Teachers at Holy Spirit Catholic School sometimes see student Sadie McClendon with her earphones on during class, her mind in another world. For most students this would be a problem, but Sadie, 15, has a grade point average above 4.0 and runs her own business.
Sadie is already a veteran musical performer. She released her third single, “Eloise,” on July 1 on her way to creating her first album. The sophomore plans her own concerts, buys all her instruments and equipment, and has formed her own company to handle all the things related to her budding musical career.
Her parents, Annie and Allen McClendon, support her but allow Sadie to run the show.
“I think it’s important for people to know: This is all Sadie,” Annie McClendon said.
“We’re supporting her, but we’re not pushing her,” added Allen McClendon. “She sets the dates, she decides the shows and dates she plays. She runs the business on her own. She manages her expenses, buys her instruments and pays for her recordings.”
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Sadie said she got an early start on becoming a musician.
“I started playing music when I was about 8 years old. My dad took me up to Nashville and I played for a couple of his friends. I ended up playing at Tootsies, a honky-tonk in Nashville, and I’ve been playing up there for years,” Sadie said.
“Eloise,” the new single, has a country flair, which is Sadie’s favorite style of music, but it’s not her only interest.
“I’ve been listening to a lot of jazz lately. I have a whole two or three hour long jazz playlist, so I don’t know what’s going on with me,” Sadie said.
Her new single has a somewhat strange origin: It was born out of her coffee shop orders.
“Eloise isn’t actually a person. Eloise is actually the name I use when I order coffee. I don’t know, I get nervous and don’t want my name called out, so I say Eloise. I had this idea, what if I wrote a song about someone in your head that you’ve always wanted to be and like someone you look up to even if they’re not real?” Sadie said.
Her first single was “Sunshine on My Mind”, released when she was 10 years old. Sadie, who writes all her own music, plans to make a new release every month, but she has no deadline for the full album release.
“I sometimes sit on my bathroom floor, like in a corner, and write some stuff down, or I’ll have a random idea and write stuff down, and later I’ll put a melody to it,” Sadie said, explaining creative process that drives her music writing.
The young artist writes both her lyrics and her music, and the process for her is instinctive. Sadie said she doesn’t really work with music, it just flows out of her mind and onto the paper.
“It’s not really a process. It’s like a switch in my head and I can’t really control when it turns on and off. If it’s on and it’s two in the morning, I’m up and writing,” Sadie said. “I’m constantly listening to people’s words. If someone says something that sticks in my mind, I write it down in my phone notes.
“I like to just let things flow. Songwriting is, I guess, a lot like writing poetry. I can kind of write a poem and put a melody to it,” Sadie said.
The young singer usually comes up with the words first and then adds her melody.
“It’s really easy for me. It takes me max, with a melody, 10 to 15 minutes to write a song. It’s fast. It’s just fast.”
Sadie determines the tempo and mood of the song based on the words that come to her. She combines a guitar-simmering pattern with the lyrics, so the whole writing process comes together easily.
While doing some recording in her home studio, Sadie found someone in Tuscaloosa that she clicked with and is now recording with Brent McCollough.
“When we talked and shared ideas about recording, he named things that were in my head. His vision is my vision,” Sadie said.
Sadie is not pursuing a record label contract as was once the norm. Her music is released through streaming services online, reflecting the trend away from major labels and towards independent publishing.
“Looking for a brand isn’t something a lot of people go for anymore. You can get by without it,” Annie McClendon said.
“I’m still adding songs to this album. I’m still writing stuff, so I couldn’t even tell you how many songs will be on the album or a date when the album will come out,” Sadie said.
Until recently, she said her school friends were largely unaware of her musical career.
“Until I released ‘Eloise’ and started promoting on TikTok, my friends didn’t realize I do what I do. A few years ago they didn’t know the extent of what I do, but now they know that I’m writing and releasing music and that I’m kind of playing bigger venues now,” said Sadie, who has an older brother, Grady, a 17-year-old senior at Holy Spirit.
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Sadie has performed solo throughout her career, but she recently became part of a group of friends who formed a band, Stone Harbor. They perform covers of music from the 1970s and 1980s, including funk, disco and R&B.
At the age of 15, Sadie already has an accomplished track record of performing live in West Alabama, Nashville, Virginia and even as far away as Hershey, Pennsylvania. She sees music as a likely career path, but not a definite path.
“I love making music, but I have a few other things on my mind right now. Depending on where God takes me, it depends on what I’m going to do. I just want to let things flow. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t happen, I’ll just move on.”
She will either captain or co-captain Holy Spirit Catholic School’s cheerleading squad. She also plays volleyball and is on the track team. She throws javelin, shot put and discus. The team won the track championship in 1A this past school year. She is also a member of student council and honor societies and is a member of Civinettes, a volunteer service organization.
For those who want to know more about Sadie’s career, music releases or performance venues and dates, she can be followed on Instagram @sadiemcclendonofficial, Facebook and TikTok are both @sadiemcclendonmusic and her website is sadiemcclendon.com
