Alternative-Pop singer/songwriter Rachael Sage is back, with the release of a brand new single and an enchanting music video to pair with it. Since the release of her latest groundbreaking album ‘Character’, Sage has been focused on other work, like her leading role in her new collaborative project Poetica. Now Rachael is back, releasing music under her own name as well as going on a full-length tour, with Irish-Folk singer Imelda May. We caught up with Rachael to hear all about what’s going on.

Hi Rachael, thanks for joining us, how are you? What’s been going on in your world recently?

I’ve been on tour beginning a week ago with Imelda May in the UK, which has been fantastic! She’s brilliant and so kind and down to earth and I really think we make a great musical pairing.

You have just released your latest single ‘Revelation Ground’, what does the single mean to you?

Revelation Ground was the first song I wrote during lockdown, and also the first track I self-engineered since I was isolated and had to just learn how to do it myself. The song is equal parts sober self-reflection and hope for a brighter future, for America. There were BLM protests going on and so much political and social unrest when I wrote it, and I was also grappling with the reality of Covid and that as an immune-suppressed person O did not feel it was safe to participate in-person among my peers in the protests but nonetheless I want3r to raise my voice somehow and show solidarity against injustice. I modeled the song after “Turn, Turn, Turn” by the Byrds sonically, keeping it very intimate and organic and reminiscent of 60’s and 70’s folk.

For me the song is very healing to sing live and it also has a traditional sing-a-long section which I think is helpful creating a feeling of togetherness among the audience. Ultimately I think it’s about the seasonal nature of suffering and healing and growth and how we are able to rise above the past and transcend it, on a good day!

What was the inspiration behind the new music video for ‘Revelation Ground’?

I reached out to the wonderful animator Antje Duvokot to help create this video because I knew she had the imagination and sensitivity to bring the lyrics and music to life via her incredibly intricate visuals. Honestly, I believe she is a genius and although very unassuming, it was crystal clear to me very quickly that her soulful and handcrafted approach to filmmaking was reflective of her own very beautiful spirit. As far as the imagery, most of it sprang from her imagination as she listened to the music, while some moments were brought to life more directly as a result of ideas I suggested based on the lyrics. I’m so proud of this video and really think it’s so moving and supportive of the imagery in the song!

Which poets/songwriters do you think have made you who you are today?

I love so many poets and songwriters but at this particular moment I can think of six: Shakespeare, John Lennon, Carole King, Sinead O’Connor, Leonard Cohn, Bach.

What made you decide to create so many different versions of the track?

The Maxi Single is actually a musical chronicle of exactly how I recorded and produced it under lockdown. It went through all those arrangement incarnations and I felt it would be interesting for listeners to hear it as I did, along the way to being “complete”. The feedback has been very positive as far as there being a version for everyone and also just as a window into my creative process.

You’re returning back to the UK on tour to support the incredible Imelda May, what are some of your favourite things about visiting here?

Yesterday we were in York and today in Cambridge, and I love these kinds of places because there’s so much rich history and architecture, and so much character and diversity as far as people-watching. They feel like towns more than cities to me but when you come from New York City anything else is bound to feel a bit more intimate and less hectic!

I also love visiting with friends I’ve made through the years, and seeing such beautiful nature along our drives.  

How did the opportunity to work with Imelda May come about?

I had been considered to open for her right before the pandemic and then of course everything went “awry”; once her tour was reschedule her management made the offers and i jumped!!

In a complete fantasy world, where there were no limitations and you had to create a completely different style of music to what you make now, what do you think you would go for and why?

I would write a symphony using all handmade instruments.