Rachael Sage & The Sequins release new album Canopy and partner with LGBTQ+ mental health charity Rainbow Mind
The US artist and her band are also currently touring the UK alongside Rebecca Ferguson, Toyah Willcox and The Overtones
By Dale Fox
New York singer-songwriter Rachael Sage has returned with her first full-band record alongside The Sequins.
Canopy, out now, mixes Americana, pop and neo-folk influences in a collection that reflects on the LGBTQ+ artist’s self-worth, empathy and finding strength in hard times.
A long-established artist praised by Wonderland as “diverse and impressive… mature, heartfelt, and cohesive”, Sage has built a career defined by honesty and creative independence. Her new album continues that thread through songs that reach for connection and compassion.
Opening with its title track, Canopy sets the tone with “an atmospheric anthem of radical inclusivity and environmental consciousness, soaring with cinematic strings.” ‘Just Enough’ nods to 60s girl groups and Van Morrison grooves, while ‘Live It Up’ celebrates unity and possibility through a piano-led arrangement and bright horn section. Other standouts include ‘The Best Version’, ‘Belong to You’ and ‘Nexus’, each touching on themes of love, resilience and transformation.
“You’re going to want to stream this one immediately” – DIVA on title track ‘Canopy’
The DIVA review of the single ‘Canopy’ called it “a track that both shelters and inspires listeners,” adding, “If you’re a fan of Bob Dylan, Sinéad O’Connor or Alanis Morissette, you’re going to want to stream this one immediately.”
Musicians on the record include violinist Kelly Halloran (Lainey Wilson, Goo Goo Dolls) and harmonica player Will Wilde (Walter Trout), who add depth to The Sequins’ sound.
Canopy follows Sage’s recent albums The Other Side and Another Side, which drew from 70s and 80s folk-pop and explored resilience, transformation and hope.
Sage has shared stages with Imelda May, Ani DiFranco, Beth Hart, Howard Jones and Judy Collins, recording a duet of Neil Young’s ‘Helpless’ with Collins. She has also supported Lulu, Will Young and Hue and Cry, including sold-out shows at Manchester RNCM Theatre and Gateshead Glasshouse as part of Hue and Cry’s 40th Anniversary Tour.
Rachael Sage joins Rainbow Mind as first ambassador
Alongside the new release, Sage has been announced as the first official ambassador for Rainbow Mind, a UK charity focused on LGBTQIA+ mental health. With hubs in London and Manchester, Rainbow Mind offers therapy, peer support and wellbeing programmes led by and for LGBTQIA+ people.
Rainbow Mind director Suranee Abeysuriya said: “We are thrilled to begin our partnership with Rachael. Her vibrant, compassionate and inclusive approach to her music and life resonate directly with the values and aims of Rainbow Mind.
“We love how Rachael’s new record, Canopy, focuses on, amongst other things, radical honesty and a more compassionate future. This chimes with our flagship service, Radical Self-Care, and the way we approach a challenging time for LGBTQIA+ folk in the world at the moment.”
Rachael Sage & The Sequins tour dates
Rachael Sage & The Sequins are also currently touring the UK for a series of shows with Toyah Willcox, Rebecca Ferguson, and The Overstones. Tickets for all dates are available now from Rachael Sage’s website.
October 28 – Union Chapel – London (Supporting Toyah)
October 29 – Worcester Cathedral – Worcester (Supporting Rebecca Ferguson)
October 30 – Warwick Arts Centre – Coventry (Supporting Toyah)
October 31 – Derby Cathedral – Derby (Supporting Rebecca Ferguson)
November 17 – Wyvern Theatre – Swindon (Supporting The Overtones)
November 19 – William Aston Hall – Wrexham (Supporting The Overtones)
November 22 – Grove Theatre – Dunstable (Supporting The Overtones)
November 23 – Baths Hall – Scunthorpe (Supporting The Overtones)
November 24 – Orchard West – Dartford (Supporting The Overtones)
November 27 – Royal Hippodrome Theatre – Eastbourne (Supporting The Overtones)
November 28 – The Green Note – London (Special Guest slot for Amy Speace)
December 1 – Festival Theatre – Malvern (Supporting The Overtones)
December 5 – Memorial Theatre – Frome (Supporting The Overtones)
December 6 – Granville Theatre – Ramsgate (Supporting The Overtones)