Q&A: Micah Sage Brings Her Dream-Pop ‘Girlfriend’ EP Overseas

MusicQ&A

Apr 22

INTERVIEW

MICAH SAGE’S GIRLFRIEND IS ALL ABOUT REALIZATIONS AS AN INDIVIDUAL—She focuses on the in-between moments of relationships, where development surrounding one’s inner world ensues. She explores the stages of romantic relationships outside of the relationship itself. From the crush phase to the heartbreak, it asks who we are in the process of becoming someone to someone else.

Sage is a Canadian artist from Calgary who released her debut self-titled EP in 2023. Since then, she’s learned to be trusting towards the creative process. The evolution in her artistry allowed her to lean into the world of Girlfriend, an impressive show of pop mastery. Through the combination of electronic and dream-pop, Sage establishes herself as a name to be remembered.

With upbeat “Secret Like” which seems to belong on the soundtrack of a carefree coming-of-age opening the project and “FRIENDLY” to consider the crossing lines between friendship and romance, the project shows a grounded beginning. The strong base is reinforced with “FAVOURITE EX GIRLFRIEND” and “Reflex” showing the swinging mindsets through heartbreak. Ending on a high note, the vulnerable “Josephine” asks the question of what we keep from each love.

Luna caught up with Sage ahead of her U.K. run of shows and festivals.

LUNA: How has your year been so far?

SAGE: It's been great. I released my third EP Girlfriend at the end of 2025, so I’ve been planning shows for the summer and getting excited. I'm actually making my fourth record right now, so I have some new stuff to perform over the summer. It's been really busy. The record has been doing well with my audience and everything, so it's been great. It's my first time playing shows outside of Canada. We're going to be a part of The Great Escape Festival, and we have a couple shows in London, and then a couple shows in Brighton.

LUNA: How would you describe yourself for those who are not familiar with you?

SAGE: I would describe myself as dreamy, nostalgic, cinematic, alternative, pop girly. I love pop that makes you feel like you're in a coming-of-age movie.

LUNA: The first time I listened to “Secret Like,” I thought that it should be on the soundtrack of a romcom or a coming-of-age. Which one would it be?

SAGE: Probably a coming of age movie. Girlfriend is about all of the stages of any relationship you experience, the in-betweens. Having a crush is so much fun and it's such an innocent, adolescent, naive thing. I mean, everyone experiences crushes throughout their life, but I feel like “Secret Like” would definitely be in a coming of age movie. It's sweet.

LUNA: Do you have one in mind?

SAGE: Oh, gosh, The Summer I Turned Pretty.

LUNA: There's a specific energy around “FAVOURITE EX GIRLFRIEND.” How was your state of mind when you wrote it? How would you describe that mood?

SAGE: When I write specific songs, not very often, I like to embody a character. When we were writing “FAVORITE EX GIRLFRIEND,” I wanted to tap into that toxic ego side, because breakups are so hard and devastating. I know I've experienced this and I also know a lot of people who need to tap into that “I'm so hot, I'm so awesome, no one will compare to me” energy in order to move through those hard feelings. Allowing “FAVORITE EX GIRLFRIEND” to be this girl power confidence anthem was a huge part of this song. I want people to listen to it and feel beautiful and confident. The lyrics are a little bit toxic and a little bit like, “Oh my gosh, why is she saying that?” but I think it's fun to tap into that girl power.

LUNA: “Reflex” has such vivid imagery. Are there any songwriters that inspire you in particular when it comes to your lyrics?

SAGE: Around the time I wrote “Reflex,” I was listening to a lot of Lizzy McAlpine. There's also this artist named Matt Maltese. There's something about very visual songwriting that inspires me so much. Matt Maltese in particular does this thing in his songwriting where he'll point out something very weird and specific, like the towel on the ground. Lizzy McAlpine will talk about very specific feelings, very specific memories. I find pointing those things out in songs allows you to recall memories so much more vividly. It's more meaningful and powerful for me. Having that in my music allows me to connect with my songs more because I can remember it.

LUNA: “Josephine” ends the EP on a very vulnerable and emotional note but also timeless. What is the backstory behind this track?

SAGE: I wrote the song about a relationship that my mom experienced when she was very young. When I first wrote it, it was devastating. The lyrics are so vulnerable and heartbreaking. The line that I'm talking about is “No one will love me like you did me.” When I first wrote that, it was heartbreaking and it felt really heavy, but over time for me, my songs can change. I hope that for the listeners, they can carry my songs with them as well, and it can evolve for them. How I see this lyric now is not that I will never experience a love like this ever again, but more that every relationship you experience in your life is different and brings something new to your life. New feelings and new teachings to your life. It's important to value every connection you have because you never know how long you're going to have that in your life. It's special that it was even there at all. No one will love me like you did me, and isn't that a beautiful thing? There will be people who love you in different ways, and you will go on to love more and differently.

That's why I wanted to end Girlfriend with “Josephine,” because all of these experiences on the record, all of these tiny things, make you who you are. I really wanted to end the EP in a very vulnerable way. It's fun and silly and terrible and heartbreaking and devastating, but all of these things make you who you are. I wanted the end of the record to feel like a hug.

LUNA: You said this project is the in-between of being a girlfriend, and that's where most of the growth happens. Why do you think that is the case?

SAGE: That's a great question. I feel I experienced most of my growth when it’s uncertain or I'm unsure of the path that I'm on. I was using “girlfriend” as a pillar. I feel secure, I feel grounded, I feel confident in what's going on. All of my growth happens when I'm kind of swaying around here. If we're talking about relationships, it's like, “Do they like me? Do they not like me? Are they thinking about me?” It’s all in that range and you have to remember that in times of uncertainty, or in the in-betweens as I call them, that you are always there. Even though it feels tricky or you're not sure what's going on, you're always grounded in yourself. That's the common denominator, you're gonna be okay because you've been here the whole time.

LUNA: You're a singer songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. Is there a favorite branch of the creative process that you prefer?

SAGE: I love performing. I love bringing my songs to life on stage and seeing people singing the words and seeing people connect to them in real time. I also really love production and producing my own songs with my producer. It's bringing an idea that's in the back of your brain, then all of a sudden it's in front of you. You've translated it into art. That feeling of when the song becomes a song is priceless to me, and it makes me so excited to create music and share music.

LUNA: How do you feel you've grown since your first debut EP?

SAGE: My very first EP came out in 2023. I produced, mixed, recorded, played, wrote everything myself. It was such an independent project, and I learned so much about myself through creating and releasing that project. Compared to Girlfriend, that feels worlds away. I don't think I could have made Girlfriend without the things that I learned during the Micah Sage EP. That project allowed me to have this belt of knowledge that I now carry with me going forward in my music creation and music performance. My sound has entirely changed. I've stepped into myself and I know what I want to make and where I'm going. I feel more confident and grounded in myself and my creation but I wouldn't have gotten here without everything I experienced during that EP.

LUNA: What are your hopes for this upcoming year of your career?

SAGE: I hope that I can share my music with lots and lots and lots of new people, that people can find my music and connect with it. That's all it's about for me—someone hearing my song and seeing themselves in it, and making people feel something with my art. I feel so grateful to do that across the pond for the first time. That's new for me and it's exciting to share my music with a new audience. I'm really excited to make my next record over this year and see what that feels like and sounds like. I'm feeling confident in where I am with my music and my sound right now. It's going to blossom even more over the next year so I'm looking forward to that.