Illuminati Hotties' Sarah Tudzin Sings in Star Wars: Ahsoka First Episode
Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) in Lucasfilm's Star Wars: Ahsoka, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
Image by Nicola Goode / Lucasfilm Ltd.
Sarah Tudzin B.M. ’14
Image by Lissyelle Laricchia
Listen to an Illuminati Hotties track like "Joni: LA’s No. 1 Health Goth" or "Free Ppls" and it's easy to see why the music team for Star Wars: Ahsoka thought Sarah Tudzin's voice could mix well with a speeder bike chase in a galaxy far, far away.
Ahsoka, which premiered this week on Disney+ and stars Rosario Dawson, features Tudzin B.M. ’14 on lead vocals in the first episode for the blistering "Igyah Kah," an original rock song that stands out against the largely orchestral score. Written by series composers Kevin Kiner, Ludwig Göransson, Deana Kiner B.M. ’13, and Noah Gorelick, the song accompanies the introduction of rebellious Mandalorian Sabine Wren, played by Natasha Liu Bordizzo.
Tudzin was invited to participate in the project by longtime friend and fellow Berklee alum Deana Kiner B.M. ’13. Kiner has worked as a composer for several other Star Wars shows, as well as for series including Making a Murderer, Narcos: Mexico, and Hell on Wheels. She's also a regular Illuminati Hotties collaborator, and played on the band's widely acclaimed 2021 album, Let Me Do One More.
“Star Wars composer Deana Kiner has been a friend and collaborator for years, and when she reached out about grabbing some vocals for a TOP SECRET Star Wars project she composed the score for, I was game!" Tudzin told Pitchfork. "I was of course excited to help, but when I knew the cue was all about going full-gremlin mode, I knew I could crush it for her! Honored to be a part of such a special universe.”
Listen to Sarah Tudzin on Sounds of Berklee:
In 2021, Tudzin spoke to Sounds of Berklee about how her love of songwriting led her into the role of a lead vocalist—Tudzin studied music production and percussion at Berklee—and how she developed the freedom to experiment with extreme or dramatic vocal sounds. "I feel like I have a lot less on the line than, maybe, someone who is a real trained singer—I kind of have had to sing as a punishment for wanting to put music out and write songs. But it’s just not my natural state, so I think I can take a lot more risks with it," Tudzin said. "I can sort of play around and be closer to a voiceover artist."
Earlier this month, Illuminati Hotties wrapped a string of tour dates with indie supergroup boygenius, whose massive 2023 album the record Tudzin helped produce. And she contributed guest vocals to "Liar 2" by experimental hardcore crew the Armed, continuing a trend of tracks that sound perfect for hopping on the speeder bike and zooming off into whatever the sun does—sunset, sunrise, sun-wobble?—in that part of the galaxy.
Listen to "Liar 2" by the Armed, featuring Sarah Tudzin:
