Sadie Is Rewriting The Rules Of Music

Meg: What are you doing post New York earthquake?

sadie: I’m literally uploading a song that's coming out in May. This is good timing, because it’s been exactly a year since I've released anything. I’m going to start releasing singles until the album I’m working on is done.

Meg: What have your days been like since recording this next album?

sadie: I’ve been coaching soccer at a highschool and writing the album, that’s my routine. I write and record in the morning and then I go into work around 3.

Meg: Were you always a songwriter? When did this all start for you?

sadie: It’s funny — I’m about to move apartments and I was going through old boxes, and I found songs I wrote when I was like 6 years old. They are so emo. I don't think I really started writing music in earnest until I was in college.

Meg: I love imagining 6 year-old you writing emo songs. How have you seen your songwriting change over the years?

sadie: I feel like my brain has finally developed. I know what makes me happy and what doesn't. So I’ve seen that growth change what I’m writing about. I've been grappling with being almost 30 and trying to make it in music as a woman. That’s part of what the album has been about. I feel more confident in the lyrics I’m writing in these songs.

Meg: What else are you talking about in this album?

sadie: The passing of time. Reassessing my life. Thinking about relationships that have changed, how I’ve changed. I’ve been very nostalgic and reflective.

Meg: All of those thoughts feel very appropriate for entering a new decade.

sadie: Yeah, I feel like I was insecure about even talking about my age, but I don't feel that way anymore. I think the internet — or maybe I’m just on #hopecore — is starting to be better about that. I’ve been on the verge of quitting music so many times because I was feeling insecure. Like, is it too late in my life to be doing this? Why can’t people do what they want to do at any age? Why are these image constraints placed on us? So many people have had success later in life.

Meg: It’s so true — and while we know this, I still don’t feel like people talk about it enough.

sadie: Some of my favorite artists took a long time to develop their craft before blowing up. And that's what I say to myself to fall asleep at night…

Meg: How often do you feel the difference in these pressures between men and women?

sadie: It’s so much different for women. My boyfriend is 31. He doesn't feel like this, he doesn't feel that biological clock. It’s like, oh if we are going to have kids and stuff in 5 years, am I going to be touring?

Meg: Do you ever look for examples?

sadie: I mean Björk had kids before she even came out with Homoegenic. There are tons of examples. I think unfortunately, for women, the music industry is very image-based. I don't have any desire to be the center of attention in a music video or in my album art. And the people who do that, go off. I love that for you. But I don't feel a need for my face to be my brand.

Meg: It does feel like more often, women are the face of their brands or music than men are.

sadie: It’s true. For most female musicians, it is very much a part of their identity. You know what they look like. That is not the case for indie male musicians at all. Like, I could not tell you what most of those guys look like. I can’t picture their faces.

Meg: Do you feel that same pressure in how you exist online?

sadie: Sometimes, yeah. Musicians not only have to write the music and be a performer, but they also have to be hot online and put themselves out there and get judged for trying too hard or not trying enough. Most of the time, people who are great musicians are super awkward and shy. Can you imagine promoting yourself like that? It’s inherently awkward. I feel like I've just let go of a lot of that.

Meg: What keeps you feeling positive or excited amid all of the pressures that come with pursuing music?

sadie: There are a lot of things I’m excited about or looking forward to. I’ve never gone on tour and I would love to do that. I would love to release an album that reaches a lot of people. I don't need to be famous or anything, but I do want people to hear it.

Meg: Do you feel like you have a strong community of musician friends, particularly in New York?

sadie: Definitely. I feel like so many New York musicians are so supportive of each other. I’ve had the experience where you reach out to someone and ask for help, and they are so helpful and open to talking. People are really open to doing that.

Meg: I’ve heard from other musicians that New York can be more friendly in that way.

sadie: This is what I've heard, too. I think it’s easier. In New York, people sell out shows and that doesn't really happen as much in L.A., or it's more rare. I definitely experience that. My first show as sadie was my EP release show. I didn't know anyone in music. I had one friend in music, but that year I made all these musician friends and they all showed up. It was an awesome feeling.

Meg. That’s so beautiful. Seems like that’s a huge part of what can make it easier to keep going.

sadie: That’s exactly what it is. Being a musician is literally opening yourself up to people who tear you down who are going to judge you. You have to believe in what you are doing and surround yourself with people who are supportive and kind, and tune out everything else. Sometimes I ask myself, why am I doing this? It’s because I actually just love music, and I want to be around people who feel that, too.