A Chat With Nicki Sage About “Back to Me”

Q: Hi! So “Back to Me” just dropped — how are you feeling now that it’s actually out in the world? 

A: It’s honestly been a very rewarding and therapeutic experience for me. As an independent artist, you spend months—sometimes even longer—writing, producing, recording, and tweaking every little detail of a song before it’s finally ready for release. There comes a point where you’re just excited to finally share it with the world. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see people relate to the song and connect with it in their own way so early in the release process. And there’s still a lot more to come—the official music video is on the way, and I’m excited to continue building on the momentum and sharing this next chapter of the song with everyone.

Q: This song feels really personal. Was there a specific moment where you just knew you had to write it? 

A: There wasn’t one defining moment as much as there was a realization rather than the silver lining that came after the official conclusion of a series of unfortunate events. During this time, I looked back and realized that I’d spent so much time trying to make a relationship work that I’d slowly lost parts of myself in the process. Once I had gone through my official grieving process and felt healed enough to be able to, I knew that I had to write about it–and it was very freeing and cathartic to be able to just let it all out like that.

Q: The house of cards imagery is so vivid. Did that come to you early in the writing process or did it kind of reveal itself later? 

A: It actually came to me pretty naturally during the songwriting process. What the phrase “house of cards” means to me in the context of this song is that it often felt like I was with someone who was so focused on playing house—creating the appearance of a stable, “normal” life—that everything looked fine from the outside. Behind closed doors, though, I felt like I was slowly losing myself just to keep that illusion alive. To me, it also represents feeling trapped in a place you’re supposed to be able to call home. “House of cards” felt like the perfect metaphor because it describes something that appears complete and carefully built but is incredibly fragile underneath. Eventually, the truth came to light, and everything fell apart.

Q: There’s this line between mourning a person and mourning the life you thought you’d have — which one hit harder for you to actually put into words? 

A: At first, I think I was grieving the future I thought I was supposed to have—the kind of life society often tells you to want: find a partner, settle down, get married, have kids, and follow that traditional path. But over time, I realized that wasn’t actually the life I wanted anymore… if it ever truly was.

The more I refocused on my music, creating content, and dove back into my career, the more I felt like I was becoming the person I was meant to be again. It wasn’t so much about reinventing myself as it was about reconnecting with the version of me that was thriving creatively before that relationship. Hence the title “Back to Me”. There actually was a version of myself that I could still get back to without having to start over completely. I’m grateful for that, honestly.

Looking back at this now, I don’t feel like I lost my future at all—I feel like I  actually saved it by walking away from a version of my life that ultimately wasn’t right for me at all. I genuinely believe everyone has a calling, and for me, that’s music, that’s performing. I’ve learned that I don’t want to sacrifice that part of myself just to make a relationship work. I believe the right relationship should support who you are and what you’re passionate about, not require you to give it up.

Q: A lot of people write breakup songs that are angry or sad, but this one feels more like… clarity? Was that a conscious choice or just where you naturally landed? 

A: I personally try very hard to write songs that carry some sense of hope or resilience. Even when I’m writing about something painful, I don’t usually want to leave the listener stuck in the problem with no sense of where to go from there. That’s just not fair to do to someone. Like honestly, that stuff traumatizes people. 

I’ll be the first to admit that some of the music I grew up on probably wasn’t the healthiest for me to absorb as a kid or even teenager. Looking back, there’s probably a reason my parents tried to censor some of it. I internalized those dark messages so much to the point where I admit that I didn’t always make the best choices as a young adult. I eventually had to work through a lot of that in therapy later on in life. That’s one of the reasons I’m so intentional about the kind of music I put out into the world and how I convey the message. It’s like with anything else: it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.

I just don’t want to be a bad role model for the youth of today. I want people—whether they’re adults, teenagers, or kids—to hear my music and leave feeling inspired. Or to feel less alone because they can relate to it. I want my music to help them heal, not poke at their pain or provoke it. And I surely don’t want to be part of the reason why the next generation of kids ends up in rehab or therapy because they listened to a really dark song I wrote while they were going through their emo phase in high school. 

