Nicole Brice
Oct 9, 2025
Teen Idle’s music is a rich tapestry with heart and soul.
Sara Abdelbarry is an exceptionally gifted musician hailing from the vibrant shores of Asbury Park, New Jersey, who goes by the name of Teen Idle when she’s creating music. I had the pleasure of meeting her through my good friend Jeff Crespi recently, and her passion for music immediately struck me. Since her debut release in 2020, she has taken the local music scene by storm, unveiling an array of captivating singles and EPs that showcase her extraordinary talent. Sara is a true force to be reckoned with because she not only makes music, but she also does all the production herself, too.
With an angelic voice that resonates with profound depth and emotion, Sara has a remarkable ability to draw you in with every note she sings. I find myself completely entranced by her music; it’s beautiful, haunting, creative, and simply amazing.
One of my personal favorites is ‘Burning,’ released in 2022. The guitar sound at the start is incredible. I love this song so much! It feels like a mix of Juliana Hatfield and Tanya Donelly, with a hint of PJ Harvey—a true alternative dream.
In 2022, Abdelbarry was asked to contribute to a Jersey Shore compilation, where she put her own enchanting spin on The Beach Boys’ classic ‘Don't Worry Baby.’ Additionally, she has taken iconic tracks such as ‘Be My Baby’ by The Ronettes and ‘Bad Romance’ by Lady Gaga and infused them with her distinctive style, breathing new life into these beloved songs.
Sara’s music is a rich tapestry woven with heart and soul, and every time I listen, I experience a chill coursing through me. Her sound embodies a genre I like to call Alternative Americana Rock Pop—if that doesn’t yet exist, I’m more than happy to claim it as our own!
In addition to being profoundly gifted, Sara Abdelbarry is a radiant spirit, overflowing with creativity and passion that shines through in her music. We warmly invite you to dive into her entire catalog and experience the artistry she offers. Discover more about the inspiring Sara Abdelbarry and her captivating project, Teen Idle, below.
MaM: I was reading how you play numerous instruments, so with Teen Idle, are you a one-woman show? Is that all you?
SA: Essentially, the band really started as basically my solo project in college. I started around 2018. It was just my outlet for writing music, and I didn’t want to put it all under my own name because there’s a specific connotation that comes with using your own name, and it can cause assumptions about where you’re from culturally, just based upon a name. The general assumption usually is that this person isn’t a singer-songwriter, and so that was the last thing I wanted for this project. I’m making everything from acoustic rock songs to really big ballads.
The moniker Teen Idle was something I had had in my back pocket since high school. I had seen the name somewhere, and I told myself that when I have a band, this would be the name. I do all the writing and production, and it is basically a solo project in that sense. However, in a live setting, I have a full five-piece band. I play rhythm guitar, and then we have a synth player, drums, bass, and then a lead guitarist. It’s cool because all of these songs I write in my bedroom, and I make these productions.
My first EP was recorded in a local studio. Still, the first stuff I was recording, and really the point of making the name Teen Idle of the project, was just for me to get things out there, so I ended up posting a bunch of music to Bandcamp, and it was more like a solo project. Still, I had always intended to have a full band when playing shows. I was living in New York at the time, attending college in New York City, and when I moved back home after college, I realized that all my friends from high school were living in different places. So, I told myself that I wanted to be part of the music scene in Asbury Park. I had been a part of it growing up because I had taken music lessons in Asbury, so it was sort of my introduction to the scene because I was taught by people who fronted bands in Asbury, and it always inspired me. I told myself, ‘That’s what I need to do when I am older,’ and I guess after I had moved back home after graduating college, it was sort of like a daunting feat to find a way to become part of this music scene. I ended up investing all of my energy into it, but due to COVID, I didn’t play my first show as Teen Idle until 2021.
MaM: I want to say your voice is extraordinary, and as I was prepping for this interview, I was listening to your Beach Boys cover, and I absolutely love The Beach Boys. When did you discover you had a natural gift for singing, and how old were you when you really started to get into music?
SA: You know, it’s interesting, because I’ve just been obsessed with music in every way, shape, and form since I was about six years old. I remember in second grade, when I was living in New York, I would go over to my neighbor’s house after school. We would sit down and watch MTV music videos, and his mom would make us frozen mac and cheese. It’s just such a core memory. I would watch these people, such as Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez, and Avril Lavigne, and I started to develop an obsession with pop stars and their music. I think I bought my first CD shortly after, in second grade, and I would listen to music every day on the bus. I was always singing, yeah. I think I was nine when I picked up a guitar, and I was into the Jonas Brothers, and they were a big enough inspiration to me to pick up a guitar. I was always singing along to their music, accompanying everything I saw on the Disney Channel, and I've just realized I have a passion for singing.
Vocals have been a real journey for me, though, honestly, and sometimes I think people think it’s easy for me. I’ll watch old videos of myself performing at The Stone Pony with the music school I was a part of. In high school and middle school, I was a shy child, but I was clearly passionate about singing and performing. Listening to how different my vocals sounded at that age compared to now, it’s almost as if I’ve developed this lower register, and I guess life happens, but it wears your voice down. It’s interesting to hear how much higher my voice was, but from when I started playing shows with Teen Idle to now, I have become more aware of how I am using my voice by watching older videos. It’s been a journey of learning how to use it correctly.
MaM: On your song, ‘Burning’, you have this incredible guitar tone at the beginning of the song, and I wanted to see if you used any special pedals or anything to get that sound? It hooked me.
