“Aquarius Moon,” the newest single to be released by Prince Edward Island’s Sasha’s Ambulance, is a dream-pop lesson in incompatibility. The song is a reminder—mid-breakup—that between happily-ever-after and rejection is a whole galaxy of almosts: people you carry along in your heart for the rest of your life, even if you’ve recognized that being together isn’t the right path.
Nearly a year after the release of her debut single, “Agoraphobia,” Sasha’s Ambulance’s “Aquarius Moon” is a tale of star-crossed love, albeit one complicated through a quirk of astrology, and destined to be unravelled. Renowned deep thinkers, prone to getting lost in thought, the archetypical Aquarius Moon might not be everyone’s cup of tea, particularly that of Sarah Eddie, the Sasha to Sasha’s Ambulance.
But with daydreamy vibes, the song makes it clear that some things are good, even if just for a little while. Just because you don’t belong together romantically does not mean you can’t still belong in each other’s lives.
The single, “Aquarius Moon” made its debut appearance with a live-off-the-floor performance at Shed Sessions PEI, where Eddie proudly notes that the song was performed by an all-female, all queer band: “a rare sight on Prince Edward Island.”
“I wanted to involve people like me, who’ve had less opportunity in the industry because of their gender, sexual identity, or any other reason,” explains Eddie. “Aside from making great music, representation was important to me.”
Eddie says that while growing up in the small town of Summerside, songwriting proved to be a private solace for her, though she didn’t always feel comfortable taking to the stage—at least not with a guitar in hand.
“I deeply envied the boys who brought their electric guitars to school and jammed out at recess. I wanted to play with them and show them my music, but I never even thought to ask them, because I had been conditioned to believe, through advertisements, movies, and the culture in which I lived, that there was something wrong with a girl playing an electric guitar,” explains Eddie.
“I feared the stigma, and I feared the stereotype that girls in bands were gay. I knew that I was what I’d later learn was called ‘queer.’ That wasn’t a super safe thing to be where—and when—I lived.”
Eddie had since turned that into a cornerstone of Sasha’s Ambulance in an effort to increase representation and visibility in her home province.
“My hope now is that I can involve those who are marginalized by the music industry in what I do, give opportunities I never had, and sing out lyrics that talk about how it feels to be excluded and not seen. Together, I hope to build a community around the project that empowers and motivates people to stop being afraid to show who they are.”
“Aquarius Moon” is set to appear as part of Sasha’s Ambulance’s upcoming EP, Impasse.