Rock Monsters Romania

We’ve talked about the women working behind the scenes, but now it’s time to step into the spotlight and focus on the women on stage.

When you say Asincron, you’re already talking about a strong name in the Bucharest underground scene. I still remember interviewing them back in 2023, when they were opening for Coma at Expirat. Since then, I’ve seen them play everywhere from Filaret 16 to Control Club and they’ve easily become one of my favorite local bands.

At the heart of it all is Sara Păunescu, the band’s lead singer, genuine, passionate, and open minded. Music has been part of her life since early childhood; she was recording herself singing at just four or five years old. Over time, her curiosity pushed her beyond mainstream sounds, and joining Asincron allowed her to explore new styles and influences even more deeply. She describes her musical identity as something hard to pin down shaped by experiences, inspirations, and a bit of “beautiful chaos.” Though she once doubted whether she would truly fit into the project, taking that leap turned out to be one of her best decisions. (source: Romania Rocks: Asincron)

Last year, Asincron released Somn / Cer Variabil EP, recorded by Sergiu Frătilă from PLANT and produced by Vladimir Ivanov from Pinholes. It includes their standout track “Grădina Cișmigiu,” the song everyone sings along to at every show. Sara is, without a doubt, one of the coolest voices on the scene she has tone, technique, and, most importantly, she truly lives every word she sings.

We chose Sara for this series because we want to support her work even more than we already do. We love what she’s doing, we believe exciting things are ahead for Asincron, and we honestly can’t wait to see what comes next.

And of course, we wanted to get to know her better to find out more about her journey, the challenges she faced and what she dreams of doing next. So we sat down with her for a special interview to dive into all of that and more.

What are the things people should know about you before reading this interview?

Well, my name is Sara, I am the vocalist of Asincron; I’ve been a part of this project
for three years already, and yeah, that’s about it. And I’m in a bad place right now.

Which woman inspired you from the beginning? What have you learned from her
as a model?

Many women inspired me. Women in general inspired me, their mannerisms, their
voices, their expressions, the things each and every one of them would hide. My
‘holy quaternity’ was composed of Rihanna, Adele, Shakira and Frida Kahlo. What all
these women had in common was a very unfamiliar (to me) and enticing sense of
freedom. Their energy seemed to flow, and I wanted my energy to flow in that same
way. I still want that.

Why have you chosen the music industry? Where does your passion come from?

Somehow, I’ve never managed to grasp this ‘music industry’ thing, nor feel like I’m
part of it. I just sing. Sometimes occasionally, sometimes more than occasionally,
sometimes casually, sometimes as a duty, sometimes freely, sometimes out of
obligation. It just is like that. My passion comes from the things I feel, from how diverse and intense they are, from the need to do something with all these things. I might even go as far as saying that maybe it’s not even ‘passion’, but an extreme need to put myself on a ‘shelf’ and watch from a distance. I think making music is something that I view as a necessity, or something that’s actually out of my control. I think it just comes out.

Was there a moment when another woman warned you about the challenges you
might face in the music industry because you’re a woman? What was your reaction?

I don’t remember any women warning me. I actually don’t remember anyone other
than Rareș, my bandmate, warning me in any way, of anything. I think I imagined
that there would be challenges, but I told myself that I could face them anyway.

Have you faced any challenges that could only happen to women in this industry?
Can you give us some examples and explain how you overcame them?

I haven’t necessarily faced any actual challenges and I consider myself lucky to even
say that; I do however feel like there are higher expectations in terms of women’s
vocal acts. The performance HAS TO be neater. I feel like people are quicker to
judge the correctness of the technical execution of a woman’s performance, whereas
they pay more attention to a male performer’s ‘vibe’. I don’t know if I’ll ever genuinely
get over that.

Have you ever felt pressured to present yourself in a certain way because of your
gender?

Hmm…not really, thankfully.

What changes would you like to see in the industry to make it more inclusive and
welcoming for women?

I feel like this is a rabbit hole because more women would make it more inclusive
and welcoming, but how do we have it to have more women? I truly don’t know how
to answer this question.

How optimistic are you about the future of the music industry in terms of gender
equality?

I think that perhaps, maybe, everything is evolving, but terribly slow. I’m not sure if
I’m very optimistic.

Can you share a memorable experience or achievement in your career that you’re
particularly proud of?

I am always surprised and deeply moved whenever I hear the public singing with us.
I hear them best when I forget my lyrics and they keep going. I sometimes struggle
with being proud of my work, but when I’m on stage and I hear so many people sing I
get these big big feelings, it’s as if they’re also embracing me, not only singing with
me.

Are there any projects or collaborations you’re currently working on that you’re
excited about and would like to share with our audience?

Well we (Asincron) are slowly working towards our next album. It’s a very busy
period for all of us. I currently don’t have any other projects but for the past year I’ve
been listening to a big variety of genres and I’m open to collaborations and to new
things/experiences.

Looking back on your career journey so far, what are some valuable lessons or
insights you’ve gained that you wish you knew when you were starting out?

Being on stage is this special, unlike anything else feeling, it’s like an emotional high,
and people feel that together with you. The more you let yourself feel, and the more
you open yourself up when on stage, the more the public can connect with your
message. My point is that you will make technical mistakes and many things could
end up going wrong; that’s just the risk of the job. The important part is not letting
these things disconnect you from the moment. People don’t sense the mistake itself
as much as they feel your sudden detachment from them. I wish I had figured that
out earlier.

What advice would you give to young women aspiring to pursue a career in
music? But to the ones that are reading this interview?

I would tell them to be brave. I would also advise them to try not to compare themselves to anyone else. That ruins a lot of good things, trust me, I would know. And don’t put other women down, encourage them instead with kindness and honesty.
I don’t know what else. Thank you ❤

If we’ve sparked your curiosity and you want to hear Sara and Asincron live, come out on March 28 at Burning Bridges in Expirat. I know I’ll definitely be there probably front row, crying my eyes out during “Grădina Cișmigiu.”

Rock Monsters Romania believes in professionalism and in the chance for women to stand out in an industry that seems dominated by men. Due to this belief, we have decided that once every two weeks on our website, you can find a woman who is making waves in the music industry and offers daily inspiration and support to those around them.

Text by Ionela Pleșan

Interview by Ionela Pleșan and Radu Mihai