Sadie Gust — a local musician who lives in East Norriton — spent a recent Wednesday morning drilling rails into wood to make an Anthropologie floor display. She jokingly calls this task “glamorous.” Yet, despite the joke, Gust’s day job does have its charming moments.

“I’ve had people come up to me and say they recognize me from my music, which is really crazy, because I don’t think I’m anywhere near that level yet of getting recognized, but it’s happened a couple times,” Gust said.

Getting recognized at work is far from the only highlight of Gust’s up-and-coming music career. She was also selected to perform at WXPN’s XPonential Music Festival on Sept. 20 in Camden, New Jersey, alongside major singer-songwriters such as Sharon Van Etten and Courtney Barnett. As she prepares for that “surreal” opportunity, Gust will stop by Hideaway Music on Sept. 5 to perform during Chestnut Hill’s First Friday event.

A family affair

Gust said she grew up in a family that embraced music as part of everyday life. She took an interest in singing at a young age, joining school musicals and talent shows to hone her skills. By her early teens, Gust started gigging locally.

Gust’s father, David, is also a musician, and the pair share a special relationship.

“Pretty much all of my songs that I released are co-written with him and he’s on keys and vocals at every single one of my gigs,” Gust said. “He comes into the studio with me. He’s everywhere.”

In addition to the help her dad provides behind the scenes, Gust also credits her parents for introducing her to influential music from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s. Growing up, she was inspired by powerhouse female rock stars such as Stevie Nicks, Janis Joplin, and Pat Benatar. Gust said her taste has also evolved to include more experimental sounds, including the raw lyrics and production of Fiona Apple.

Describing her own music, Gust explained most of her songs are rooted in soul and rock. Her biggest hit on Spotify — with more than 182,000 streams — “Attendance Record,” also shows some pop influence.

Gust said most of her lyrics emerged out of personal experiences, from navigating relationships, to her first heartbreak, her mental health, and the music industry.

“I think I’m definitely the type of person who writes more heavily in my times of trouble,” Gust said. “So my songs tend to take a more negative tone just because I’m more prone to writing when I’m going through it. But I definitely think it’s all just about me mentally working things out in some way.”

A full circle moment

When Gust started playing shows, her crowds mostly consisted of friends and family. Now, she said, she sees plenty of unfamiliar faces — an encouraging sign that she can reach a wide audience.

A pivotal moment in Gust’s career came on June 23, 2023, a date she remembers without any hesitation. Rufus Wainwright, a multiple Grammy Award-winning Canadian-American songwriter and composer, held a social media contest seeking a fan to sing with him. Gust, who had been a fan of Wainwright since she was a child, entered the competition without any expectations. But when she received a direct message online from the musician, Gust couldn’t believe she had won and would get to perform a duet with Wainwright during his Philadelphia tour stop.

“It was just a really weird, full-circle moment,” Gust said. “That was definitely one of my little ‘I made it’ moments where I felt proud of myself.”

Gust is excited to be playing her first music festival this month, but she has her sights set on something even more ambitious.

“I’m dying to tour,” Gust said. “I don’t care if it’s a scrappy, sleeping-in-a-van type of tour. I just really want to get out there and play show after show after show … I dream of that every single day.”

Performing at Hideaway

Gust said she loves record stores, so she knows Hideaway Music well. However, she wasn’t aware the owner, Brian Reisman, hosted live shows at the site until Gust’s friend, Caroline Quinn, performed there in June.

“I saw Caroline there and I ended up chatting with Brian,” Gust said. “He said, ‘We’re looking to fill some First Fridays.’ So, it was all really seamless and natural.”

In preparation for the performance, Reisman has been listening to Gust’s music.

“I play Spotify in the store and a lot of the stuff just goes over my head, because it’s like wallpaper,” Reisman joked. “But I did play [Gust] and she did stand out.”

Gust is looking forward to the set, which she will be performing accompanied by Zach Weissberger on guitar. Gust said she has plenty of unreleased music in the vault, but she is waiting for the right time to release it. However, guests of the show at Hideaway might get to hear a few samples from that hidden stash.

“I’ve been making my favorite music that I’ve made yet as of late,” Gust said.

Sadie Gust will perform at Hideaway Music, 8232 Germantown Ave., on Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. Learn more at Sadiegust.com.

Maggie Dougherty can be reached at Margaret@chestnuthilllocal.com.