Alt-Pop Artist Abby Sage Shares “Backwards Directions” + Music Video | Sophomore EP ‘The Florist’ Out Oct. 21st
September 7, 2022 BY Jason Currell
Today, LA/London based alt-pop artist Abby Sage shares her new single “Backwards Directions” and its accompanying music video directed by Aidan Dick (they/them). The release follows last month’s announcement of her forthcoming EP The Florist out October 21st via Nettwerk.
“Backwards Directions” sees Abby Sage continuing to amaze with sheer sonic beauty alongside an earnest vision that draws listeners deeply in. While Abby effortlessly delivers relevant and profound alt-pop songs, she does so in disparate ways, allowing for little comparison and much originality to shine brightly through. “‘Backwards Directions’ is about constantly making the same mistakes, not moving forward as planned, and asking for forgiveness or at least a sense of understanding for wrongdoing and lack of growth,” says Abby Sage.
The track’s music video is taut and transfixing, showing off Abby’s metaphorical expression through the pairing of her intimate sound and director Aidan Dick’s arresting visuals. The video was shot backwards, adding an artistic layer to a song that digs deep into the human psyche by asking yourself for peace in order to move forward again.
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On the “Backwards Directions” music video, Abby Sage expresses:
“Aidan & I knew we wanted to shoot this video backwards and reintroduce a movement piece with Ryan Brennan (who was also in the ‘Force of Habit’ music video. I wanted to bring back Ryan to emphasize the message of the song. Ryan & I move through this video with frustration and a sense of dissonance. I wanted to portray two people falling back into each other despite a growing mental divide. It’s one of my favorite videos because I really do think it tells the story of backwards directions in a beautiful way.
I made the last minute decision to create an invisible man to appear throughout the story as well. I fed fishing wire through a black suit of mine and hung it from wall to wall. Ryan would bounce the hanging wire up and down while I controlled the arms and legs with Natalie. It really looked like it was dancing on its own and was a fun moment on the set to see it come to life. The invisible man represents that acceptance of nothingness, allowing the pieces to fall where they may even if it’s not the direction you anticipated.”
Abby Sage’s upcoming The Florist EP is a follow-up to her 2021 debut EP Fears of Yours & Mine, a collection of songs that was just the beginning in showcasing her commanding sound and precarious outlook of the world around her. Abby expresses, “The last project was a very personal take of what I was immediately experiencing at the time while this project feels a bit grander scheme and observational. I had nothing that was immediately bringing me either intense pain or joy (I normally experience things in extremes this way), there was something about this period that felt over looming and bigger than myself. I was in London taking the tube from session to session and felt like a sponge. One time there was a particular group of kids next to me and I listened to their conversation for the duration of the journey along with a few other snippets of chatter around me. I wanted to write about the experience of others, the unfamiliar coinciding with the familiar.”
“Backwards Directions” follows Abby Sage’s two previous singles “The Florist” and “Pool Party.” Commanded by a pillowy production, deliberately impassive vocals, and a skittering drumbeat, “The Florist” is a depiction of a woman who can bring beauty to the lives of others. On “Pool Party” Abby offers up a hazy alt-pop world that ties together nostalgia and the uncertain future. It’s a song that serves as “a metaphor for kids not being prepared for the world,” says Abby. These recent tracks received acclaim from CLASH, The Line of Best Fit, Lyrical Lemonade, Sweety High, Early Rising, and more. Abby was also recently featured on Spotify’s Lorem, Fresh Finds, Indie All Stars, and indie pop & chill playlists.
“Backwards Directions” is available at all digital retailers here: https://abbysage.ffm.to/
Abby Sage – “The Florist” EP Tracklisting:
Irene
High Five
More Info:
Abby Sage has a voice that demands attention. A tender soul with an observational eye, this pop artist seems able to tap into her innermost feelings, all while helping to express the lives of those around her. An empathetic spirit, she recalls the flamboyant theatre of Florence + The Machine, as well as the hushed intimacy of Clairo. Someone who is rapidly making waves on both sides of the Atlantic, she remains humble and softly spoken, burning with a subtle intensity.
Brought up in Toronto, Abby Sage was obsessed with music as a kid. Memorizing Disney themes and staying hooked to the radio, she started writing cute little ditties as a pre-teen. As she grew, Abby continued to write. Few outside her closest friends had any idea of her talents, initially refusing to let people hear her sing. “The turning point was meeting new friends in Toronto. I began to record things, and make new songs, and gradually I began to recognize that this would be something I could take out of my room and pursue.”
If her adolescence fueled those songs, then music in turn provided a space for Abby Sage to mature. “I needed to grow up,” she says. “I needed to grow into that confidence. And a big part of that was me realizing where my strengths lie.”
She decided to make the move to LA and in 2021 released her debut EP Fears Of Yours & Mine, an incredible six-tracker brimming with potential. Hushed opener “Smoke Break” gives way to the pop potency of “Fever Dream,” while “Wasting Away” shows astonishing maturity. “I wanted to write about my own experiences,” she says. “That project was really cathartic, and I got a lot out of it.”
Abby’s mother is British, and a visit to London saw her encounter the production team MyRiot. Real names Roy Kerr and Tim Bran, they immediately saw Abby’s incredible potential, and used their experience – garnered from smash hit sessions alongside the likes of Aurora, Halsey, IDER, and Rae Morris – to help her.
Relocating to London, she would travel on the tube into the studio each day, watching the crowds rush on and off the carriages, wondering where their lives were leading them. Her incoming The Florist EP represents a real shift, an evolution in her artistry. “I feel like a lot of my favorite artists move from project to project. It’s cool to move between those spaces, so you can compare and contrast as you evolve.” Focusing intensely on her future, Abby Sage is ready to speak directly and eloquently to her audience. A rare, rare talent, she’s the quiet voice that speaks an undiluted truth. “Everyone is in motion, whether they know it or not,” she says. “It’s always there, deep inside of us.”
