Described as bringing a vibrancy to her folk-pop songs, musician Rachael Sage is a six-time Independent Music Award Winner, who is taking her uplifting performances to the southernmost city.
Sage (“Morbid Romantic,” “Character,” “Canopy”) has seen some of her peers headline the Old Town New Folk series at The Studios of Key West. Dar Williams (“Hummingbird Highway”) and Susan Werner (“Kicking the Beehive”) are two of Sage’s listeners and friends who recommended her music as part of this season’s lineup.
Florida is not entirely new territory for Sage, who previously appeared at the South Florida Folk Fest in addition to playing venues in Jacksonville, Miami, and Safety Harbor.
While Sage visits major spots in her tours like Chicago, Atlanta, and Asheville, she loves playing in smaller cities and towns. “Go where the love is” is pretty much her career mantra and following it has allowed her to meet numerous people and perform in hundreds of places.
The Key West concerts take place on Feb. 17 and 18 and feature the violinist and harmony singer Kelly Halloran, who recently concluded a North American tour with Noah Cyrus.
Sage spent much of 2025 releasing her new album “Canopy” under the project name “Rachael Sage & The Sequins.” She toured while releasing several singles. Several of the U.S. shows were done alongside Sage’s friend and musical peer Kristen Ford of Righteous Babe Records, whom Sage describes as a musical genius.
“It was really inspiring to be able to tour with someone whose music I love so much and whose work ethos matches mine,” Sage said. “It felt very comfortable and encouraging and even a bit reminiscent of when I did Lilith Fair — that kind of positive, socially-conscious solidarity between female artists as a welcoming, uplifting ‘happening.’”
The musician’s performances also took her to the U.K., where she toured with artists including Rebecca Ferguson, Toyah, and The Overtones, which moved Sage into other genres, an experience she felt was eclectic.
This year will also see Sage celebrate the 30th year of her founding the label MPress Records and see the release of two new albums: an acoustic recording and their first live record. She is excited for the chance to now play songs spanning all the years she has been touring, and to bring some “much-needed hope and community” across her various stops.
In Key West, longtime listeners or first-time attendees can expect tracks that span the artist’s 16 album catalog, that Sage describes as ultimately cathartic and redemptive. Sage tailors each performance to the crowd as she plays on through the night, never repeating the exact same show.
“The beauty of live performance is that it’s unique and not exactly like the record so I definitely lean into that, tell lots of stories and build dynamically in different ways that reflect the energy and responsiveness of each audience.”
Rachael Sage Live
FEB 17 & 18
The Studios of Key West
