Folk-Americana artist Rachael Sage has long been celebrated for her poetic songwriting and whimsical, one-of-a-kind style. Now, she’s gearing up to release her upcoming album Canopy. Ahead of her UK tour, we dove into the album’s symbolic title track, the magic of reinvention and resilience, and what’s coming next…
Photo: Anna Azarov
Your music has drawn comparisons to Bob Dylan, Sinéad O’Connor, and Alanis Morissette. How do you see their influence reflected in your songwriting and storytelling on “Canopy”?
RS: Sometimes as artists I think we’re compared to others who couldn’t have had a more different creative/career trajectory, and personally I always consider that to be a distinctly magical phenomenon! I was raised mainly on Classical, Doo-Wap and The Beatles and yet through the years via various friends and peers, I was exposed more frequently to folk music. In certain ways I think Bob Dylan’s particular brand of poetry has informed most other artists to whom I have been compared. Sinéad O’ Connor was my favorite artist in college and I used to cover her songs at the local coffeehouse. I sang “3 Babies” and “Black Boys On Mopeds” with a fiddle player who approached me to play together and later, sadly, he succumbed to mental illness and took his own life. His playing was beautiful and joyful and my understanding was that his family was vehemently opposed to him being an artist for his vocation; he felt trapped. In the years since, I’ve thought about him so often and how fortunate I am to still be making music I enjoy, after all this time.
Of all three of these artists, I legitimately think Alanis and I are most similar. While she was a working child actor who later focused on her very personal songwriting, I was a professional ballet dancer from a young age but I was always writing songs and when I finally had the opportunity to make records, it all came out very fully-formed and with sort of a “clinging for my life” intensity in my 20’s. My second album “Smashing The Serene” was often compared to Alanis’ “Jagged Little Pill” and it sounded so different to me vocally, I wasn’t sure why; but in hindsight I think it had to do with our affinity for wide contrasting dynamics in our arrangements, and our definitively heart-on-sleeve personas – and maybe that we also both had very long dark brown hair, ha!
How does “Canopy” differ to previous work?
RS: The title track “Canopy” is very matter-of-fact. I am saying exactly what I’m thinking which, while I’ve strived to do that at times on various records, hasn’t necessarily been my go-to. It’s a very direct lyric, not as much poetry as philosophy, and an invitation to come together, admit that our ongoing problems can only be resolved if we flip the script, and practice radical inclusivity and compassion. Admitting that a gear-shift is necessary is not easy for individuals, let alone groups, to do; but with “Canopy” – and a variety of other songs on the album – my hope is that by sharing what I believe as fervently and empathetically as possible, that will serve as a kind of magnet, drawing people in who are feeling and thinking similarly, and perhaps even some who aren’t. When we’re under a canopy, whether it’s the same starry sky, majestic, ancient trees overhead, or a circus tent, we’re endeavoring to be together, under the same shelter and often with the sides wide open so people can come and go as they please. That’s an image and a concept I felt was a very rich musical landscape to approach from several angles, and hopefully it will also instill some hope and comfort, in the process of people singing along!
What is your songwriting process like? Do you typically start with lyrics, melody, or a particular concept?
RS: I don’t have a singular process really. As a kid I usually started with the music but now, sometimes I hear both at once or start with lyrics to a verse or chorus and then bring it to an instrument to flesh out the rest. Part of the beauty of travel is that it also forces you to let go of patterns. I haven’t had the luxury of writing songs just one way, for many years! I’ve written entire albums in hotel rooms and songs on trains, planes and in my head while walking. The trick is to always have something to write the ideas down in, and a way to record the melody even if it’s just a bunch of nonsense words in the beginning. I have a pretty terrible memory so if I don’t write it down or record it, I’ll tend to forget it even if it’s an idea or a concept I’m excited about. I’ve written songs in my sleep and on trips where I didn’t even have an instrument, or right after watching a movie or reading a book. Songs have come to me out of the blue sitting in a coffeeshop or painstakingly wrestling with one lyric for weeks. I’m an equal opportunity creative, and am just grateful when new ideas emerge! It’s a feeling as close to magic as I’ve ever come, but it can also be cultivated and encouraged, and that’s where craft comes in. That’s another whole conversation…
Many of your albums focus on themes of resilience and transformation. Has your perspective on these themes evolved over time?
