Biography
Sad13 serves as the subversively catchy solo outlet for Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz, pronounced "sad thirteen." Through this endeavor she channels her literate lyrics, empowering perspective, and skillful musicianship into realms farther afield than those of her band. Slugger in 2016 found Dupuis deploying her own homespun approximations of Top 40 sounds to push back against misogynistic messages in mainstream pop, while 2020’s Haunted Painting expanded her lens with maximalist tracks exploring grief, gentrification, unfunny comedians, and art itself.
The project began after Dupuis crossed paths with rapper Lizzo on tour alongside Speedy Ortiz. An admirer of Lizzo’s music, she partnered with her on “Basement Queens,” a track about women making music independently that became Sad13’s debut single in January 2016. That encounter spurred Dupuis to write and track further Sad13 material early in the year inside a Philadelphia bedroom she was subletting from a friend. The sessions produced the full-length debut Slugger, issued by Carpark in November 2016.
After Slugger’s release Dupuis rejoined Speedy Ortiz, whose poppy, political Twerp Verse appeared in 2018. She also published her first poetry collection, Mouthguard, that same year. While touring behind Twerp Verse she began shaping her second solo album, laying its foundations at home before fleshing out the arrangements—including an eight-piece orchestra—in studios across the U.S. Dupuis produced the record, which was captured entirely with female engineers, and drew inspiration from the bright electronics of PC Music as well as the brassy performing and songwriting chops of Joan Armatrading and Tracy Ullman. Released in September 2020 on her own Wax Nine imprint, Haunted Painting welcomed guests Helado Negro’s Roberto Lange, Deerhoof’s Satomi Matsuzaki, and Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs.
The project began after Dupuis crossed paths with rapper Lizzo on tour alongside Speedy Ortiz. An admirer of Lizzo’s music, she partnered with her on “Basement Queens,” a track about women making music independently that became Sad13’s debut single in January 2016. That encounter spurred Dupuis to write and track further Sad13 material early in the year inside a Philadelphia bedroom she was subletting from a friend. The sessions produced the full-length debut Slugger, issued by Carpark in November 2016.
After Slugger’s release Dupuis rejoined Speedy Ortiz, whose poppy, political Twerp Verse appeared in 2018. She also published her first poetry collection, Mouthguard, that same year. While touring behind Twerp Verse she began shaping her second solo album, laying its foundations at home before fleshing out the arrangements—including an eight-piece orchestra—in studios across the U.S. Dupuis produced the record, which was captured entirely with female engineers, and drew inspiration from the bright electronics of PC Music as well as the brassy performing and songwriting chops of Joan Armatrading and Tracy Ullman. Released in September 2020 on her own Wax Nine imprint, Haunted Painting welcomed guests Helado Negro’s Roberto Lange, Deerhoof’s Satomi Matsuzaki, and Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs.
Albums
Singles
