What an honor and opportunity I had last week to speak with Beacon (Hudson Valley) native music and visual artist, Rachael Sage, about her upcoming tour, and her single, “Whistle Blow.” The independent artist - a vocalist, songwriter, pianist, violinist, and even percussionist with an impressive 20+ album discography* - has written songs and poetry since childhood. She frequently collaborates with other artists to create social-justice pieces, and has dedicated the proceeds from one album, “Bravery on Fire,” to Women’s Cancer Research. A once-performer on the New York Ballet and longtime New York resident – if you didn’t get a chance to see her when she visited our own Gallery 5 in Richmond, VA, on March 21, look out for her next event, and take note of her upcoming album release, “The Other Side,” July 21. At the old fire station, Rachael Sage celebrated “Whistle Blow” co-billed alongside Annalyse & Ryan. She said the song “points out the way public leaders breach our trust,” and guides us to a frame of mind where we “reckon with these revelations.” For the last two decades, Rachael has had her own recording label, MPress. She shared the Southern leg of her current tour with the two fellow Beacon, New Yorkers who celebrate their folk-Southern roots. Longtime performers, Annalyse & Ryan released their first full-length album in 2021, on the same label as Levon Helm, and included a song dedicated to the memory of John Prine.
I wanted to hear more about “Poetica,” a digital-remote collaboration among artists who passed material from one to another, each adding layers of musical input. For this project debut, Rachael provided the initial layer of inspiration in spoken word, instrumentals and percussion. To hear of this, or more about her recent appearance at the 40th annual Mountain Stage, WVA. Or the 20th anniversary of her album, Public Record. But Rachael graciously embraced my own state of being, and I got a message from the artist that was open to absolutely any audience about how important it is to cherish, feel and take time to appreciate our lives. The music she puts forth bridges generations and can come from any inspiration. And when I shared with her how I felt her music would help my family through our sad time, I shed a few poignant tears. Listen to a 2019 song: “God’s Creatures,” which she wrote about a friend who was robbed at the doorway of her own home. It was one of those once-in-a-blue-moon events where the robber and victim communicated in that space, and though the robbery was still completed, the victim was unharmed and yet the robber left an indescribable impression upon her - different than one might imagine, and furthermore, she felt certain she had impressed some human emotion on the robber, too. Apparently, there is humanity still in the worst of situations. Then, Rachael had to write a song about it - to capture the event for posterity, and maybe attempt to make a little more sense of her friend’s strange and terrifying experience. The artist devotes a great deal of positivity and energy to her work. She doesn’t remember her poems off the top of her head. When I tried to discuss one I liked called “Ladybugs,” with a little prompting, she shared that her view of the world is shaped by her knowledge of its beauty and also a harshness of society. When she is feeling overwhelmed - and here is a piece of guidance for aspiring artists - she says, “I open a (facebook) post, write from the top of my head and post.” This is her poetry. The restriction of form is this particular digital platform. Her audience is implied. And when does she write? When she is “overwhelmed with feeling about collective events.” She encourages me to do the same. What might the artist have to say to young artists? Well, more towards adults (me) she acknowledges, that she works with a “language (she has) been using and developing since childhood.” Her natural creativity comes from that time - the time of magical discovery -- finding a hatch of ladybugs choking a defunct drainpipe in her bedroom. She knows all people are born with creativity - the tools which turned that discovery into a meaningful memory. When we become “world weary,” the artist feels we can lose touch with our creativity. And she shared with me how her strength was tested and tempered by a bout with cancer. When it came to coping and navigating the illness, cancer is “a part of your own body," she reasons. "When I stopped thinking of it as something attacking me, I was able to make better decisions.” Hear about her cancer journey in the album “Bravery on Fire.” Through trauma and gratitude, thankful for her team - which included healthcare professionals, loved ones and herself! - she wanted to be able to express clearly what was difficult under the stress of long-term illness - the need to “draw personal boundaries.” Being able to say, “Everything isn’t OK,” she remembers, was important. To acknowledge, “I am in a different place.” To be all things at once – receptive to much-needed support, and yet guarded — this is her shared wisdom. If ever I was glad of the reminder to think outside the box, it was after talking with Rachael Sage. So here is a snapshot of a Folk-Pop-American artist, a celebrated independent performer now bound for England - who takes the stage to remind us to: Revel in our own magic. “We get enough of the grind,” Sage states – “So, when we come together (to celebrate art,) we are our highest selves.” She is humbled and honored to help create a space or event dedicated to that purpose. So, my closing thoughts are: take time to liberate yourself! And, check out songs “Happiness” and “Try Try Try” for starters! *Grateful Web Poetica - Irish Post
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AuthorWe are Kieran and Michelle, two 32-year-old William & Mary grads living in Virginia. Archives
March 2024
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