Sagen resides in Sandford, Ontario working as a Funeral Director at a funeral home in Markham. His experiences within his career have been extremely influential in his songwriting.
Sagen started performing at a local open mic hosted by local producer and fellow musician Kevin Ker (Future History), where he was encouraged to attend weekly and play his original music. Never looking back, Sagen has performed for countless crowds over the last few years, garnering a dedicated following. In 2020 he released his debut album titled, “Nuclear Home”, a collection of songs full of heartache, hope, and honest lyrics.
Sagen Pearse (Songwriter & Frontman), Originally from Sault Ste. Marie Ontario (Now living in Uxbridge); Kevin Ker (Electric Guitar, also producer for the album), From Stouffville, ON, Quincy Bullen (Bass + Keys), From Markham, ON; Justin Dillon (Drums), From Markham, ON
- What made you decide to pursue a life in music?
Music has always been a huge part of my life, however, it wasn’t until very recently that I have started putting in a lot more time and effort into pursuing it as a lifestyle/income making venture. I think my life will always be split between being a musician, funeral director, and husband, but not necessarily in that specific order, as my wife would kill me. Having the opportunity to share my stories and ideas with people has been my favourite part of performing and recording. There is no other feeling that comes close to singing your heart out on stage for strangers. That kind of instant connection with people has made me continue writing, recording, and playing shows.
- Can you tell us what you’re working on right now that most excites you?
I am very excited to announce that I am working on my sophomore album. It is a collection of twelve songs that I started writing pretty much right after releasing Nuclear Home at the beginning of 2020. Instead of touring and playing shows this year to promote the release of Nuclear Home, like many musicians I had a lot more time to write. The pandemic has taken away so much for so many, but it has also given me a lot of perspective in regards to what is important in life. The songs still deal with some darker subject matter, but overall I think they are ingrained with hope for humanity and the future.
- Who are your biggest influences?
Dan Mangan has been very influential in my musical career. Watching him play tiny coffee shops and record stores to seeing him play sold-out shows at Massey Hall only a few years later is nothing but inspirational. Also, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver has been influential in regards to taking chances sonically and lyrically. Every song does not have to follow the same guide, you can be unique and do whatever you want, it’s not like the songwriting police are going to arrest you.
- What was your favourite live concert and why?
When I was in grade nine my best friend Josh bought us tickets to see Bright Eyes in Kalamazoo, Michigan. His parents agreed to drive us from Sault Ste. Marie, ON which was about a six-hour drive. (His parents are saints) Josh had bought the tickets off of a third party website so they were quite expensive, but they were supposedly great seats. Well, when we arrived we realized we were going to be sitting in the nosebleeds, which was disappointing, but we were still excited to see our favourite artist play live for the first time. A pretty much unknown artist named Andrew Bird opened, he stood solo on stage surrounded by a xylophone, electric guitar, loop pedals, and a violin, then he started to play. . . It was the best thing I have ever seen live. He blew everyone away, including Connor Oberst of Bright Eyes who proclaimed, “How the **ck am I supposed to follow that?” It was his first time hearing Andrew live as well. Best concert ever!
- What would you like to say to your old/new fans?
As I am basically just starting out every fan is a new fan for me! I would encourage anyone who enjoys the music I have put out to share it any way they can with anyone that will listen. Right now it is pretty difficult to create a following without touring, but with the magic of the internet, I have learned we are only a few clicks away from one another. I have had a number of people reach out, just to say they enjoyed the album, and that makes my day every single time. The pandemic has pushed us into this uncomfortable uncertainty, but I am hopeful for the future and our overall resilience. Please keep an eye out for new singles coming in the next couple of months and a new album releasing most likely in the spring.
Soundcloud | Spotify | Apple Music | Amazon | Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram