On Wednesday, the local indie-country band Blue Cactus released a new song called “Sadie.” The tender ballad was created for the Orange County Arts Commission’s #IsolateandCreateNC challenge, which seeks to raise awareness about the Orange County Arts Support Fund for artists affected by the coronavirus crisis. We dig the low-lit video and the limpid tune, which finds the duo at its most easing and pleasing.
“We wrote ‘Sadie’ this week after reflecting on the ways we connect to one another, nature, and ourselves in this time of isolation,” Steph Stewart told the INDY. “It’s about the delicate balance of social distancing and social media distancing and dancing with yourself in your fanciest clothes, learning who you are deep down and loving that person more than ever. We hope she brings a little spark of light and joy to your day and helps you feel a little less lonely being alone.”
Blue Cactus also announced its first official livestream concert for this Saturday, April 4, which they’ll play in their home. Doors (well, “doors”) are at 8:30 p.m., and the show starts at 9:00. The suggested donation is $10-$20 via Venmo or PayPal.
“With livestreaming in general, I think we’ve been a little slower to warm to the idea,” Stewart says. “We needed a bit of space to process the huge loss we experienced when all of the gigs we had been looking forward to for months just disappeared, and to accept the fact that on top of everything else we take on as musicians, we are now the venue. … There is an element of surrender in this process that we’ve had to embrace, and I think that’s been a positive challenge to work through.”
Catch the livestream on Facebook.
Contact arts and culture editor Brian Howe at bhowe@indyweek.com.