Josephine Olivia, Blacksage singer (episode 28)

Female Trouble

By combining haunting vocals, bass-heavy beats and elements of synth pop, Josephine Olivia and Drew Scott create the experimental dreamscape that is Blacksage. Josephine, an Annapolis native, sings and writes in Blacksage, which released their second full-length album, “Shivers,” last year. Josephine has been open about the arc of Blacksage -- she and Drew were a couple and now they’re not -- and she discussed some of the frustrating assumptions people make about her relationships and the band. Josephine is intimately familiar with the challenges women in music face, and she talked about some of the ways she uses Blacksage’s live performances to empower women and assert herself to public space. She also discussed her concerns for the Baltimore DIY scene, looking back on her earlier music and self-discovery.