Space-Faring Hollowsage & the Three Mile Islanders Goes “Supernova Spacetime Continuum” on New Single
When a song begins with the line “There has been a rip in the fabric/ Of the spacetime continuum,” you know the artist has a little something weightier on their mind than wanting to dance with somebody who loves them. But neither is “Supernova Spacetime Continuum,” the new single from Sault Ste. Marie-born, Uxbridge-based psychedelic folk-rockers Hollowsage & the Three Mile Islanders, a metaphorically apocalyptic rumination on life, death and the nature of eternity—with a scope that reaches all the way across the universe and back.
Declaring his own inability to protect humanity from “a black hole engulfing the sun,” Hollowsage—a.k.a. Sault Ste. Marie-born, Uxbridge-based singer/songwriter Sagen Pearse—comes to terms with the looming End of Everything by musing that imminent heat death may always have been the personal destiny of every one of us. If we’re lucky, that is:
And this life is just a blink of an eye
A dream before we die
A walk through a turnstile
Leading through to the unforeseen circumstance of infinity
And I hope this is not a dress rehearsal for a second scene
An encore to everything I don’t want to do again
Pretty sobering stuff, but those are the kind of thoughts that tend to go through a guy’s head when his day job is as a funeral director. (True story.) Yet Pearse doesn’t see the sentiment as excessively morbid, saying his aim was rather to explore “the mysteries of existence and the comfort in embracing uncertainty.
“I wrote this song during a period of reflection,” he explains, “where thoughts of this life, the next, and the peace found in the unknown swirled in my mind like stars in a distant galaxy. It’s probably the fastest I’ve ever written a song—everything just flowed naturally, like a story waiting to be told.”
The process, Pearse says, was “a journey that [was] deeply personal and cosmic all at once.” Which doesn’t mean he didn’t have great company when it came to time to get the sounds he had heard in his head recorded. He credits the haunting beauty of “Supernova Spacetime Continuum” in part to the guest vocals and piano of Mark Berube and Kristina Koropecki, two artists who first crossed his radar back when he was still living in his hometown of Sault Ste. Marie. Their crucial contributions, he says, “added a dimension to the song that I couldn’t have achieved alone.”
Even more dimensions are explored in the accompanying music video, a kind of rural take on 2001: A Space Odyssey that shows three men of various ages (or is it the same person at three different ages?) going in and out of a red door that’s set up in the middle of nowhere. The climactic shot captures a knowing wink from Sandford actor Ken Welsh, a friend of Pearse and his wife who died in 2022, after filming had wrapped. The completed clip is dedicated to Welsh, in tribute to theenthusiasm and devotion he showed in advancing the project’s theme of “the timelessness of human connection and the vastness of the universe we all share.”
We get to share it multiple times on Hollowsage’s sophomore album, Aftermath, an 11-song odyssey that represents a bold new chapter in the thought-provoking, emotionally charged oeuvre of Pearse and his Three Mile Islanders (Geoff Holt, Justin Dillon, Matt Gunn and Joshua Veens). Tracks like “Mortar and Stone” and “Smoke” further the outfit’s reputation for beautiful melodies and immense crescendos, all of it in service to evocative lyrics that offer a unique perspective on life, love and dying that resonates on a deeply personal level. Kevin Ker, who engineered, produced, mixed, and contributed synth and electric guitar on the album – along with backup vocals – brings his signature touch once again, having also produced the band’s acclaimed debut record.
Those qualities were already in full bloom on the group’s debut album, 2020’s Nuclear Home, which won Album of the Year and got Hollowsage named Emerging Artist of the Year at the Oshawa Music Awards. Since then, the accolades have just kept on coming. This past summer, their song “I Am the River” hit #1 on the Hunters Bay Radio Top 20 Countdown, above such esteemed names as Pearl Jam, The Tragically Hip and Coldplay. That was on the heels of the band’s appearance at the Springtide Music Festival, which took over numerous venues in downtown Uxbridge for performances by a multitude of acts.
With the new album finding its way onto playlists both personal and corporate, expect Hollowsage’s booking calendar of festivals, club shows and house parties to start filling up anew. To Pearse and his crew, it’s all part of their ongoing quest to document “the cosmic dance that is life itself.” But honestly, the galactic infinite never had a beat this good.
Hi, Sagen! Good to meet you! Care to introduce yourself to the readers?
Hello readers! My name is Sagen Pearse, though some might know me better as Hollowsage, from Hollowsage & the Three Mile Islanders. I’m a singer-songwriter based in Uxbridge, Ontario, and my music blends elements of folk, rock, and a touch of psychedelia. When I’m not immersed in music, I’m a funeral director, which gives me a unique perspective on life, death, and everything in between. I also balance life with my amazing family—my wife. two young sons, two australian shepherds, one cat, and four chickens. I hope you enjoy getting to know a bit more about my world!
The lyrics of “Supernova Spacetime Continuum” delve into deep, existential themes. Can you share what inspired the cosmic imagery and reflections on life and death in the song?
“Supernova Spacetime Continuum” came from a place of thinking about the vastness of the universe and our small, fleeting presence within it. As a funeral director, I’m often reminded of how fragile and temporary life is, but in contrast, the cosmos represents something infinite and timeless. The song is a reflection on that duality—how we navigate between the cosmic and the personal, the temporary and the eternal. It’s about confronting the unknown and finding meaning in the fleeting moments we have. The supernova imagery captures both destruction and creation, life and death in a single explosive event, and that felt like the perfect metaphor for the themes I wanted to explore.
As a funeral director by day, how has that influenced your songwriting and the themes you explore in your music?
Being a funeral director has had a profound influence on my songwriting. I’m constantly faced with the realities of life and death, and that forces me to confront existential questions regularly. It’s a humbling experience, and that naturally seeps into my lyrics and themes. I find myself writing a lot about time, loss, memory, and the legacy we leave behind. I think it gives my music a certain weight and depth, but I also try to find hope and beauty in it all. Music has become a way to process everything I encounter and to help others reflect on those same experiences.
What was the process like writing “Supernova Spacetime Continuum,” and how did it come together so quickly for you?
The writing process for “Supernova Spacetime Continuum” was really fluid. Once the concept hit me, the lyrics just poured out. I think part of that is because the themes are something I’ve been thinking about for a while, so when the music started to come together, it felt natural. I wanted to make sure the soundscape matched the cosmic imagery I was going for, so I leaned into more spacey, psychedelic elements to create that atmosphere. It all just clicked—I think sometimes when you’re exploring such big ideas, the creative flow opens up, and things just fall into place faster than you expect.
Psychedelic folk-rock isn’t a common genre. How do you blend these elements into your sound, and what draws you to this style of music?
Psychedelic folk-rock gives me the freedom to explore a wide range of sounds and emotions. The folk roots keep the songs grounded, but the psychedelic side lets me experiment and push boundaries. It’s a genre that feels like a natural fit for me because it blends storytelling with sonic exploration. I’m drawn to the idea of taking listeners on a journey—whether it’s through lyrical narratives or musical atmospheres. Artists like Bon Iver, Dan Mangan, and Frightened Rabbit have influenced my folk-rock tendencies, but I also love the expansive, sometimes surreal quality that psychedelia offers. That mix allows me to create music that’s introspective but also wide-reaching in its emotional and sonic scope.
Connect with Hollowsage & the Three Mile Islanders:
Bandcamp
Facebook
Instagram
Tiktok