narrator
Sadie Dupuis (she/they), born in 1988, spent their early childhood in New York City.
Sadie identifies as a bisexual anti-Zionist Jewish person. Their parents, Diane and Bill, both had
past experience in the music scene leading music to be a big part of family life. Sadie’s mother’s
boyfriend Matty (drummer and dog trainer) was also a huge part of early life and musical
exposure. Presents femme, a conscious and exaggerated decision in response to lack of gender
diversity and equity in early 2010s rock music. After graduating from Barnard College, Sadie
lived in New York as a freelance music and culture writer. They went on to receive their MFA in
poetry at UMASS, which led them to move to the Northampton area where they lived from
2011-2016. Sadie is the songwriter, lead guitarist and vocalist of Speedy Ortiz, and also leads
their solo project, SAD13. Involved in the United Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) and
advocates for harm reduction at music venues. Sadie has also released two poetry books: Cry
Perfume and Mouthguard.
abstract
In this interview, Sadie discusses their experiences as a queer Jewish musician. Sadie accounts their early childhood experiences with music in New York and Connecticut. After graduating from Barnard College, Sadie worked as a freelance writer in New York, before moving to Northampton, Massachusetts to pursue their MFA in Creative Writing at UMASS Amherst. In Western Massachusetts, Sadie formed their band Speedy Ortiz, and frequently played around the area. Sadie moved to Philadelphia in 2017. Sadie discusses the Northampton music scene in the 2010s, their experiences as a touring artist, labor organizing, and their relationship (or the lack of!) with gender.