MT: Your current single, ‘From Dust’ feels like the warmth of the sun on a beautiful Autumn day. Can you explain the meaning behind the song? 

Sage: Thank you, that’s so sweet! The song is sung from the perspective of a person who has been separated from their loved one after a long life together. This loved one is no longer around, but has passed on and become a star in the sky. The person left behind is thinking back on all of the beautiful memories they shared, and pining to be together again. It’s a happy-sad fairytale. I think a lot of that warmth you mentioned comes from the sentiment of the song, but also the lush layers of cello at the foundation.

 

MT: I’d love to know your age; reason being, I don’t often hear many young singers and songwriters who are writing and recording folk style music. If you don’t mind, how old are you?

Sage: Not at all! I’m 26 years old. And it’s funny you say “young” because, yes I am young, but a small part of me wants to be 18 again to get another head start on this music journey I’m on. 

 

MT: Who introduced you to folk music?

Sage: I really couldn’t say. I’ve been exposed to so much music in my life, particularly through my family and my education. I loved listening to artists like James Vincent McMorrow, Joanna Newsom, and First Aid Kit in high school. Folk exists in 2 universes in my mind; there’s the contemporary folk that I write and sing, and the traditional folk that I play in jam sessions with other fiddlers. The latter I was introduced to a couple of years ago on an immersive folk music camp called Stringmania. 

 

MT: I see you play Cello throughout ‘From Dust’. What came first; playing the cello or singing?

Sage: Singing. I got my first cello when I was about 13 or 14, and I think we paid just over $200 for it on ebay. I’ve taken that cello all over the world and it’s opened so many doors for me. I never took a singing lesson until 2 months ago actually! Before then I just translated everything I knew about cello, flute, and piano to how I should treat my voice as another instrument.

 

MT: Do you play other instruments? If so what else do you play?

Sage: I started piano when I was 6 and flute when I was 10. I dabbled in guitar briefly but it’s not my forte. Put anything in front of me and I’ll make it work! If I played another instrument it would be the harp; I just feel like you could play all the wrong notes in the world and it would still sound beautiful. My fiance is a musician as well, so I think we’ll be hoarding a lot of instruments in the future. 

 

MT: How long have you been in the music business as an independent artist? When was your very first recording and release?

Sage: A week ago! It makes me sound really green, but I’ve been studying classical music at conservatories since I was 18 so I’ve been working in other musical spheres for a long time. I picked up the stringer-songwriter thing many years ago but it was a secondary thing for a long while. Being my first official release I keep telling people that I’m equally excited and terrified about it. They’re the good kind of nerves that remind you how much you care about what you’re doing. 

 

MT: Can you tell us how you came into contact to work with members of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra? What was it like to work with Richard Vaudrey?

Sage: When I was at university studying classical cello, all of my teachers were members of the MSO. At first they seem like celebrities, but then they become mentors and friends. My network was always in the classical stream, but meeting Richard was actually a separate thing altogether. My best friend was 1 of 5 girls, and one of her sisters was dating this cellist and living in NY. Eventually I got to meet him, and I kind of just looked up to him from afar until I got up the idea to ask to work with him on this EP.

 

MT: What has been your biggest challenge in your music career so far? How did you overcome that obstacle?

Sage: There are always hurdles like making ends meet, or dealing with burnout. They’re very real. Then there are the musical hurdles like obsessing over lyrics, or not being able to finish a song. I’ve always been really resilient and been able to push through all of these things, but there are definitely days when it’s all too much. It’s good to remember your track record of getting through bad days when you come up against the next one. Personally, I also really struggle with my health on a daily basis due to a major spinal surgery I had when I was 18. It makes all the simple things like just sitting in a chair or carrying my groceries much harder. For a long time I just put on a brave face about how much pain I was in, but now I’m better at telling people when I need help. Ask for help, whatever it is! I really believe people want to help people. 

 

MT: From what you have learned about your challenges in the music business, what advice would you like to give upcoming independent artists?

Sage: You have to forcibly and decisively make time for what is important. Unless you take time out to turn your ideas into a product, they’ll only ever be ideas. Unless you set boundaries on your time, you’ll miss out on the balance you need to be happy and functional. You’ll be working hard, not working smart. Time is precious; a lot of the time I feel like I’m running out of it, but I have to remind myself that it’s not the case. 

 

MT:   Can you tell us a bit about your music video which accompanies ‘From Dust’? Was this your first music video and what was the experience like for you?

Sage: This was my first music video, and it was the best way to ease me into this medium. I really didn’t want to sing to a camera, or be an actress. I’m more open to that idea now, but at the time I just wanted to make something aesthetic and feature myself and the cello in it. It’s an important visual for me. Better to keep it simple and let the song shine! The experience was just so fun. It was only three of us walking around these gardens all day and searching for beautiful things, and I got to play dress up! 

 

MT: What’s a typical day for you? Do you work on your music every day? What other activities or hobbies besides music do you like to do that your fans may like to know about?

Sage: I’ll get up and get ready for the day, then smash out as much admin work as I can so that I have the rest of the day to dedicate to work or play. I’ve never been a coffee drinker so I always have an almond milk hot chocolate with marshmallows by my side. At the moment I’m planning my wedding, and working as a freelance orchestra manager for a project of 64 musicians to tour Melbourne & Sydney, so I’m definitely not short on tasks to do! Yesterday was super busy so I didn’t get to sit down at the piano until about 9pm, but it was so lovely to play in the quiet of the night and I’ll probably spend a lot more of today working on music. Other than that, I just love living on the Mornington Peninsula. When you have a day off or even a couple of hours, you feel like you’re on holiday. I go to pilates three times a week, go to the beach, walk at The Briars, play with my cat, and bake! I just got a watercolour set for Christmas so that’s going to be a new hobby for me.

 

MT:   We’re really looking forward to your EP ‘Tethered’ due for release on February 27^th; what can we expect on the EP?

Sage: A lot more ethereal vocals and cello! I’m really proud of how each song is entirely different from the next, but they still feel like a family. ‘From Dust’ is so happy, but you only have to listen to the next track and things start to get a little dark and cinematic. There’s folk in there, there’s pop, there’s beats, there’s guitar, and glockenspiel; there’s definitely some unexpected sounds going on in there that make it unique, and I can’t wait for people to tell me what they think! 

 

MT: Did you write and/or co-write all the tracks on ‘Tethered’? Who produced the EP?

Sage: The music is 100% written by me! I wrote, arranged, and performed everything that needed to be tracked before production, then that part went to Richard Vaudrey. I sure could not have done it without him! I learnt so much watching him work and am now starting to make basic demos at home with the skills I’ve picked up. My best friend and colleague Navin Gulavita also played violin and viola on the last three tracks of the EP, and I’m so glad he did! He has a beautiful tone and the strings are one of my favourite parts about those songs. 

 

MT: Are people able to see you perform anywhere?

Sage: Yes! Stay tuned on my socials for the dates, I’d love to see you! I’ve been in Canada and the US for the past 5 weeks, so now that I’m back I’m rehearsing with the band and putting a show or two together. 

 

MT: Thank you so much for your time Sage, good luck with the EP release! 

 

 

 

YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT SAGE HERE

Enchanting, Beautiful & Delicate Music from Young Indie Artist, Sage

The Freakish Talent of Samuel Jacks Natural Soul Finesse

LINKS TO SAGE

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thissage/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thissage/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgJI5u053Z7ijMK42VY2GAg

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thissage/from-dust/s-N3kJ9

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2IbD4TQ7YR4MiW7eKYsHdn?si=QLUp97i5THuBGV-7tNOtZg