RS: I think as a person I’m pretty resilient but I’m also very sensitive and consider myself to be a strong empath. Learning to live within both of these paradigms is an ongoing adventure – and something I’ll probably always write about to some degree because it’s a struggle as much as a gift. As a cancer survivor I think it was a gift to be someone who already knew how not to panic under pressure, but rather to accept, to a certain extent, that there was no rationale for why I was dealing with chemo and surgery and radiation. It sucked, on the one hand, but it also gave me perspective and insight into what so many others endure ongoing, as far as health issues and various forms of pain whether mental or physical. Being human necessarily means you’ll experience some form of suffering but I also consider myself to be very idealistic and optimistic by nature, which arms me well even when I hit patches of depression or hopelessness. I have a lot of evidence from experience now that even in the darkest hour, it’s possible to turn things around for the better. I’m also experienced enough to know that a little humility goes a long way when facing a crisis, in the sense that thinking you’re the only one going through a hard time is a big giant trap and will isolate you and limit your ability to learn. I like to believe I’ve learned my best lessons by witnessing other people not only endure but genuinely transform and it’s something that will probably always fascinate me: what makes someone “resilient”, and how can we cultivate that quality in ourselves, and in each other. Love, encouragement, and a sense of purpose have a lot to do with it no doubt, but being able to roll with unexpected duress with grace is something every person will have to come to contend with at some point. As the saying goes, “we are all just walking each other home.”
You’re heading out on tour with your acoustic trio, ‘Rachael Sage & The Sequins.’ How does each member’s individual contribution shape the overall live sound?
RS: The Sequins are comprised of several rotating members I’ve been playing with for years now, some whom are “core” and others who may join me in different countries or performance settings; but violinist Kelly Halloran and harmonica whiz Will Wilde and I have toured the UK several times together now, sharing stages with Imelda May, Will Young and others…so my audience knows them well and appreciates their beautiful talent which is always such a joy. When Kelly takes a ripping solo, perhaps putting her fiddle through her signature wah pedal, or Will plays an inspired blues harmonica break, it adds so much to the arrangements and lifts the songs to a much more emotional, dynamic place. I’m so honored to share the stage with these fantastic musicians, and the fact that they’re also great friends makes it that much sweeter! Will also has a brilliant new blues record out, so I’ve been thrilled to see his star rising while he’s getting some much-deserved recognition as one of the most incredible harmonica players out there. Likewise Kelly recently played on The Country Music Awards with Lainey Wilson which was pretty wild!
With stops at The Troubadour in London and Brighton’s The Great Escape Festival, which location are you most excited to perform at during the tour?
RS: I’m particularly excited to play The Troubadour because I’ll also have a very special guest, cellist Nicole Collarbone, joining us on some songs. She performs frequently with a lovely UK-based songwriter, Ebony Buckle, who graciously introduced us – and I can’t wait to hear what the combination of her gorgeous cello and Kelly’s lovely violin playing sound like, as a section! The Great Escape is always exciting, and also a terrific opportunity to meet and mingle with other industry folks. Brighton is among my favorite cities, so I’m really eager to be back!
Your ability to reinvent your own music, as seen in “Another Side,” is remarkable. How does the process of reinterpretation shape your creative evolution?
RS: Firstly, thank you for that compliment! If we can’t reinvent ourselves…who can, right? I suppose part of that ability must come from my background as an actor and painter, as well as a musician. Being able to render a similar idea – or character – in different forms is something I’ve done my fair share of across different mediums, so I think the trick is to not be overly precious about it. I also believe that becoming more of an improvisational player in live settings has enabled me to feel more comfortable with the idea that there’s more than one “perfect” idea and no idea is any more right, objectively, than another versus being more resonant or honest in some way.
As an actor the truth may shift from night to night in a play, if the objective feels different in a scene. I think painting is also similar; circumstances vary and the music I’m listening to while I paint or the news I just watched will make me want to pick different colors but none of them are more “right”. Staying loose and being able to admit “wow – this musician just came up with a much better idea than the one I’ve been convinced was correct, in my head” is also important. Everyone has something to say and to contribute to the conversation and even if I’m playing all the parts myself, I’m going to be impacted by channeling whatever emotions I’ve experienced that day…whether it was the sulky person on the subway sitting next to me or the effervescent barista at the coffee shop. Reinterpretation is very much impacted by energy and being able to grab what’s in the air, so to speak, and shape it into something more evolved – without polishing it to death – is my definition of being a producer, pretty much!
What role does collaboration play in your music? Can you share any behind-the-scenes stories about working with Kelly Halloran, Will Wilde, or other contributors on this album?
