We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sage Castleberry a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Sage, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
A major risk I have taken in the last year is putting out my own music. Playing covers is one thing, but putting your own music out takes a lot of courage. When you put a song out you really hope people will like it but that’s not a given. Some will like it and some won’t, that’s just how it goes, but in that it took me a lot of courage to put my own music out for the world to hear.
Sage, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Michigan pop country artist Sage Castleberry has a musical style that brings together both old and new. Born into a family of musicians, he was exposed to a variety of genres, ranging from 80s hair bands to country music and everything in between. Picking up the guitar at just 10 years old, Castleberry has spent years mastering his art and eventually playing with many talented friends and even his own father and drummer, Tim Castleberry. Now that the songwriter is creating more of his own music, he is discovering his individual sound and perfecting his artistry. Sage is often found playing solo in West Michigan Breweries and restaurants, planning for the upcoming festival and outdoor season ahead.
After the paramount success of his debut single “I Kinda Like It”, Castleberry then released a beautiful break up song called “Last Goodbye” followed by the idyllic and upbeat “Neverland”. Claiming his infectious pop country sound fueled by his diverse influences over the years, like Seaforth and Thomas Rhett, this artist displays an ever growing collection of music filled with great hooks and clever lyrics.
The newest release “Leave with me together” was written about Sage’s Grandparents, Jerry and Donna Castleberry, who died literally hand in hand, an hour apart from complications from Covid 19. This single is a heart wrenching song to honor his beloved “Gram and Pop”. The lyrics tell the story of their humble home and family life, followed by the sentiment shared by every true love, to stay together, forever. The endearing lyrics are accompanied by a lovely melody, rich vocals and accents of steel guitar.
Garnering critical acclaim on release of his outstanding debut from the likes of Earmilk, Atwood Magazine, and Variance Magazine, Sage Castleberry is emerging exceptionally into the scene.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is having fans that love listening to your music. Its such a surreal feeling having people want to listen to my music and sing my music.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
There have been several documentaries on Netflix that I have watched that have really motivated me to dive deeper into the business. Some of my recent favorites are the Shawn Mendes, Garth Brooks and Shania Twain documentaries. 
Contact Info:
- Website: http://sagecastleberry.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sage_castleberry/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sagecastleberrysmusic/?ref=pages_you_manage
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/castleberry5age
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY3m1c1WrMosO3Wdz7KQSEQ
- Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sage_castleberry?lang=en
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4tuJc5GuKYWBMvADM5q6iy?si=Vxj3mMt2TsGEuitXYS7FcQ
- Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sage-castleberry/1625485259
Image Credits
Photos by Danyel Bruski and Celestina Knight