SHORT BIO
Since founding her own label MPress Records, NYC-based folk-pop artist Rachael Sage has steadily released a slew of vibrant, dynamic albums. She has toured with an eclectic list of artists including Rufus Wainwright, Ani DiFranco, Beth Hart, Howard Jones, and Grammy® winners Shawn Colvin and Judy Collins – with whom she also recorded a critically-acclaimed duet of Neil Young's "Helpless". In addition to being a six-time Independent Music Award-winning musician and producer, Sage is also a John Lennon Contest Grand Prize winner who has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, SXSW, and toured globally from Japan to Berlin with her band, The Sequins. Sage is also a visual artist and former ballet dancer who performed with the New York City Ballet. A self-described "cancer thriver", she is additionally a philanthropic advocate who has raised money for a wide range of causes, including Foundation For Women's Cancer, WHY Hunger, American Refugee Committee/Alight, and National Network For Youth (NN4Y). Her recent album Character yielded the Billboard-charting single "Blue Sky Days", and her companion albums, The Other Side and Another Side, are currently out on MPress/Universal/Virgin. Sage’s forthcoming album Canopy is out October 24.
"Sage has created an eclectic body of work that's witty, graceful, and powerfully intimate." - NPR Music
“Her keen, ironic sense of humor and quirky sense of the profound is what makes her special as a songwriter” – Billboard
"One of the most compelling and creative singers and songwriters of the modern era" - American Songwriter
LONG BIO
Rachael Sage & The Sequins' new album, Canopy, is a diverse collection of songs that feel like a refuge, woven from resilience, longing, and the irrepressible determination to find light in the darkest places. Following on the heels of her two latest recordings – her 2023-2024 critically acclaimed pairing, The Other Side and Another Side – this debut full-band release as Rachael Sage & The Sequins spotlights Sage’s longtime group, and continues her ongoing journey of storytelling, reinvention, and emotional connection. Confidently spanning the genres of Americana, pop and neo-folk, Sage and her band offer listeners a beautifully crafted, deeply heartfelt collection of songs that find common ground in themes of living a purposeful and joyful life rooted in inclusiveness, equality and non-violence. Reflective, mournful but optimistic, Canopy is one of her most soulful and thought-provoking works yet.
The record opens with the title track "Canopy," a much-needed musical reprieve from our current cultural upheaval. Equal parts emotional exhale and invitation to a more compassionate future, this inspirational anthem explores radical inclusivity, pacifism, and environmental consciousness. This all-too-timely musical mission statement is further bolstered by one of the most memorable hooks of Sage’s prolific career. Another featured track is "Just Enough," which captures the Americana-pop band at the peak of their musical powers, peddling positive vibes with a neo-folk flair. With instrumentation reminiscent of Van Morrison and harmonies hearkening back to 60's girl groups, this upbeat jam channels youthful exuberance with wah guitars, horns, Hammond organ, handclaps, and a nostalgic spirit. The lively piano-pop romp "Live It Up" is exactly the song the world needs in these chaotic and altogether unpredictable times. With lyrics that playfully divert listeners from news-cycle overwhelm toward equality and understanding ("I can be the hope and possibility, you can be the one to help me turn the key/There ain't no way to heaven 'till we get there all equal”) this joyful, dynamic track showcases Sage’s signature keyboard chops amidst a kitchen-sink arrangement including Hammond organ, call-and-response horns, and catchy slide guitar.
The impeccably recorded Canopy was produced by Sage with Grammy® nominated engineer/bassist Mikhail Pivovarov. It was mixed by Pivovarov and Grammy® winner Andy Zulla (Rod Stewart), both of whom brought out the best of The Sequins - violinist Kelly Halloran (Goo Goo Dolls), drummer Andy Mac (Pete Muller and the Kindred Souls), Trina Hamlin (Susan Werner) on harmonica, and cellist Ward Williams (Sara Bareilles). Additional special guests include guitarists James Mastro (Ian Hunter) and Jack Petruzzelli (Patti Smith), organist Rob Curto (The Klezmatics), and cellist Dave Eggar (Paul Simon). Renowned clarinetist David Krakauer (John Zorn), percussionist Doug Yowell (Howard Jones) and upright bassist Kerry Brooks (Amy Ray Band) also contribute their talents, along with Americana vocal duo Annalyse & Ryan.
