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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 20, 2003)
Speaking with a Sage Courtesy Folk rock artist Rachael Sage will make her Eugene debut at Luna. Sage visits Luna as part of a nationwide tour to support 'Public Record,’ her latest release. She started her own record label, MPress, so she could have the freedom to create her own style of music. Courtesy Performer Rachael Sage will take the stage at Luna tonight to promote her new album, ‘Public Record’ By Ryan Nyburg Senior Pulse Reporter Rachael Sage has made a name for herself the past few years as a self styled folk rock artist. Now, with five albums under her belt and her own record label, MPress, Sage has been playing shows across the country with a variety of performers to pro mote her latest release, "Public Record." Recently, she spoke to the Emerald about songwriting, per forming live and staying independ ent in a business-oriented world. Emerald: Have you ever played Eu gene before? Sage: No, I haven't. We were going to play at a coffeehouse, but there was a double-booking problem and it didn't go through. Now that coffee house is no more. Emerald: How much time do you spend touring? Sage: We try to do about 150 dates a year and we're shooting for 200. Mostly, it just boils down to wanting to bring my music to people live. 1 think it has been incredibly fortunate that my release schedule has been an nual — I've had a release a year for about five years now. It's been really fun to go out on the road to support new albums. It's just what I do, it's in my blood now. Emerald: Do you find it difficult to tour and run your own label? Sage: Oh yeah. I think that the main challenge is pretty cut and dried. It's time management. Trying to find a balance in your personal life and realizing that it isn't possible. It has been a process. I didn't realize when 1 got into the label stuff a few years back how it would permeate every facet of my life. But this is what I like doing. Emerald: Why did you choose to start your own label? Sage: Just faith that 1 had figured it all out and that it would be fascinat ing. I think that at the time when I was getting ready to put out my first CD it was a pivotal moment in the music industry when people were just starting to embrace the idea of not waiting around, not trying to pander to the major label dream. People wanted to be able to be a touring musician and make a living at it. 1 hadn't really glimpsed that back in New York City, where I had come from. It was all about "Who's your lawyer?," "Do you have a man ager?," "When's your showcase?" This was when 1 was a teenager. 1 real ize that if I signed with a major label, people would be defining what 1 should or shouldn't be. Emerald: Do you see what you are doing as part of a larger movement? Sage: Yes. It's one of those things where at a certain point you have to let go of something that other people may have departed to you as the end all be all of what it's about, being an artist. There was a time when there were patrons for artist and geniuses like Shakespeare were only able to exist because someone was able to support what they did. Dan Bern has a funny song that I just heard him do over in Los Angeles, called "Art on the Run." It's a long, funny list of all these quintessential artists and de scribing what their lives would be like in this century. Picasso painting with one hand on the cell phone, one on the canvas. 1 think that if you want to do work for yourself that is also relevant to other people, then you have to embrace the business part in a way creative way that in forms what you do. Emerald: What do you think influ ences your songwriting the most? Sage: The fact that 1 am really open to getting involved with people. I pro tect that with everything that I have, because I know that's what creates music for me. It's about relation ships, whether they're friendships, or one person I talk to on a bus, or someone I meet at a gig, or someone I write to, someone online who has a problem. It's listening is what gives me songwriting, listening to other people tell me their stories and then processing how that reflects my own story. I try not to ignore that human interaction that you have the option to let in instead of push away. Emerald: There have been a num ber of descriptions of your music — "folk noir" in particular - but how would you describe your music? Sage: I think it's "art-pop-folk-rock multimedia-comedy-vaudeville." No, I don't know. I think that I've been embracing the Bette Midler part of my personality recently. A lot of my Yiddish-Jewish humor has been filtering in between my undoubtedly serious and introspective songwriting and it has been really working for me. I started to figure out what has kept me from doing that in the past was being in New York City and be ing in a place where I was so of that city and so dime-a-dozen. Emerald: Who are you listening to right now? Sage: I mentioned him before, but I've been listening to a lot of Dan Bern recently. I think he's an amazing writer. Also, a guy named Lach out of New York, part of the anti-folk move ment, sort of founded that scene. Emerald: You have any plans for the future? Sage: We're going to visit the Jelly Belly factory in about half an hour. Emerald: Any advice for the youth of America? Sage: More finger painting. Yeah, more finger painting and more re fined sugar. Sage will perform at Luna today at 8 p.m. Tickets are available through a $7 cover charge. Contact the senior Pulse reporter at ryannyburg@dailyemerald.com. PULSE BRIEF Dan Bern to perform at Cafe Paradiso tonight Acclaimed singer-songwriter Dan Bern will come to Eugene tonight, toting his guitar and fantastic collection of bitingly sharp songs. Bern's unique style has been compared to Bob Dylan, Lenny Bruce, Arlo Guthrie and Elvis Costello. With songs covering all manner of pop culture happen ings — from the potential of time travel to chance moments in history to ironic messianic proclamations — Bern has gained national attention and critical praise for his work. His most recent full-length album, "Fleeting Days," was re leased in March and is his eighth record since his debut in 1996. Although originally from Iowa, Bern tours heavily throughout the country. He last visited Eugene for a show at Sam Bond's Garage in April 2002 Bern will appear at Cafe Paradiso, located at 115 W. Broadway. The show begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are $ 11.50 in advance and $ 13 at the door. — Steven Neuman grasararaMi Courtesy Dan Bern will promote his album ‘Fleeting Days’ tonight. Or*«»n Fiitlvtl if AntrkM Mm ok Now Hoar Ttua 2003-04 OFAM Kurus a in Wright fpecial guest Martha Wainwright iy, December 12th >m at The Shedd, Eugene >FAM Ticket Office: 687-6526 Information: www.ofam.org Tickets at Wild Duck TlcketsWest & Online NOWi THURS NOV Tickets at Wild Duck TlcketsWest & Online NOWi THURS DEC
