SAIGE is easily this year's freshest and most exciting addition to the music scene in Ireland. Emerging as a talented writer and vocalist at a young age, she quickly established herself as a regular performing amongst Dublin's favorite music venues. With undeniable influences from some of the most prominent indie-pop and alternative artists of this decade, Saige moves forward where others have left off. "Soothe Me" was written and produced by Dublin's very own. It perfectly establishes itself in the Alt-Pop and Indie genre, while also offering a fresh spin on some of the staples of modern music. The balanced guitar ques, well-cemented rhythm section, and the feeling of air and space within the chorus all highlight Saige's ingenuity in bringing the right elements together for this song.
Right off the bat, we're surrounded by an ambient collaboration of whimsical synth pads and a dark and captivatingly rich voice. "When you move me... stirs something gone from me," Paige sings, as the guitars and synth join in on the downbeat to beautifully transition into the lul and warmth of the mantra in the chorus. As the tight and snappy drums chaperone us forward, a bed of guitar chords floats atop, flourishing amongst sultry vocals. A whisper of reverb keeps the vocals close and personal. At the same time, synthesizers fly freely around the rumble of the drums below. As the final lines are sung, and the song comes to an end, Paige's "Soothe Me" reminds us why we listen to alternative pop in the first place.
Listen to "Soothe Me" here.
Welcome to BuzzMusic Saige! We're deeply mesmerized by your sound--you have such a rich and warming presence throughout your voice. Can you tell us more about your intentions when you first began to put together your recent single, "Soothe Me"?
Thanks for having me! You're so kind.. As a first release, I'm blown away with the positive energy my music is getting. 'Soothe Me' was actually late to the game and wasn't meant to be on this upcoming EP - it was something I quickly penned on the bus! But when I took it to the band to develop it became a frontrunner. The premise of the song is mental health, and in this specific case - mine. It's about finding someone that is a balm to your anxious soul essentially.. that person who can calm your mind.
How do you think you have grown as a musician and songwriter since you first started making music? What has stayed the same about your process?
When thinking about growth lyrically, I would say 'Soothe Me' was perhaps a turning point for me becoming comfortable enough to express something a bit more delicate to me. Alongside the song premise, the lyrics focus on a water theme - growing up by the sea it's another love of mine to chill and escape. A lot of the water scenes used in the video are actually filmed in my hometown as a subtle nod. To answer your second question about what's stayed the same... that would be our creative development of a track with the amazing backbone of Saige - the band. They're actually my best friends I grew up with, and I'm grateful for the process to flow so naturally with them - generally over a pizza. Initially, I write the songs without an instrument (just vocals), and generally tend to send over a load of voice notes to them in the middle of the night - I'm sure they love me for that!! I'm a total night-owl.
You have terrific vocal control on your debut song and such an expressive voice in general. Do you have any ritual practices as far as keeping it in shape?
Thank you so much! The one thing I try to do is sing, and sing often. I'd be afraid of going rusty otherwise. Also, those herbal throat comfort teas are the nicest thing ever I'm hooked.
You come from Dublin and have spent time playing there, how do you think the music scene in your hometown has influenced the kind of music that you make? If not, why? I would say it partially has and has molded in with other influences. I'm from the countryside originally and grew up loving a lot of 80's Synth and as a teen, Emo/Alt-Pop. When I moved up to Dublin to study music (where I met the rest of the band) I was blown away with all of the independent Indie music coming out of the city. Indie and all of its sub-genres quickly became a love of mine and I think they've all melted into our releases in one way or another.
When do you plan on releasing more new music and are you playing any shows soon to promote "Soothe Me"?
Our next single will be released this May and we're really excited about it. It's a different vibe from 'Soothe Me' but still very much us -there'll be more news on that soon. Both tracks are from our upcoming EP release 'This Is Saige' with more to follow. And with gigging - it's currently up in the air with the current World situation but our launch will be this Summer - keep an eye on our socials for announcements.