little different, sometimes I find a sound that inspires me or a lyric that won’t stay out of my head. I tend to just chip away at a song piece by piece, getting everything right from production to recording in chunks, rather than writing the whole song then recording/producing in one go.
What do you think makes a great song?
Real and raw emotion. I love when people get vulnerable, I love seeing humanity and passion in music. I love when there’s a real story behind the song, when the writer meant everything that they said. Big choruses and catchy melodies don’t hurt either.
If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?
I would love to collaborate with Jacob Collier because I think his approach to making music is so inspiring and fun. He thinks outside the box and his energy is infectious.
When not working on music, what other creative outlet/s do you have?
I’ve dabbled in photography, stop motion animation, painting, videography, graphic design, poetry, writing, interior design, 3D printing, crochet, sewing.. I like making stuff but I’m easily distracted and get excited by new projects constantly. But music has always been my number one passion.
Who are some local bands we should check out?
I just found this awesome band on TikTok called Self Talk from Naarm/Melbourne, their new song Stuck is currently stuck in my head, I love it!
Winter or summer and why?
Summer when it’s winter, winter when it’s summer. I love bonfires and winter fashion but summer beach days are the best. I adore the novelty of a new season but I get sick of it pretty quick and start complaining to everyone around me!
What do you have planned for 2025?
I have a few more releases coming up and am just planning to go wherever life takes me!