Gardening, Not Architecture

If you’ve been following the site (or the local indie scene) for awhile, you’ll likely remember Gardening, Not Architecture, the long-running musical alias of multi-faceted artist Sarah Saturday. With roots tracing back over a decade, G,NA initially began as a series of demos, then, later, a live solo act, before expanding a few years ago to become a full live band and immersive, dynamic concert experience, showcasing Saturday’s layered, lush, and cinematic indie pop and flair for expanding her art across various mediums.

Gardening, Not Architecture’s last album, Fossils, dropped back in 2015, accompanied by an immersive trio of shorts from local filmmakers and several stunning and dynamic live performances. And though Sarah has kept the project active in more recent years since, occasionally performing and providing updates while working on new material, it wasn’t until a few months ago that G,NA officially returned with the first brand new song since 2015, a single called “Absence of Me,” produced by Foreign Fields’ Eric Hillman.

Arriving with an accompanying video, “Absence of Me” is ethereal, symphonic, and synth-soaked, a dynamic and beautiful tune that sounds like the score from a film not yet made. And today, we’re thrilled to bring you an exclusive premiere of the music video for a brand new remix, for which G,NA enlisted the help of formerly Nashville (and now LA) based artist Boom Forest, the musical alias of Saturday’s brother John Paul Roney. Watch the spot, filmed by Danielle Shields and edited by Dycee Wildman, right now below!

In conjunction with new music, Gardening, Not Architecture is also debuting a brand new live show, which gets back to her roots as a solo performer, eschewing the full band format of a few years ago in favor of something more deconstructed. “I’m excited to get back to my roots with these new singles,” Saturday tells us, “I think the G,NA live show was always meant to be a weird little performance art piece rather than a rock band or a singer-songwriter thing.”

In celebration of the release of “Absence of Me” and its remix (both are now streaming, and will be available as a limited cassette single both online and at shows), G,NA is set to bring her new live show to The East Room tonight, Sept. 13, as part of a showcase that puts a unique spin on Nashville’s “in the round” format, dubbed “Outsiders in the Round” and described as a curated, collaborative event showcasing the wide spectrum of “off-Broadway” creators in Music City, from music to film, spoken word to performance art. Meant to become a quarterly affair, tonight’s event will also feature VeinMelter, Nashville Story Garden, and Daisy Dukes Films, and will G,NA both perform and premiere her new video. - No Country For New Nashville

GARDENING, NOT ARCHITECTURE. If Rilo Kiley and Maria Taylor had a baby and that baby grew up and released an album that was produced by Trent Reznor.

Have I mentioned I love Nashville? It truly is a small town after all. I was introduced to Sarah Saturday (AKA Gardening, Not Architecture) a few weeks ago by not one but two mutual friends. I had been told to check her out by one of these mutual friends on more than one occasion but had let them down and never got around to it. After our formal introduction I figured I should probably get around to it. She is not your typical Nashville act. She’ll be the first to admit to that. But like a 75 degree day after a slew of muggy 95 degree days, her music can be a breath of fresh air in this town. Don’t get me wrong, there are some pretty eclectic (and awesome) styles coming out of Nashville these days but nothing quite like Gardening, Not Architecture. To be brief, it's catchy pop rock electronic. Check her out and don’t waste as much time as I did. - The Venn Review

While you’re likely to find traces of Sarah Saturday’s punk rock roots in her performances, her current project, Gardening, Not Architecture, is a synth-friendly, indie rock band. Backed by a full group of players, the project brings a breathtaking dynamic to new concept album Fossils, which really must be witnessed live to fully appreciate. The latest album is polished and pristine but haunting, something that stays with you for days after hearing it. Released with the accompaniment of a full length film, it’s no surprise the group’s sweeping, lasting music feels perfect for a movie score. But Gardening, Not Architecture are no one trick pony. They’re able to create diverse, layered sounds that are reminiscent, at different times, of bands like Nada Surf and Rilo Kiley. - No Country For New Nashville

Expect the unexpected with The Outlaw Roadshow. We enjoy stacking dissimilar sets, surprising our listeners with new rising stars and rewarding everyone with our vision for the better music event. Sarah Saturday is a fusion artist bringing together elements of electronic rock, folk and theatrical, personal storywriting - performing under the name Gardening, Not Architecture.

The talented Saturday has a brand new album, Fossils, which dropped just last week. Those songs will explode up on stage this Friday night. Sarah Saturday is an Outlaw and definitely One To Watch. - Ryan's Smashing Life

Creative talent is abundant here in Nashville, but some folks are upping the ante. Sarah Saturday is one of those people. She is known around town for her Gardening, Not Architecture musical project, and, recently, she has been promoting her latest endeavor, the feature film Fossils. Today, we are excited to premiere a teaser from the movie, which effectively doubles as a music video for the single, “Exterior” from Gardening, Not Architecture.

Fossils is the creative vision of Sarah along with producer Jennifer Bonior, directors Dycee Wildman and Motke Dapp, and director/editor Jonathan Rogers. The team behind the film is shooting for a 2016 release, and is currently submitting the project to film festivals across the U.S. You can find out more about the film at its website. - No Country For New Nashville

Musician Sarah Saturday, better known as Gardening, Not Architecture, teamed up with three local producers to create three short films inspired by her upcoming album. The project, called FOSSILS, combines efforts from local musicians, dancers and filmmakers. You can hear her brand new album and view the three-part film during a joint album-film release party at the Crying Wolf on Saturday, July 11.

Musically, the album is a entrancing work of cinematic bedroom pop that fits perfectly alongside the emotional and captivating imagery crafted by local directors Motke Dapp, Jonathan Rogers and Dycee Wildman. The fun, thought-provoking event will be a great chance to expose yourself to some awesome art from some of the best creative minds in the city. - No Country For New Nashville

Though Gardening, Not Architecture, the prolific vehicle of versatile artist Sarah Saturday, has been anchored in Nashville for awhile now, I had not managed to find a chance to see the project live before this showcase, and went in with high expectations. Saturday and her gifted backing band absolutely exceeded them in every way, bringing to life newer material from her gorgeous conceptual release Fossils, as well as sweeping, electronic-laced cuts from G,NA’s surprisingly diverse catalog. While best classified as synth-driven indie rock, Gardening, Not Architecture still manages to channel some punk rock bite, leftover from Saturday’s musical endeavors in early days (her stage presence, particularly, would have fit right in in a more energetic punk setting seamlessly). G,NA released an entire feature film as a tie in to their new LP, so I was hardly surprised by their deliberate, thoughtful staging, centered around what appeared to be two homemade light tubes, but still loved the minimalist and effective attention to detail. Easily one of Nashville’s best and most criminally underrated projects, Gardening, Not Architecture were a firm reminder of why we love introducing new, deserving talent to Lower Broadway. - No Country For New Nashville