Last month, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles appeared on the big screen at the Beacon Theatre with no makeup, tears in her eyes, and nothing to hide. Through glossy-eyed vulnerability and moments of disarming humor, her documentary Good Grief invites audiences into one of the most intimate chapters of her life and career.
“It was very cathartic,” Bareilles told amNewYork. “It was kind of nice not to spend any energy bottling it up or holding it. Crying just out of the gate in this film, we’re not holding everything back. There was a real catharsis in that.”
Directed by Josh Alexander, Good Grief follows Bareilles and her longtime band as they record the majority of her upcoming album during an intensive six-day session in Woodstock, New York. The documentary captures not only the creative process but also Bareilles’ return to songwriting after years marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, profound personal loss, and grief.
Her first studio album since 2019’s Amidst the Chaos, Good Grief is a 14-track collection that transforms heartbreak into hope, offering a look at healing through music.
“We were in such good hands with Josh,” Bareilles said. “It felt like a really safe place to tell these very private and tender stories.”
The album explores grief from multiple angles, including the loss of loved ones and friendships, as well as Bareilles’ reflections on fertility, even a chance encounter with a widower. Rather than shy away from painful emotions, she and her collaborators embrace them, allowing vulnerability to shape every song.
Alexander said their friendship laid the foundation for the film, making every interaction and embrace effortless. Even the pauses and natural sounds in their recording studio played a part.
“We’ve been really good friends for the last five years,” he said. “The collaboration came out of many conversations, not about this film, but conversations we’d been having as friends. I asked Sara once why she trusted me to do this, and she just said, ‘I don’t know.’”
The documentary also reveals how inspiration can arrive unexpectedly. The album’s lead single, “Home,” was sparked by a vulnerable conversation Bareilles heard on Anderson Cooper’s podcast about grief and loss, becoming an emotional cornerstone for both the record and the film.
“This whole project was about following that quiet little voice,” Bareilles said. “The idea came in: ‘What if Josh filmed this?’ I invited him, and he said yes. Then I realized I hadn’t thought through any of the details.”
The film offers more than a behind-the-scenes look at recording sessions. Bareilles reflects on the people who supported her rise to fame, the sacrifices that came with success, and the deep bonds within her band as they process their own lives and losses together.
While there are plenty of tears, Good Grief is equally filled with laughter. Bareilles’ quick wit and warmth shine through as friends hold space for one another, discuss the realities of the music industry, including conversations about Auto-Tune, and pull back the curtain on what it truly means to create art.
“Joy is as natural as creation,” Bareilles said. “The more you allow one, the more you allow the other. They’re braided together.”
She also credits her band for creating an environment where honesty could flourish.
“What I really leaned into was a deep trust in my collaborators,” she said. “I’m so happy their presence and impact on the project are highlighted in this film. Who you bring into the room to make music with really matters. This was the genesis of the record, and I’m glad these particular people are shining so brightly.”
For Alexander, the experience challenged the long-held belief that meaningful art must come from suffering alone.
“It was such a nourishing and nurturing process,” he said. “There’s this idea that art has to be difficult and filled with suffering. But when there’s honesty, presence, authenticity, and you’re working with people who bring that kind of vulnerability, it’s actually the opposite. There was pain, yes, but there was also joy and laughter. It reinforced how important it is to be intentional about who you choose to collaborate with.”
Good Grief, Bareilles’ seventh studio album, will be released on Aug. 28 and followed by a North American theater tour beginning in September.
After more than two decades of writing songs that have resonated with audiences around the world, Bareilles hopes both the album and the documentary remind people that grief and joy can coexist.
“To me, this project affirmed the importance of trying to tell the truth instead of dressing it up to be something else,” Bareilles said. “I trust that it will find the audience it needs to find. That’s really what I want to keep doing.”
