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Today LA-via-Toronto singer-songwriter Abby Sage shares her debut EP Fears of Yours & Mine. The six-track collection is a deeply emotional journey. Sage candidly expresses her feelings and anxious state of mind, an inward exploration that ultimately leads to self-love and discovery. Created with producer Jeff Hazin (glaive, renforshort, Anna Sofia), the record radiates quiet confidence and pulls at the details.

According to the singer, the EP follows the trajectory of a relationship from start to finish. “When I Leave,” “Fever Dream,” and “Space for Me” touch on numerous problems and doubts within the relationship, while “Wasting Away,” “Smoke Break,” and “Residing in the Sky” speak on the ending of it all and the ultimate rediscovery of self.  

“I called the project Fears of Yours & Mine because the whole project plays upon his fears and moments of doubt and those that I held,” says Sage. “When fear begins to confine a relationship, it feels trapping. Fear within oneself or the outward fear of the relationship and its progression became all-consuming in this relationship, ultimately leading to its downfall."  

Sage provided us an exclusive track-by-track breakdown of each song on the emotionally expansive record.

"Smoke Break"    

"Smoke Break" is about feeling distance within a relationship to the point of shutting down. "You take the high road, and I’ll take a smoke break.” One partner is trying to make it work, taking the high road, trying to mend the relationship and be the bigger person. The other is entirely checked out, taking a smoke break instead of facing the relationship head-on and addressing the problems that be.

"Fever Dream"

"Fever Dream" is about trying to understand and mend someone in a relationship but watching them break apart before your very eyes. It’s about bearing the worries of your partner along with your own stresses to the point of it feeling impossible to mend. While trying to be hopeful, the song represents what ultimately can’t be saved despite efforts made. The whole song gives the feeling of a fever dream with the distorted yet dreamlike production, particularly toward the end where it feels like it takes you somewhere dark and otherworldly. “There’s a fire in your mind I can’t deny the way it burns me too” This line is my favorite because it encapsulates the feeling of trying to fix someone knowing the damage it is ultimately causing yourself.

"Residing in the Sky"  

"Residing in the Sky" is my favorite of the EP for a few reasons. When I was in Toronto recording all of this, I found myself slipping away from someone who I loved. I was growing tired of bearing someone else’s burdens during what felt like a really shaping time in my life, so I set him and myself free. I called it "Residing in the Sky" because I felt light and boundless, more than the earth could cover. “I’m making love to my future” This starting line was exactly how I felt at that moment. I began prioritizing myself, adoring myself, and placing value on my future alone rather than a future with someone else.

"Wasting Away"  

"Wasting Away" is about wanting to start a relationship but recognizing there is a lot of self-work to handle beforehand. “Keep me in your mind, I swear, maybe someday I’ll get there” The song is hopeful in a sense but recognizes what the reality is right now. On one side of the relationship, the partner is ready to move forward while the other recognizes needing to address their own issues beforehand.“

"When I Leave"  

"When I Leave" battles two versions of myself: the vulnerable and the prideful. "Do I really need to beg you to stay? I want you. Is it that hard to see.” It’s about trying to communicate to somebody that you love them and want them to stay but fear ultimately prevents you from saying anything. The song ends by saying, “I fucking hate it when I leave,” because in this case, I let pride and fear get the best of me and walked away from something I didn’t genuinely want to walk away from.

"Space For Me"  

I remember I recorded "Space For Me" on a day where I felt entirely depleted. I was in tears for most of the session (recorded right after hence the nasally/sniffly vibe lol) and didn’t even want to finish the song. Given its vulnerable sound, I’m glad that I did and that it is a part of the project. Space for me is about loving someone despite it feeling like everything is burning around you.