AC Sapphire

Annachristie Marie Sadler (born July 16, 1985), known professionally as AC Sapphire, is an American singer-songwriter based in Portland, Oregon.

She has shared the stage with artists including First Aid Kit, Amos Lee, Langhorne Slim, and Victoria Williams and collaborated with Kyle Craft, Hoots & Hellmouth, Sharon Little, and Shirley Manson.

Born on July 16, 1985 to Dennis and Cindy Sadler, Sapphire grew up in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, a suburb outside of Philadelphia.

She is Jewish.

She was one of eight siblings, all of whom were homeschooled.

Their father, Dennis Sadler, was a fine art and antique dealer who managed Sapphire's early career and gave her her first guitars.

Dennis was also a record collector who introduced the children to doo-wop and R&B artists, including The Ravens, The Harptones, The Chantels, The Drifters, The Platters, and The Flamingos.

Through their homeschool program, Sapphire and her siblings were exposed to theatre and poetry.

Sapphire first sang in a Shakespeare play at age 14, and she began writing songs at 15.

Raised in Eastern Pennsylvania, Sapphire performed from an early age and debuted with the self-released album Elixir for the Human Heart (2005).

She formed the group Sisters 3 with her siblings Beatrice and Cassandra Sadler, which released two albums and found success in the Philadelphia music scene.

Performing live by age 17, Sapphire (under the name Anna Christie) self-released her debut album, Elixir for the Human Heart, in January 2005; the album was produced by bluegrass musician Bob Harris and featured Travis Wetzel on violin, Richie Cole on alto saxophone, and Sapphire's sisters Beatrice and Cassandra Sadler singing harmonies.

While attending the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland in 2005, Sapphire, Beatrice, and Cassandra formed the group Sisters 3.

The group recorded two studio albums, Star Spangled (2008) and Coruscate at the Meadow Gate (2011).

The trio enjoyed regional success during their existence, touring with Philadelphia artists like Hoots & Hellmouth and Sharon Little, performing at Joy Rose's Mamapalooza and the Philadelphia Folk Festival, and appearing on NBC 10's ''The 10!

Show''.

In 2011, she appeared solo with The Loom at Danger Danger Gallery, alongside Christopher Paul Stelling, Psalmships, and Former Belle.

Sisters 3 ultimately dissolved in 2013, after one of the siblings left the group.

Amid the dissolution of Sisters 3, Sapphire launched the short-lived solo project Murchant in 2013, under which she toured locally, filmed a video of her busking at a G Line subway stop in Williamsburg, New York, and re-released several songs from Coruscate as well as a demo entitled "The Man", intended for an EP that did not materialize.

Eventually, Sapphire left Pennsylvania in 2014 and traveled the country before settling in Joshua Tree, California, located in the Mojave Desert, having previously visited the town while working concessions for Coachella.

She would spend five years living and meditating in the region, which influenced the direction of her music.

After Sisters3 dissolved, Sapphire moved to the Mojave Desert and reestablished her solo career with the EP Sibling Rivalry (2015).

A new EP, Sibling Rivalry, was self-released on March 12, 2015, promoted by the singles "Thunderbird" and the title track, the latter of which received a music video.

In January 2018, Sapphire released the single "Cut The Line", intended as the lead single for the upcoming album Desert Car.

The song's music video premiered on May 9 via Folk Radio UK, who wrote of Sapphire "Her compelling songwriting style lends itself to an emotionally evocative experience for her listeners time and time again."

Another single, "Bonsai", recorded with producer Tim Sonnefeld (Wanderlust, Iva), was released on November 9, followed by a music video in January 2019.

The following December, Sapphire returned to Philadelphia for a show at Kung Fu Necktie with Barney Cortez and Pat Finnerty.

Sapphire moved again, this time to Portland, Oregon, where she recorded with Kyle Craft and volunteered as a vocal coach at the Rock and Roll Camp for Girls.

She then relocated to Portland, where she released another EP, Omni Present (2020), and her long-delayed second album, Desert Car (2022).

In January 2020 she released the single "Mini Tour" via Audiofemme, simultaneously announcing a new EP entitled Omni Present and now officially billed as AC Sapphire.

She also announced plans to tour in 2020, beginning with a March 12 show at Pappy & Harriet's in Pioneertown; the tour was to feature Lauren Ruth Ward and Valley Queen on select dates and would raise money for Rock and Roll Camp for Girls.

On February 18, Sapphire released another single, "Desert Stars", with an accompanying music video.

Refinery29 included the song in their list of "New Music To Know This Week", describing it as "a mystical vocal ride through a place of great danger and allure".

Omni Present released on February 28 and premiered four days early via PopMatters, who wrote that the EP "never disappoints in its musical or emotional range."

In early March, Sapphire revealed that the previously announced album Desert Car was slated for release on May 8.

The album's title track, written and produced with Tim Sonnefeld and featuring Victoria Williams on backing vocals, was simultaneously released as a single via American Songwriter.

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the album was delayed, being tentatively rescheduled for a summer release, and the planned tour was cancelled along with an album release show.

Over the next two months, Sapphire released the singles "Stick & Poke Tattoo" and "Bag of Bones", as well as a music video for the latter edited from homemade footage, and streamed a virtual concert entitled "Quarantine Songs From My Bedroom" via Facebook.

In June, to coincide with the George Floyd protests, Sapphire released the protest single "Police Brutality", originally written about the killing of Eric Garner, to Bandcamp.

In December, she premiered the single "Thrift Store Score", featuring Particle Kid, via Glide Magazine.