RS: Kelly is definitely an “MVP” in my larger pool of collaborators and has been a member of The Sequins for many years so we really know each other well and she intuitively knows what I might like as far as coming up with hooks and bringing certain textures to an arrangement whether live or in the studio. That said, she’s equally gifted at interpreting melodies I might sing or play for her on piano and bringing them to a whole other level, via her unique artistry. Will Wilde has such a strong voice, both literally and figuratively, but to his enormous credit he doesn’t use it to show-off but rather to channel the most honest musicality he can muster into whatever he’s playing – whether it’s his own beautiful songwriting, or my material. There are certain film actors who seem incapable of being dishonest onscreen like Jodie Foster or Cate Blanchett and I think of Will like that with a harmonica in his hand and a mic in front of him. He’s not capable of BS. It’s a rare gift and one I am continually inspired by; he’s as soulful as they come and on the record, that really comes across on the song “Belong To You”, which we’ll be performing on this tour!
You’ve been praised for your soul-stirring lyrics. How do you balance poetic storytelling with accessibility in your songwriting?
RS: I tend to think the surest way to become inaccessible is to try too hard to be accessible lol. It sounds like a cliché at this point but the word authenticity springs to mind. I hear the word “cringe” a lot culturally these days and I can’t help but be grateful I came up in a time without social media because virtually everything I created and expressed in my teens and 20’s was probably “cringe”! I cared SO much, I wanted to connect SO badly and there was a kind of desperation to a lot of the songs I penned on my first several albums because it felt as though everything depended on it. It was a somewhat belated adolescence I was able to express through music and for whatever reason it was much easier for me to express my emotions poetically. I rarely thought about being accessible outright, but I also genuinely loved pop and rock songwriters with strong melodic hooks like Crowded House, Suzanne Vega and David Bowie so I think I just naturally wrote “catchy” choruses and musical themes, as an offshoot of being that type of a music fan myself.
Lyrically, I don’t strive for anything other than to find the words that feel most accurate to the emotions and ideas in each song. It helps if they’re also words that feel like something an audience will relate to and maybe even sing along to, for part of the song; I’ve never been great at cultivating personal mystique but I do have a knack for a memorable melody and the only think I can accredit that to is a lifelong love of Radio. I grew up listening to Top 40 Radio along with my Dad’s Beatles and Buddy Holly records – and I was a radio DJ in college – so even when I started writing from more of a folk, storytelling place it was engrained in me that to get people interested you needed at least 2 to 5 strong hooks in a song. It was so automatic that if anything, I’ve had to fight against it. Sometimes a song can actually be too hooky, to the point of annoyance or detracting from the “vibe”. I think Glen Hansard and The Swell Season, along with Rufus Wainwright and Elvis Costello, have been especially influential on me as far as balancing the unexpected with the familiar. On the one hand, we all enjoy an unusual dish in a great restaurant from time to time; but comfort food is comforting for a reason and sometimes being a memorable melodic pop song or catchy rock refrain is enough! In short: I try to find balance in my process by remaining a giant music fan and not taking any of it so seriously like I lose sight of the fact that making music is a gift. It’s called “playing” for a reason and hope I can be part of the tradition of songwriters people want to sing along to, even if I’m telling stories poetically!
You’ve been known for blending genres, from folk and Americana to pop. Were there any unexpected influences or musical elements that found their way into “Canopy”?
RS: That’s an excellent question and I’m going to say definitively, no! My goal musically with this album was to celebrate the collaboration between myself and my ongoing Sequins aka bandmates through these many years of making 15 other albums – and over 20 records and EP’s. If anything I hope this album better crystallizes our collective direction, which has always been a little bit pop, a little bit rock, a lot of folk and Americana. Kelly and Dave’s strings…James Mastro’s electric guitars…my guitar and piano parts…various accordion, organ, percussion and horn parts all fall squarely in the “we’ve always blended genres” genre! As someone with ADD, I get bored very easily but also hyperfocus on what I enjoy; I enjoy eclectic music and records that manage to have a strong melodic core but also feel representative of the wider world in some way. I expect the unexpected so for instance when David Krakauer played klezmer clarinet on a song I was hearing more classically initially, it was the best kind of deviation from my expectation. The sum of this band all playing on these tracks is so much more exciting to me than its parts; but the process of working in person, together with these incredibly talented people is something I hope I never take for granted.
What are your hopes and aspirations for 2025?
RS: I hope that the shows I play feel as meaningful and positive as possible, even amidst these divisive, politically charged times. I aspire to make people laugh, cry and and remember that each of us could be the other person, and that knowing and remembering that is something that should enrich our lives, and not threaten them.
Grab Your Tickets For Rachael Sage’s ‘Under My Canopy’ UK Tour here.
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