Poetica is the latest project from alt folk composer, producer, poet, and singer/songwriter Rachael Sage. Pulling from spoken-word touchstones like Leonard Cohen, Patti Smith, and Laurie Anderson, Poetica’s self-titled debut plays at the edges of genres and song structures, moving effortlessly between folk, jazz, and classical influences. Working with her longtime cellist Dave Eggar, along with a host of other collaborators, Sage crafted an expansive poetic odyssey. Today she’s back with the video for one of the album’s highlights, “Unconditional.” Adventurous yet familiar in its intimacy, Sage’s voice is perfectly at home in the absence of typical song structure, while her musical arrangements fuse elements of jazz, classical and Appalachian folk with surprising agility. Only rarely does Sage enlist her more widely-known singing voice to punctuate these recordings, from which her signature piano playing is notably – and intentionally – absent.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Poetica about the new music, adapting during lock downs, technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and how do You describe your style of music?
I’m from New York City (the East Village, specifically), and would describe my project Poetica’s music as a fusion between spoken word, Americana, classical and jazz. It’s very cinematic and dynamic, and I hope that in a way, the hybrid of poetry and eclectic musical accompaniment is creating a new genre of musical spoken-word.
How did you get here? As in, what inspired or motivated you to take on this journey through music and the music biz?
I’ve been making music since I was a young kid – whether it was pop songs influenced by the radio or original classical compositions fueled by music I heard in dance class. From playing my Dad’s Beatles record collection by ear, to entering (and winning) my high school talent show playing a synthesizer, to performing weekly at my college coffeehouse, it was a lifelong passionate relationship with music that made a career in the music biz pretty much inevitable. When I was a teenager I won the ASCAP Pop Songwriting Contest (lead by a panel of judges including Tony Visconti – who’d produced David Bowie), which lead to me making my first professional demo as a teenager with Grammy® winner Andy Zulla. The motivation to continue the journey was cemented by an invitation to do a national tour with Ani DiFranco which was a wildly challenging and gratifying experience, and I haven’t looked back since!
How does your latest project compare/contrast with your previous release(s)?
“Unconditional” from my collaborative spoken-word project “Poetica” is very different from previous releases because everything was created remotely during lockdown with the various musicians self-recording at home. Through the wonders of technology, I was able to merge everything very adventurous, organic and lushly layered arrangements. I think that having to record my my vocals, guitar and percussion by myself at home forced me to be more creative, so there’s more of a stylistic variety which has been described as cinematic, as well as jazz. I like to think listening to this project transports one to another realm and a sonic landscape that’s unlike any other…and that enhances the understanding of the emotional impact of the poetry I’m speaking.
My other projects have been more folk, pop and rock based – so this is really a significant departure!
Were you setting out to accomplish anything specific, follow a specific theme, or explore different styles of creation?
Nothing about this project was planned, as it really grew out of a desire to create something liberated from any expectations at all, at the height of lockdown when all the musicians and I were just eager to connect, and create something reflective of the unusual and challenging times in which we suddenly found ourselves. If anything, everything about the inception and evolution of “Poetica” and specifically the track “Unconditional” was a surprise, in that it doesn’t follow any traditional song structure, and definitely shows a side of my voice and compositional sensibility my listeners haven’t heard before.
Name the biggest challenge you faced as a creative during these unprecedented times? How did you adapt? How have you kept the creative fires burning during all this?
The biggest challenge I faced was making sure I was informed enough about news and politics to feel connected to what was going on, but without it impacting my morale too much to remain creative, when so much of the news was bad! Like so many creative people, I am highly sensitive and an empath, so it took quite a bit of mental and physical discipline to come to a place where I felt I was taking care enough of myself to nurture my artistry while also being adequately well-informed. That…and time management! Oddly enough, I have felt busier than ever these last couple years – and like sleep has become more elusive than ever. As far as keeping the creative fires: for over a year I did 1-2 weekly livestreams on Facebook and was rather religious about sticking to that schedule which did help me keep up with my craft and my fans. Now we’re getting back to regular in-person gigs, so I’m busy rehearsing old and new repertoire and eager to get back on some real stages!
What was the last song you listened to?
Elvis Costello’s “Paint The Red Rose Blue”. Brilliant!
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? 8-tracks? Cassettes? CDs? MP3s? Streaming platforms?
I love CD’s, and I also love vinyl but cassettes were always a bad idea and all my early demos are disintegrated as a result! Streaming is convenient obviously – and I enjoy it all but would rather explore the artwork and music together and love presentation as much as I love listening, so it’s not my favorite format, personally.
Where is the best place to connect with you and follow your journey?
I really appreciate Your time. Anything else before we sign off?
I hope people enjoy the video for “Unconditional” and can feel a bit of the magic we were channeling, as a result of the sheer gratitude we felt to be convening again – however socially distanced etc., – to create art, and to bring the music to life in a beautiful and unique way!
