Rachael Sage‘s resume features an impressive tapestry of accomplishments and accolades.   In addition to being a six-time Independent Music Award-winning musician and producer, Sage is also a John Lennon Contest Grand Prize winner who has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, SXSW, and toured globally from Japan to Berlin. Sage is also a visual artist and former ballet dancer who performed with the New York City Ballet.  More importantly, Sage is a philanthropic advocate who has raised money for a wide range of causes, including the Foundation For Women’s Cancer, WHY Hunger, American Refugee Committee, and National Network For Youth (NN4Y), Rainbow Mind, and The Trevor Project. 

What stands out among everything Sage has done is her musical work.  Infusing elements of folk, pop, rock, jazz, and cabaret into her songs, Sage invokes listeners to explore more of her deeply personal lyrics that are both intimate and resilient.  Simply put – stepping inside the musical world of Rachael Sage is the equivalent of finding yourself experiencing the feeling of being embraced and seen.

Ahead of their forthcoming album, Under My Canopy (set for release this fall via MPress / Universal / Virgin), Rachael Sage and her band, The Sequins, have released a video for the single “Nexus (Acoustic).”  Originally on the lauded 2025 studio album Canopy,  this beautifully reimagined, stripped-down version of the poignant track features supplemental acoustic instrumentation, a sensitive new arrangement, and moving performances from the cast.

At the heart of “Nexus (Acoustic)” is the story of tragic story of Owassi, Oklahoma Nex Benedict who sadly took their own life in 2024 after being beaten by school peers for being nonbinary.  The important and topical song is the perfect tribute and optimistic celebratory song for Pride Month. 

Rachael said in regards to “Nexus”: “As a member of the queer community who has witnessed bullying and violence against my fellow LGBTQ+ family too many times to count – and who has also experienced it myself, as a young person – I am naturally going to be especially sensitized when I learn about incidences of violence born of sheer bigotry and fear. When I learned about the death of nonbinary teen Nex Benedict – and the bullying by their peers that their school willfully ignored – my heart broke with too much recognition. In my teens I lost a dear bandmate and friend to suicide because this person felt unable to be fully themselves in a world that had been far too cruel for them to handle. Through the years I’ve heard countless stories and anecdotes shared by both friends and strangers of both physical and emotional trauma they’ve experienced simply for being their beautiful, unique selves.

My song ‘Nexus’ is a both a tribute to Nex Benedict and also a reflection on how loss and trauma impact the LGBTQ+ community as a whole – especially non-binary and trans people – and the courage it takes to rise in unity against hate and fear, with a message of queer joy, love, and celebration of self.”

As for the video, Rachael said: “Creating the video for ‘Nexus’ was such a powerful, joyful experience thanks to the safe, almost sacred-feeling environment that our director Nick Clark created on-set in Brooklyn at the gorgeous Jalopy Theatre. The cast and crew were all so generous and emotionally available – and the solidarity we aimed to capture was beautifully mirrored by every single person involved. It was exciting to collaborate with a variety of LGBTQ+ artists and allies from across the New York-area artist community, as well as to feature Nashville-based drag artist/activist, Veronika Electronika, whose sensitive performance in Mary Gauthier’s ‘Drag Queens & Limousines’ caught my attention and made me want to collaborate.”

Rachael Sage & The Sequins’ forthcoming full-length album Under My Canopy continues her ongoing journey of storytelling, reinvention, and emotional connection.  

Photo Courtesy: Anna Azarov