NEWELLA

Grief as muse. Music as medicine. Story as connection.

ABOUT:

Hey, I’m Newella—and I’m really sorry you’re here, because it likely means you’ve lost someone you love. I know that pain too.
In 2021, I lost my dad to complications from COVID, and everything changed. Before that, I was writing songs about love, heartbreak, and anxiety. After loss, I couldn’t write about anything else but grief. Music became the only way I knew how to process what I was feeling.
My actual name is Sarah, but I created Newella to honor my dad. His first name was Newell, though he went by Scott—I guess you could say it's a bit of a family tradition to not use our actual names. So, Newella was born: a name rooted in legacy, memory, and love.
I've spent years making music, coaching singers, and working in the music world. I never imagined that my creative path would lead here—but loss has a way of rerouting everything. It’s a strange kind of gift: I love that I get to honor him through my songs and my podcast, Grief City. But I hate that this is why I’m doing it—because he’s really gone.
And yet, here we are: trying to make beauty out of heartbreak, and offering space for others to feel seen in theirs.
Grief is a heavy burden. I hope that through my music and podcast, you feel even a little of that weight lifted. I hope you feel held. Heard. Less alone.
May this be a place where grief and joy can coexist.
You’re not alone here.

MUSIC:

This is what I like to call “Griefy Pop” — pop music that truly gets your grief.
Songs that meet you where you are, with honesty, heart, and a little bit of hope.

PODCAST:

Writing songs about loss helped me begin to process my grief—but eventually, music alone didn’t feel like enough. I wanted a space to say more. To share the messy parts. The complicated parts. The beautiful, contradictory truths of life after loss.
That’s why I created the Grief City Podcast—a place for real, honest conversations about life after loss.
Grief can feel incredibly isolating, like you’re the only one living in it. But the truth is, millions of us quietly reside in what I call “Grief City.” You’re not alone here, even if it feels that way.
On the show, I share solo episodes, bring on guests to tell their stories, and offer weekly mini-episodes called “Griefy Tips”—gentle, practical reflections to help make the weight of grief feel a little more bearable.
Whether you're newly grieving or years into the journey, my hope is that Grief City becomes a companion—offering comfort, clarity, and reminders that healing is possible, even when it feels far away.