A Chat with Up-And-Coming Musician Sage Suede

Hailing from Austin, Texas, Sage Suede is a singer-songwriter and producer who has had the musical courage to go where most artists have never gone before.

Over the summer, he released his highly anticipated, debut album Thicc Juicy Bass to widespread, critical acclaim. Compared to the mainstream, none of the songs sound the same or even use similar instrumentation as most songs you hear today. Renowned for his musical prowess, Sage is a polyglot poet who has an edgy delivery of high-quality and incredibly unique musical productions.

Sage has a strong online presence with a fanbase who are constantly wondering what he will do next. Very few artists have ever had the musical chops or the diligence to self-produce work of such artistic variety, and we can expect him to take the world by storm and become a household name.

OUT FRONT had the opportunity to chat more Sage about his love and passion for music.Hi, Sage! Thank you for taking some time to chat with me. How have you been doing during these unprecedented times?
I have been well. It has been difficult to release music because I haven’t been able to promote it and stuff, and all of the shows I had planned for this year were canceled. So, that has been tough, but otherwise, I am doing well.

How did you come up with the name Sage Suede?
It is a mix of spiritual and fashion. You know, suede is a kind of material that is rough, but also soft. So, it is good for the kind of music I have been trying to make. I make music that shows vulnerability but also has a lot rougher, kind of alternative influences too. I think it is a pretty good descriptor.

Can you tell us more about your aesthetic and style of music?
My style of music right now is like hip-hop/EDM. It also has a little bit of electro pop, too. Some of my older stuff would be more electro pop. I produce everything myself, so the style changes a lot over time. I do play a lot of instruments, but I have been mostly working with sampling lately because I think that it tends to give me a little more variety in the sound that I am creating. Using samples give me a lot more options for sounds that I put into the music.

You released your debut album Thicc Juicy Bass over the summer. How has it been received by audiences?
It has been critically acclaimed by a lot of different bloggers and music reviewers. It has been doing very well with the press for sure.

Can you talk more about the album’s concept and inspiration?
The concept of the album is a lot around bass, and that makes for a pretty sensual or sexy sound. I feel like the style I am going for, I wanted something that is expressive of that kind of mood, like a central mood you would have a club, but, like, a lot of clubs nowadays, they just play cheesy pop a lot of the time. It’s not heavy or strong music.

I feel like I needed something with the heavy bass to really fit my personality and vocal delivery. That is kind of why I geared more towards hip-hop as an electronic producer. Just because it fits my personality well, and that’s a style I definitely align with a lot. I am not trying to be anyone else in anyway. That kind of music just really resonates with me.

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And you recently released your latest EP, Glossy?
Yes. I collaborated with a keyboard player in L.A.; her name is Dazmin D’leon. I am very excited about it, and it has a little bit more pop in it than my album. I like the style that we came up with, and I think it came out really well. She got to use different variations of her musicality, and I think that added to the sound.

Have you always had a passion for singing and songwriting?
Yes, definitely. I have been a musician for 20 years, and this is my first full album since I have been able to learn all the production and editing. Mixing, mastering, I am doing everything myself. So, this is the first time that I have been good enough with that to make a full album. There is so much to learn, and all of the online stuff is a lot of work, too.

What do you hope people take away from your music?
I just want people to enjoy it and have fun. This album, and also my previous EP called Electropapi, they are supposed to be very fun-loving releases that people are meant to enjoy and dance to. They are not meant to be too slow or melodramatic.

We see a lot of bisexual themes in your music. Do you think bisexuality is not represented enough in music and media?
It’s definitely not. I would say in culture in general because if you think about it, most people are probably bi to some extent. To say that everyone is one or the other, it doesn’t make sense. You know, most people have a gay experience at some point, but they are not necessarily gay. They could be bisexual, but a lot of the time, those people don’t come out, or they are not willing to say that about themselves because they are scared of the repercussions.

Even in the gay community, it is really hard to come out to other people. I have been at clubs trying to hit on a guy, and he’s like, oh, you’re transitioning. You’re not fully gay. You can’t accept yourself. Like, why do we do that? We need to stick together as a community.

You have talked about how it has been difficult to be acknowledged by the music industry. How so?
It is difficult in general. Like, I have made all this music myself, I have done all the production, I have a few live shows recorded, and I have shown my skills in a lot of different ways, but I have never had a label, agent, or any of the things that a lot of other people have in the industry. It is sometimes ridiculous because they will release albums with 60-plus people doing all the editing and production. Like, they aren’t really the creator of the work that they are doing.

Some musicians can only do one thing like singing or playing the guitar, and that’s it. Of course, that is still music, but I just wish that I could be acknowledged or have some of the support that others have. It is really hard to be your own booking agent, producer, doing all these things on your own.What are some future goals you would like to see happen?
I am going to keep releasing music, and I would definitely like to connect with some music industry associations just so that I can have the support with future releases. It is tough to work on things and not have them be heard as much as they deserve. That would definitely be a big goal for me. I also have some more photoshoots scheduled for my modeling portfolio to share with my fans. So, that will be exciting.

Yes, you are a model outside of music. Can you tell us more about that?
It is a lot of fun. The first time I started modeling, I was in high school with one of my friends who had a camera. Then, when I went to college, some of my friends were associated with this fashion group. They had me come in and do a runway. So, I did that for a few years, then I did a lot of other independent collabs with photographers throughout Massachusetts. I haven’t done it since coming back to Austin in 2018, so I plan to do more.

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects you would like to mention?
I will probably have more music out next year. I don’t want to rush it too much since I have to do the work to promote it and everything. I will also have some more photoshoots, so keep an eye on that!

To stay up-to-date with Sage, follow him on social media, or visit sagesuede.com. His music is available on YouTube and all digital streaming platforms.

Photos Courtesy of Mark Lynch and Dan-Ramone Vivian Chavez