Judge for Rachael Sage

      Self-taught musician, poet and producer Rachael Sage radiates what MOJO Magazine calls “warm, intelligent…NY indie charm”. An innovative, improvisational keyboardist, she performs over 150 dates a year with her band The Sequins throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Sage has shared stages with Sarah McLachlan, Colin Hay, Marshall Crenshaw, Marc Cohn, The Animals and Ani DiFranco. She has brought two shows to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to rave reviews, and has received numerous songwriting awards including The John Lennon Songwriting Contest (Grand Prize) and several Independent Music Awards and OUTMusic Awards.

      Sage has earned a loyal following for her infectious melodies, poetic lyrics, and often-outrageous, colorful stage banter. Leaving aside set lists in favor of a more spontaneous approach, every show is unique, leading The Washington Post to declare, "Rachael Sage has an inimitable personal style, a balance of flamboyance and femininity... a performance as distinctive as it was entertaining." Her shows at New York’s Joe’s Pub have been recommended as a “Top Pick” by both the New York Daily News and Time Out, and in 2010 The Wall Street Journal chose to profile her in support of her album DELANCEY STREET.

      Her 10th and newest album "Haunted By You" is a song cycle about passion, which merges the emotionally raw lyrics of Adele with the classic pop sensibilities of Carole King. The 13 penned compositions on the album feature an array of special guests including Dar Williams, Counting Crows member David Immergluck, and actor/director Joshua Leonard, and showcase Sage's poignant writing, as well as her impressive keyboard, guitar and production skills.