Sadie Alan is an SF-based singer-songwriter whose sound blends folk and country-influenced melodies with intimate lyrics to convey her inner world. With a focus on her voice and stories, her band backs her up with catchy riffs and strong rhythms that help bring these stories to life.
Ahead of Sadie Alan’s set on Wednesday, February 26 at Bender’s as part of the free Noise Pop Fest happy hour series – along with Credit Electric and Jacob Aranda – we talked to the artist about how she’s influenced by the Bay, a few of her local artists, and what she thinks the chances of survival are for art and music here.
Where did you grow up, and what keeps you in the Bay?
I grew up in San Francisco in the Mission and Bernal Heights. I love this city and will stay as long as I’m able to!
The music scene has definitely influenced my decision to stay in SF. I love being a part of this community. SF’s scene has a welcoming vibe that I really love, it’s so easy to make friends and talk to other artists here. I can’t imagine being anywhere else!
How does the Bay Area influence your music?
Growing up in SF and being in the music scene throughout my twenties has definitely exposed me to a lot of different types of music. I think my close friends in SF have influenced my writing more than anything else, I draw a lot of inspiration from how they write music.
Which up-and-coming Bay Area artists are you most excited about?
I’m super excited for my friends Medscool, Marika Christine, Celadon, and Pílar. I think they are all constantly doing incredibly cool, new stuff! I also am a huge fan of Katsy Pline, Mild Universe, Grooblen, and so many others that are escaping me atm.
Are there any artist-centered communities in the Bay that you love?
I love the music scene of course, I love visual arts spaces like Adobe Books. I feel like the Bay Area is cool in that artists/art is celebrated in most spaces, aesthetics are valued by the people who live here. It’s visible in people’s homes, in architecture, in how people dress, the events they go to and the conversations they have. This might be because I’m an artist and most people I know are artists, but I feel like most communities I interact with and places I go in the Bay are art/artist centered!
After several waves of gentrification, what keeps you in the Bay?
Gentrification is actually one of the things that keeps me in the Bay. I think it’s so important for artists and generally creative people to stay in this area because of all the community and unique-ness we’ve already lost, we simply can’t afford to lose more! I love this place too much to ever let the art that exists here die out, I have so much faith in my community and have witnessed so much resilience and resistance. I would never give up on the Bay and see it as a place that’s still able to support and appreciate artists.
Do you have any new releases coming up?
Nothing in the works right now but we will be recording a new album in 2025. No idea when it’ll be out but hopefully by the end of this year/early 2026!
Do you have any hopes or predictions for the local music scene?
My prediction is that the scene will continue to shift and change as anything within a city must, but that it will continue nonetheless. Music and art are central to the Bay Area’s identity, it’s something that’s always existed in this area and always will. There is so much fierce love and loyalty for the Bay, I don’t think the music/art scene here could ever die.
