Q: ‘Sparks’ is so upbeat and fun! What inspired you to write the song?
Saige: I’d been listening to Olivia Rodrigo’s album Sour, which covers her feelings on teenage heartbreak. It kind of dragged me back to how that felt and how high emotions were - for me it really felt like my world was ending. Inspired, I wrote Sparks about my own experience. He had essentially said I had rose-tinted glasses on about love, and I said to him I’d rather love love than become cynical. Sparks depicts those final conversations and moments and how I try to keep loving love.
Q: What does the songwriting process look like for you?
Saige: It's a bit strange, I will admit! I write the lyrics first, and build the music around the story. I know typically it's the other way around. I could go weeks without writing, and then I'll randomly get a burst of lyric ideas - I wrote this song on my phone, on a walk home from work, and recorded a rough demo as soon as I got in the door. I'll put a basic melody together, and send it to the band and we'll flesh it out from there, and add production elements once we've recorded. I like to keep live instrumentation where I can, crossed with synth soundscapes.
Q: How has living in Ireland influenced your music?
Saige: I'm from the countryside (Co. Wexford), so I probably had a bit more time with my thoughts and to get creative to keep myself entertained. I spent a lot of time listening to 80s synthpop/rock, and began writing from a young age, so I'd say this was a factor. I studied in BIMM Dublin and this definitely helped me hone my craft.
Q: Who would you say has inspired you the most?
Saige: Any independent artist here in Ireland trying to break into the industry. It's tough, and seeing them succeed really does keep me going. Seeing others continuing to push themselves and believe in their music has been an inspiration for me to do the same.
Q: Which song that you have written is your favorite? You can only pick one!
Saige: Probably Soothe Me. It's the first song I released, so it will always have a soft spot. It was influenced by Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill", and it was nice to see it get a 2nd lease of life recently when people realized the link.
Q: What should we expect next from you in terms of your music career?
Saige: More music, more shows. I have a headline show in The Workman's Cellar in Dublin on November 25th, tickets available now on Ticketmaster. I'll have more music out soon, and I've an EP coming early next year. It's exciting - I've been busy!
Interviewed By Kendall Koval
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