Q&A: Opening Up to Her Feelings and Hoping Others are Ready for the Same, Abby Sage Dives Into Latest Single “Backwards Directions” and Upcoming EP ‘The Florist’

Q&AMusic

Sep 15

☆ BY Isabel Dowell ☆

WITH A VOICE THAT DEMANDS ATTENTION — the Canada-born, LA–based artist Abby Sage’s latest single, “Backwards Directions,” is the third track to be released off her upcoming sophomore EP, The Florist. Finding influence in the flamboyant nature of Florence + The Machine and coupled with the deep intimacy of Clairo, Abby explains her inspiration: “I feel like a lot of my favorite artists move from project to project,” she says. “It’s cool to move between those spaces, so you can compare and contrast as you evolve.” “Backwards Directions” and The Florist are just the beginning of what is to come from Sage’s talents.

The new track has been shared with an equally personal and reflective music video directed by Aidan Dick. Tumbling through the story of two lovers falling back into one another despite their differences in growth and mentality, “Backwards Directions” helps bring those emotions to life. Sage is a soft-spoken yet passionate singer, overflowing with the sentiment of someone who has lived a thousand lives.

Nostalgia, alt-pop, and leaning into the uncertainty of our futures continues to fuel Sage’s abilities. These are all qualities we can expect to see on The Florist, releasing on Oct. 21, via Nettwerk. Under the Radar describes Sage’s music as “A perfect balance of tenderness and quiet assurance, a combination of heartfelt, moving beauty,” and we couldn’t agree more.

Read on below to learn more about Abby Sage’s latest release, “Backwards Directions” and what’s to come for the artist.

LUNA: Congrats on the release of “Backwards Directions” and the announcement of your sophomore EP, The Florist. Why did you choose this single to follow the EP’s announcement? Tell us a little bit more about the single itself.

SAGE: “Backwards Directions” picks apart exactly what I was feeling at the time of creating the project. As the rest of the project focuses more on what I’ve observed, “Backwards Directions” focuses quite a bit more on myself directly. I felt like everything was moving really quickly and I didn’t quite know if I was moving and growing at the same pace. I felt fraudulent when people would compliment me on my growth — I don’t think my mind had caught up to me yet.

LUNA: In the music video for “Backwards Directions,” the black-suited, invisible figure was a last-minute addition to the visual — what prompted this idea?

SAGE: It came to me more as an interesting visual idea at first and a challenge for me to carry out. I found meaning in it a few days later. That being the feeling of emptiness and feeling left behind in moments where everything around you is moving so quickly. When I don’t feel like I’m moving forward, I check out mentally. I think the invisible figure plays into that well; it dances along without really being there.

LUNA: You mentioned that you enjoy creating projects that help you to see your change over the years. Since becoming an artist, how do you feel like you’ve changed thus far? And in what ways do you hope to change in the future?

SAGE: I feel like I have a lot more trust in myself. I used to be terrified of honesty and how that would be perceived. Now I understand just how universal everything we experience really is. I feel ready to be transparent and let that run off into the world and pick up new meanings and stories for listeners and viewers however they choose to perceive it.

LUNA: It sounds like you’ve moved around a lot in your life — what inspiration have you drawn from your experiences and the places you’ve lived that have impacted your music?

SAGE: For me, it’s more about revisiting those places like Toronto and London with a brand new body. Going to London alone earlier this year I found myself observing a lot more than I did when I was younger. It could just be because most times I return now I am alone and more prone to watching, listening, and figuring everything out again for myself. It’s all had a massive impact on my creative process.

LUNA: There are two other tracks on The Florist that we have yet to hear — can you share anything about those? How do they compare or contrast to the released parts of the EP?

SAGE: There are! One song, “Hi Five,” is a celebration track about spending time with/nurturing yourself. The other I don’t utter a word — it’s all from someone very close to me who said something that tied the whole message of the project together in a beautiful way. Really excited for people to hear both.

LUNA: What song of the EP do you feel you best relate to?

SAGE: I think all of them serve a purpose in the overall message of the project and what I was experiencing at the time. Maybe “Backwards Directions,” just because it was the one where I fully dove into myself and was a therapeutic experience pinpointing exactly what I wanted to address.

LUNA: Do you have any plans for the rest of 2022? Or even moving into 2023?
SAGE: Really diving into the creative of the project this year, so I’m putting a lot of focus on that and challenging myself to dive into new art forms to properly express the music. Apart from that, playing some shows in the new year and figuring out what I want to say next!

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We couldn’t be more stoked to have Suriel Hess as our new headliner for our upcoming LA show 🤩 🫶 Not gonna lie, us & Notorious Noise kinda went OFF with this line up & you’re not gonna wanna miss it - ticket link in bio 🎫