Today we’d like to introduce you to Sage Suede
Hi Sage, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I played a lot of instruments growing up and started creating electronic songs in middle school. Music is something that I’ve just always done, so it took a lot of experimentation to find my sound. When I released my first demo in 2017, I decided to formalize my work as an LLC and also created my website SageSuede.com. I released my debut album, Thicc Juicy Bass; it has received rave reviews from press and the music videos are also featured in The Gallery ATX.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Along the way, a lot of your friends and family won’t support you. There’s a saying that people think you’re crazy, until they perceive you as successful and then you’re described as eccentric… I’d say that is a great way to describe the experience of a musician. Even once you’ve made something good, it won’t be universal because music is stratified into genres. You have to get used to constant criticism and have confidence in yourself when other people just try to put you down. I still don’t have any support from the music industry and most of the radio stations in Austin, but I don’t need anyone to make good music. I’ve realized more recently that Austin has very little support for electronic and hip-hop music, which are generally my genres. It’s unfortunate that as a city, we support people coming into town to play these genres at festivals, but we don’t support our own. I’d like to help change this someday. Getting the music heard is a constant struggle. Voyage is actually the first Austin magazine to feature my work and I am very appreciative for the outreach. Even though I haven’t had much help locally, this past weekend I was featured in my first Australian magazine. It’s weird that I’m breaking into Australian media before my own hometown, but that’s just the way things are.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I frequently combine genres and create music in a variety of languages. I’m a polyglot, so I’ve written songs in more than 5 languages already. My debut album features songs in English, Spanish and Portuguese. The genre of the album (titled: Thicc Juicy Bass) is generally a combination of Hip Hop & EDM, but also features elements of Baile Funk & Reggaeton. It is meant to be a global experience as it transitions across hemispheres. I make music like this because that’s what vibes with me. I’m not always thinking in English and I believe that good music is about freedom of expression. I want to do something cool that hasn’t been done before and I don’t care if that confuses people. As far as distinction, I’m completely independent and have never had any musical support from anyone. I know that I’m not perfect, but I’ve managed to create everything alone so far and continue to keep evolving. There aren’t enough artists writing their own songs anymore and that’s a big loss for popular culture.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
The music industry is full of closed (and often slammed) doors, so it’s difficult to find any support. In Austin, there is some mentorship from Austin Music Foundation. I haven’t worked closely with them yet, but I intend to give it a try.
Contact Info:
- Website: SageSuede.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/Sage_suede
- Facebook: Facebook.com/SageSuede
- Twitter: Twitter.com/Sage_ofc
- Youtube: Youtube.com/c/SageSuede
- SoundCloud: Soundcloud.com/SageSuede
Image Credits:
The orange hat picture is by Naturally Jess Photography.
