Ladies and gentlemen we present to you the art of songwriting. Unbearably beautiful and intensely emotional, Emily Sage reminds us that all you need for the perfect song is the warm sound of a piano and an expressive vocal delivery. It’s name, ‘Cold Moon by the sea’.
Read our discussion with Emily Sage below.
Describe your sound in three words!
Lullabies, Jazzy, Intimate
‘Cold moon by the sea’ was written about the sudden loss of a childhood friend. What was his/her favorite song?
I’m not actually sure what his favorite song was, but I particularly loved when he sang Amie by Damien Rice.
What comes first in your music? Lyrics or music? Tell us a few things about your creative process?
It’s always a little different and I like it that way. I get bored if I write the same way or the same sounding songs. Although I tend to start with a concept or a line, I sit down at the piano or pick up the guitar, and start finding the chords to go with that initial piece. The song becomes like a dance back and forth between the lyric and melody, building up each piece bit by bit until it feels like a song, honest, true, and accurate in sentiment.
Your music could work perfectly as a soundtrack. If you were asked to rescore a film, which one would you choose?
Wow, thank you so much. That is quite honestly my dream. I LOVE soundtracks and especially admire indie singer/songwriters who have collaborated with big composers on film scores. If I had to choose a film to rescore… To be honest when I watched La La Land I was so enamored, inspired and equaly jealous that I hadn’t written those songs. But back to rescoring a film… this is so hard to answer. I would say the three films that stood out to me that I wish I could have been a part of would be Once, La La Land, and The Little Prince. I love the raw aspect of Once, the dreamy jazz in La La Land, and the use of singer/songwriter styles and vocalisms with an orchestra.
If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be?
I had to think about this one for a while, it can be easy to become all “bah humbug” about the music industry and even really depressed and anxious surrounding music because you put your heart and soul into this work and it can feel less than rewarding sometimes. So I think what would be helpful is more access to mental health resources within and as it relates to the music industry. Honestly, I believe this in general and believe mental wealth is still so undervalued and focuses more so on academic achievement than emotional, social, and mental health.
What is your best way to relax?
I love going for a walk and getting some fresh air. It’s a great way to clear my head. I am also trying to incorporate time in my week for a hobby. Music is no longer a hobby and has been a job for a while, so I need something else to do for pure enjoyment. I’ve been getting back into painting, used to paint a ton when I was younger and almost went to SCAD, but songwriting stole my heart. So I’ve been doing some painting for fun recently and it’s so relaxing and I love it.
One last thing we should know about you?
So this is random, but every word that I hear or think, I see written in my mind. Like as if it’s physically being typed out transcribing my thoughts, words, or the words of others. It’s kind of annoying because I can’t listen to two things at the same time, like a busy cafe feels like brain overload. But it has been helpful for spelling. I’ve always been good at spelling. And I know that’s a weird place to end the interview, but that’s the only thing I could think of that I’ve never really told anyone.
Thank you!
Secret Eclectic 
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