SA: Oh wow, I’m trying to think, honestly. I haven’t listened to the recorded version in a while.
MaM: It really caught my attention, and I tend to zone in on stuff like that. I’m a massive sucker for a heavy bassline, too.
SA: I produced and recorded the song by myself and was experimenting with different sound effects and pedals. I honestly think it emerged from some weird audio mishap, and I just kept it.
MaM: We call those "happy accidents". So, you also covered ‘Be My Baby’ by The Ronettes! Let’s talk about that. That’s always been one of my favorite songs. What an incredible rendition of a classic song. I love that you’re bringing these older songs into a newer generation, but with a different spin. You’ve got The Beach Boys cover and this one. What made you want to cover those songs, and do you have plans to cover any other classic songs?
SA: There’s a local record label called Shore Points Records, and seasonally, they’ll put out different compilation albums, so the Beach Boys cover was actually part of this compilation called Local Summer. Just a bunch of Asbury artists covering songs that reminded them of summer, and I agonized over which song to pick. After I looked through my music library, I felt that I really knew this song well, and it’s such a vibe, and I’m constantly bobbing my head to it. I got into the studio with my drummer, James, at this place called Lakehouse, which is, coincidentally, where my drummer and I met when we were kids. Still, James is a talented producer and engineer, too, so just the two of us in the studio made that cover. He did the drums, and I played everything else on it basically. Additionally, he’s a heavy-hitting drummer, which inspired me to create a more rock-oriented version. I then decided to write a guitar riff over it that differs from the original. I think that song is so brilliant, and the chorus is fantastic.
Now, ‘Be My Baby’, that was for a different compilation. I put together a compilation of all female artists and asked them to contribute a song. The funds went to a charity that fights against the trafficking of women. I just wanted to cover a really powerful female artist.
MaM: Which leads me to ‘Bad Romance’ by Lady Gaga. How did that one come about?
SA: That was another one that we did for a Shore Points compilation, and this one was all women-focused, highlighting different artists in the area. I got to do that one with Cory Blair; she is just a phenomenal musician and one of my favorite songwriters. The concept was to pick a song from a powerful female artist you like, similar to the other one, but we toyed around with different stuff. We eventually landed on doing a Lady Gaga song, and we had to figure out which song was a doable song to do to make it our own and different. I’ve been obsessed with ‘Bad Romance’ since literally the day it came out. We wanted to honor her music and completely reimagine it. We took apart the entire song – rewrote the chords, redid everything. We wanted to slow it down, too, but when we did, it was eight minutes long, so we had to take out huge chunks. We then had the idea to do a sort of country version, because I haven’t seen that done yet for a Lady Gaga song. I had this clear vision in my mind, and then we just set it up. It was a grueling process, but we learned a lot. We basically wrote a new song using the lyrics and structure.
MaM: What is your favorite genre to listen to, and do you have a specific top band?
SA: I love so many different things. I think it would be impossible for me to say. I listen to a variety of genres, including classical, jazz, Middle Eastern funk, 90s grunge, and indie rock, but it depends on my mood—different bands suit different situations and moods. If I want a hype playlist, I’ll listen to those early 2000s pop songs. I’m open to everything. As far as bands, the reason I started writing music, I would have to say, is because of Fleetwood Mac. I remember discovering them as a teenager, and shortly after, I wrote my first song. I love Nine Inch Nails and St. Vincent. Her guitar playing and how she conducts herself in her career are amazing. I have so many.
MaM: How do you approach writing a new song? Do you come up with a lyric or melody first?
SA: I have definitely written stuff that is more on the intentional side, so I have to sit down and do it actively, but usually the way I work is I’ll make a demo, and if it’s not for an intentional compilation, then a song will usually start with a feeling. Maybe I was inspired by something that happened in my life. Perhaps I’m feeling really happy and uplifting. I’ll either be noodling around with the acoustic guitar or playing the piano, but sometimes, through noodling, I’ll discover a riff. I record everything I think is a good idea in my voice memos, so I have a million voice memos of stuff with me noodling with stuff that could become a song later. If I’m sitting down to write something, though, if I’m feeling a certain way, it’s usually me noodling around on the acoustic or humming a melody with words that don’t make sense to sort of get the syllables of what I want the song to sound like. When I’m actually writing lyrics, I’ll try to write something that follows those syllables and the rhyming scheme, but that actually makes sense. I’ll then make a full demo of everything, even if I’m going to be recording with someone else. Production and songwriting are really linked for me.
MaM: What’s been the most challenging part of navigating today’s independent music scene?
SA: Good question. It’s much different now than it was in 2015, and I think the toughest thing is trying to figure out how to get people to listen to the music—trying to figure out how to do things organically and DIY with no budget, too. So, yeah, doing things on a budget and trying to fight against the social media algorithms for exposure, and the trends, too. Trying to figure out how to break out of that mold and do something that’s really individual and goes against the grain. Walking that line, knowing what is going to get you exposure.
As Teen Idle continues to establish a distinctive place in the indie music scene, fans won't have to wait long for the next release. A new single titled 'Vampires' will be available on October 24, followed by a full-length album scheduled for release in spring 2026. Teen Idle is only just beginning, so be sure to stay tuned for more updates.
*Cover photos by Cory Blair and edited by Sara Abdelbarry
To learn more about Teen Idle:
All live photos by the man with the plan, Jeff Crespi
Questions or comments? Reach out at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com.