Rachael Sage and The Sequins revisit Canopy with a new acoustic album

Featured image: Rachael Sage. Photo by Anna Azarov, courtesy of Rachael Sage’s official press kit.

Rachael Sage and her longtime band The Sequins are returning to songs about care, equality and finding joy during upheaval with Under My Canopy, an acoustic companion to their album Canopy. The new recording was released Oct. 9 through MPress/ILS/Virgin/Universal.

The album gives the earlier songs new instrumentation and arrangements. Its release also brings “Colorized World (Acoustic),” which Sage’s label describes as a coming-of-age love song, into the foreground. The project connects personal relationships with the wider question of how people protect and support one another.

“Friendship and love of any kind are the greatest gifts,” Sage said in the album announcement. Her statement connects the music’s emphasis on joy to concerns about war, political oppression and attacks on the rights of marginalized communities.

Several songs take on specific subjects. The label describes “Underneath (Acoustic)” as a response to mass shootings and a call for gun control. “Nexus (Acoustic)” pays tribute to nonbinary teen Nex Benedict. The title song explores inclusivity, nonviolence and environmental awareness, while a new version of Buddy Holly’s “Everyday” places another songwriter’s work among Sage’s own songs.

Sage produced the album with Mikhail Pivovarov, who also recorded, mixed and mastered it. Sessions took place at Carriage House Studios in Connecticut and The Creek in the Hudson Valley. The ensemble includes Dave Eggar and Ward Williams on cello, Trina Hamlin on harmonica, Kelly Halloran on violin and Andy Mac on drums and percussion. Guest contributors include Cassandra Kubinski, Kristen Ford, Seth Glier, David Krakauer and Christie Lenée.

Sage’s upcoming UK itinerary includes dates with Emma Stevens beginning Oct. 22 at The Bedford in London, with stops in Bath, Southampton, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Manchester and Milton Keynes.

Under My Canopy is available through the album’s listening and purchase links. MPress lists the CD at $15, before shipping. Current performance details are listed on Sage’s website.

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