Singer/songwriter/musician Rachael Sage has just released her sixth album, Ballads & Burlesque. She has been praised by critics for the strength of her lyrics and phrases like 'renaissance performer' and 'modern folk diva' are regularly used to refer the multi-talented artist. She has won both the John Lennon and the Billboard songwriting contests. Sage was Chicago Oct. 21, performing at Berry United Methodist Church, as part of their 3rd Thursdays Concert Series. The performance itself was excellent, moving seamlessly from sharp wit to more serious introspective moments. But regrettably, the venue seemed too small to contain the range of her voice. Her exuberant energy is definitely ready for a larger, more sophisticated stage. Look out for her next visit. Before the show, Sage enthusiastically answered a few questions about creativity and community.
Marie-Jo Proulx: You play the piano and a number of other instruments as well. Which one most drives the composition process for you?
Rachael Sage: Well honestly, I don't particularly consider myself much of a 'player' of any instrument except keyboards. I'm a decent djembé player and I used to play a lot more acoustic guitar, and have written many songs on guitar, including most of my first two albums. But really, my main primary axe as a performer and composer has always been the piano (including wurlitzer, rhodes, mellotron). I've been playing piano since I was about three years old, so for me it's pretty much like talking. Maybe even more comfortable sometimes!
MJP: Comparing your first album with Ballads & Burlesque, how would you say your lyrics have evolved?
RS: I think what's different about this album from my first is that it's much more direct, and more specific lyrically, which hopefully makes the music communicate more deeply to the listener with fewer barriers of 'persona' to wade through. I think it's taken me about 10 years to figure out that when symbolism is so cryptic or quirky to other people that they can't apply it to their own lives … it's just not as likely to connect on an emotional level. … So I guess my lyrics have become more cinematic. … The story is of much more interest to me these days than 'sounding cool' or being original for the sake of shock. … Wow that sounds very adult-contemporary of me, uh-oh!
MJP: Ballads & Burlesque was your first opportunity to produce your own work. Was it a liberating experience, or a stressful one? Perhaps a bit of both?
RS: Well, actually I have done quite a bit of production over the years, and I've co-produced all but one of my previous five records, so the idea of producing completely on my own wasn't that big a leap. … Producing this record by myself was kind of an act of survival for me, because at least a couple of those previous collaborations, as well-intended as they began, had left me more frustrated than inspired. … By the time I made this album I could not have been more excited and relieved to be making all the decisions about what players to bring in, how to arrange all the music and most importantly, the atmosphere I wanted to create when I was cutting my vocals. … I also worked with an extremely patient engineer, John Shyloski, who provided a great balance of creative space and technical feedback throughout the project. The word liberating is perfect in describing the making of this record, because really the only pressure I had to overcome was the pressure I'd placed on myself to capture my own ideas. ... Recording is so much like falling, and staying, in love.
MJP: As an artist, are you involved politically?
RS: I think I am to a certain degree, but not as much as I'd like to be. … I am not a very angry person in my day-to-day life and yet once in a while I'll go back to my older work and realize that at the root of much of it has been a frustration with being ignored as a female in certain ways, or taken advantage of physically, or faked out emotionally or just generally manipulated by people who had various power-trips for whatever unfortunate reasons. …
So in terms of my politics, I think I arrived at my deep sense of feminism as well as wanting to promote GLBT rights as a result of many of those experiences, all of which has been a long, rather arduous process. When I perform at Pride Fests, it becomes a question of politics sometimes, and I'm given the honor and the opportunity to speak directly from my heart about what I believe and about my sense that everyone should be able to love, and marry, whom they choose, freely. In certain regions of this country that feels political. But in downtown New York City where I live it's practically a given, it's like breathing … . I grew up in a pretty liberal, artistic family and my first crushes were on boys at ballet school who happened to be gay; my mom was pretty sensitive about explaining what that meant and making sure I understood that there was nothing wrong with it whatsoever, that love is love and is always precious. That sounds really corny, but I'm constantly amazed at how political that becomes. … (While Sage did not refer specifically to the upcoming election, she is certainly registered to vote: the tour will be on hiatus in the new year because she has been called for jury duty.)
MJP: Touring takes you on the road for weeks at a time. Would you like to play larger venues, or do you prefer smaller ones where you can maintain a contact with audiences?
RS: I would love to play more larger venues, sure … but that said, for me it's much more about the vibe of the club or coffeehouse or theater, and the people who run it, and who show up to attend, and the other artists on the same bill. Likewise, I've played for festival audiences of 3,000+ in Germany and the U.S. where the connection was equally strong and it was like flying … . It boils down to what happens to you offstage, what you bring up there with you mentally and spiritually, and whether you feel grounded. … It's definitely a roller-coaster, and I doubt that would change much if I only played big venues ... . As an independent musician, you pretty much have to just do what you do, stick with it, and constantly remind yourself how lucky you are to love your job!