Being vulnerable is important, but when really heavy topics aren’t handled thoughtfully, they can genuinely have a negative impact on the people listening. Trauma dumping can feel ten times more triggering when there’s an anthem behind it, because music has a way of making certain themes and concepts stick with us. That’s a responsibility I take seriously as a songwriter and performer.

With “Back to Me,” the pain behind the story was very real, but so was the growth that came from it. I wanted the song to acknowledge the hurt while ultimately point toward healing, self-worth, and moving forward. I think everyone wants to believe there’s hope on the other side of hardship, and if my music can remind someone of that, then I’ve done what I set out to do. The hero/heroine’s journey is no longer “dead”. It’s currently going through an ultimate revival era.

Q: You produce your own music too — does producing a song that’s this emotionally raw feel different than producing for something less personal? 

A: Definitely. To me, producing and composing are just another way of telling the story, so every decision—from the instrumentation to the dynamics—has to support the emotion behind the lyrics. I think it feels different when the song is this personal because it stops feeling like a piece of art that’s meant to be endlessly dissected, critiqued, or judged, and starts feeling more like a message you’re genuinely trying to get out into the world. 

I’ve always felt that music was the best way to make your mark, because it gives you a voice. It gives you agency. It gives you a platform to say the things that might otherwise go unheard. 

Q: You talk about becoming who you were always meant to be rather than just going back to who you were before. Do you feel like you’re there yet, or is this song still part of the journey? 

A: I definitely think it’s still part of the journey. Sometimes the person you’re trying to get back to isn’t exactly the person you remember, either. And some things you may never get back, and I think it’s important to be honest about that too.

Because I personally don’t believe we should romanticize hardship or convince ourselves that we had to go through something painful in order to evolve. It’s not about justifying the mistakes we made or giving credit to the tragedy. It’s about acknowledging what happened, making the best of the situation, and moving forward.

To me, “Back to Me” isn’t about saying, “Everything happened for a reason.” It’s about refusing to let one chapter define the rest of your life. I don’t give the relationship credit for who I’m becoming. The growth comes from the choices I made afterward. And that’s why I think this song is still part of the journey. Growth isn’t a destination—it’s something you keep choosing every day.

Q: When you were finishing this track, was there a moment where you almost pulled back or held something back lyrically — or did you just go all in? 

A: I honestly feel as if my wording and rhyming choices in this song were a lot more relaxed and flowy, as opposed to the more formulaic structure that’s common within the pop music landscape. It honestly wasn’t really intentional as much as I was simply trying to write from a more conversational lens. I really wanted this song to be deep, personal, and memorable.

I feel as if every artist needs that one song where they are simply able to let loose and express themselves—a song where they’re not overthinking every line, but simply telling the story as honestly as they can. For me, “Back to Me” was that song. And what’s funny is that often times I’ve found that the songs people connect with the most are the ones where you allow yourself to be a little more vulnerable and trust the story to speak for itself.

Q: How has it felt hearing people connect with this song — especially if someone comes to you and says “this is exactly my story”? 

A: That’s probably been the most meaningful part of releasing it. Everyone’s story is different, but the emotions behind them are often very similar. When someone tells me they see themselves in the song, it reminds me that music has a way of bringing people together through shared experiences. Knowing that something I wrote from such a personal place can resonate with someone else is incredibly humbling, and I’m really grateful for that.

Q: Alright, before I let you go — what’s the rest of 2026 looking like for you? What can people keep an eye out for? 

A: It’s shaping up to be a really exciting year. I have a busy run of live performances on the horizon, including a DIY tour I’m currently mapping out for later this fall. I’m also planning the release of the official music video for “Back to Me” and continuing to write and release new music.

For more information on upcoming performances, the official “Back to Me” music video, future releases, and everything else in the works, I’d love for readers to visit my official website, nickisageofficial.com, and also stay in touch with me through social media. As a small thank-you, everyone who joins my mailing list will also receive a complimentary song download 🙂