With whimsical narratives and tender vocals, Abby Sage is an artist who will find her way into the depths of your feelings and provide a gentle companion for all of your daily woes.

Photo: cloudyytots

Having watched her dad perform around Toronto, the musical influence started early for Los Angeles-based musician Abby Sage – it lends itself to a maturity within her sound and a wisdom in her songwriting that exceeds her years. Abby delicately captures mundane experiences and feelings before transforming them into spellbinding tracks, that although may be simplistic in concept, is not simplistic in the way it manages to grip you and keep you engaged with every note and word. All of this is set to be showcased in her newly announced upcoming EP, Fears Of Yours & Mine, a collection of tracks that delve into more intimate parts of Abby’s life and form some of her most introspective work to date. Speaking more on the coming work, Abby shares:

With some of the past songs that I put out, I always made them and then asked other people’s opinion. But with this project, it’s completely different. It feels like it’s mine and that takes away the fear.

She offers a glimpse of what’s to come with her new single Wasting Away, a delicate cut that spotlights the softer side of Abby’s sonic universe. With gently strummed guitars and airy vocals breezing over your ears, the track stuns in its simplicity and allows you to focus and connect with Abby’s compelling songwriting style. Abby explains of the song’s meaning:

‘Wasting Away’ is about wanting to start a relationship but recognizing there is a lot of self-work to handle beforehand. The song is hopeful in a sense but recognizes what the reality is right now. On one side of the relationship, the partner is ready to move forward while the other recognizes needing to address their own issues beforehand.

With a stillness instilled in us by her whimsical sound, we spoke with Abby further to get to know the artist better and some of the experiences that have inspired her music.

What’s a motto you live by?

“You’re all really trendy but are you kind”

One of my least favorite qualities in a person is lack of empathy/kindness. Someone who is unable to remove their ego from a conversation or relationship rarely is somebody I want to grow alongside. I’ve found myself falling into periods of selfishness so I keep this in mind to get myself out of that mentality. I’m not the only person who matters.

If your sound had a colour, what colour would it be?

Ooooh a deep emerald green. To me green symbolizes renewal. I’m trying to create a sound that is new to me and new to an audience. I’ve grown a lot writing these songs and hope that comes across when people listen.

If you could set Wasting Away to a TV show or movie, what would it be the soundtrack for?

Off the top of my head I would say “500 Days of Summer”. Solely because of how tolling their whole relationship was. Summer keeps Tom at arms length, keeping him in her mind knowing that ultimately it won’t work.

Was there anything that you realised about yourself over the course of writing Wasting Away?

I realized my power of choice. I chose to prioritize myself and really take the time to write Wasting Away and the rest of the project in a vulnerable state. I had someone in my life who I knew I loved but knew separating myself from that in order to grow and move forward was the right decision.

How does your dad influence your music?

My dad has influenced me in many ways. I would say the biggest is how he taught me to think about performing. He wants me to curate a really drawing performance because that’s always been something he focuses on when he’s playing and watching someone perform. I want my music to connect with people face to face as opposed to a passive listen online, he taught me the value in that.

Were there any particular experiences that inspired Wasting Away?

When writing this whole project, I felt a surge of independence. I based Wasting Away on that feeling of wanting to figure myself out before bringing anyone else into the picture. The song is hopeful in the sense that “maybe someday I’ll get there” meaning that there will be a time when I’m ready to explore a relationship but for now I have to address myself as an individual and see what I can create for myself.

What are you most looking forward to with your coming debut EP?

I’m just excited to have music out that I love so fully. I’ve created something really honest and true to myself and I love the way it embodies that newfound feeling of freedom. The song coming out after Wasting Away is my all time favorite. You’ll see why soon.

And finally, slightly cliché, but what does music mean to you?

Music is meant to be honest. Not curated for anybody but yourself. It is far more powerful when people connect to your truth as opposed to something you’ve created with a certain goal or audience in mind. All of that will come in time, creating what you love yourself matters the most. That’s the music I’m drawn to. You can tell when it’s written and created from the heart.