Jackson Sage Tends to Love Songs Like A Garden

Q&AMusic

Nov 28

☆ By Fiona Pestana ☆

BEES FASCINATE SOPHIE FELDMAN ENDLESSLY — and they seem to feel connected to her too.

“When I was in high school, I went for a run and a bee flew into my mouth and stung the inside of my lip, which was kind of traumatic,” Feldman said, also known as indie rocker Jackson Sage. “But, you know what? I love him anyway, and it wasn't his fault that he just got sucked into my mouth.”

Her compassion for the insect has persisted, as shown by the luscious world of Jackson Sage. The New York–born, Seattle-bred, and LA-based musician’s three debut singles create a triptych with their visuals: bees, honey, and then a garden party.

“Make Me,” her third single, out now, takes place in the garden. The music video for her second single, “Half Truth,” premiered earlier this month, featuring Feldman softly glistening, dripping in honey. Jackson Sage’s first EP, to be released at the end of January, will eventually complete the picture, formally introducing the artist as a lover who’s strong, sensitive, and smart.

Songs about love fill the EP, but “Make Me” stands out.

“It's the youngest song; the oldest song I wrote almost four years ago,” Feldman explained. “It's very much … the most up-to-date in terms of how I feel about myself and how I feel about love and what I think that those things sound like.”

Feldman began writing “Make Me” while in her first relationship with a woman, joining the list of artists such as MUNA, Hayley Kiyoko, and even Taylor Swift (“I’m so hardcore, such a Gaylor,” Feldman said) influencing the sound of sapphic pop.

“That was obviously an exciting time because it was the first time that I was ever really in love,” Feldman described. “I really stand by the chorus: ‘I love who you make me’ … I am better because of that relationship and because of the way that it allowed me to open up and come to terms with my identity in such a safe and beautiful way.”

And Jackson Sage seems to further subvert gender expectations. Feldman chose the name because, if she was born a boy, her parents would have named her Jackson; Sage, also connecting to her consistent nature themes, means “wisdom,” like her birth name, Sophie.

“I really liked the idea of taking on an identity that could have been and almost was,” Feldman said. “I liked how it played into masculinity because I'm a very feminine-presenting person and I think that contrast is generally what I try to pursue in the music that I make.”

Grunge guitars, pulsing, heavy drums, and her strong belt find that balance with heartfelt lyrics and softer string and vocal moments. Feldman cites Carole King and Kurt Cobain as inspiration.

When turning the songs into music videos, these indie-rock contrasts are visually represented by the soft warmth of nature and the hard feelings within the song’s content. In the video for her first single, “I Don't Wanna Be Your Lover,” Feldman plays with bees, showing sweetness and strength. For the “Half Truth” video, bees turn to honey.

“Most people that I have encountered in my life are not huge fans of bees,” she said. “They're either really scared of them or indifferent towards them. But as a little kid, I was drawn to them, and it made me feel like I was brave, that everybody was scared of this thing that I really enjoyed.”

Feldman builds these worlds with the help of her friends, many of whom went to film school. They understand the Jackson Sage vision and, through artistic collaboration and genuine friendship, bring the emotions to life together. Feldman and her friends will make the music video for “Make Me” soon, which will be the final single release off her forthcoming EP — a project surely suited for young lovers.

“The reason that I've put the songs in the order that they're in is really to follow my own path from what I thought love was, what I thought I was capable of, and what I thought relationships meant,” she described.

Before Feldman EP drops in January, she has one foot in Jackson Sage’s world and one in Sophie Feldman’s, in which she’s teaching music lessons, writing songs, and hanging out with kids day-to-day. But these releases and her future plans are bright starts.

“I'm really excited that now — the floodgates are opening.”

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