The Sweetback Sisters
Howdy!
Introducing The Sweetback Sisters!
Like their pseudo-sister role models, the Davis Sisters, the Sweetback Sisters sing country songs in close, surrogate-sister harmony and matching dresses. Their repertoire combines several of the Sisters' passions -- country music from before they were born and new interpretations of those traditions -- to create a fresh take on what it means to be country.
The Sweetback line-up features the lavish voices of Zara Bode and Emily Miller joined by an all-star cast of instrumentalists including: West Virginian triple threat Jesse Milnes; Stefan Amidon on drums; Philly's stringed slayer Ross Bellenoit on rippin' Telecaster, and a the newest Sweetback Sister Bridget Kearney on bass.
Their debut EP Bang! was released in early 2007 and earned them a spot on A Prairie Home Companion's talent contest for twenty-somethings. Their first full-length album Chicken Ain't Chicken was released in 2009 on Signature Sounds Recordings.
The Sweetback Biography
Emily was born in Kansas and raised in Hong Kong, where her parents taught her traditional American music. Their family band [performed on television shows and in shopping malls throughout the city. She regularly shares her extensive knowledge of country music through harmony-singing workshops (often taught in collaboration with her mother, Val Mindel). Emily recently earned a master's degree in speech pathology at Vanderbilt University. You can call her "Master" if you want to...
Emily Miller
Zara was raised along the the respective coasts SF/NY/MA by a dancer and a comic artist. Her singing first drew attention at the Pioneer Valley School of Performing Arts where she was a high school starlet singing jazz songs and leading plays, melting the hearts of audiences with her soulful voice and easy going stage presence. She has since studied musical theater at University of the Arts, and currently works as a hired gun in NYC for vocal background recordings and arangements. In her spare time she cooks mean meals, designed this fine site, and fundraises for her backyard arts institution BAM.
Zara Bode
Ross Bellenoit was raised in Western Massachusetts with a walkman in one hand and a cassette tape of Talking Heads' "Stop Making Sense" in the other. Having studied classical guitar for 10 years, conducted a symphony orchestra when he was 12, performed in drag (twice),earned a degree in jazz guitar, opened for Bob Dylan, recorded with John Carter Cash, and toured Germany, Ross has seen it all. All, except the Liberty Bell. Though he's now quite settled in Philadelphia, he's just not interested. We'll try not to hold that against him.
Ross Bellenoit
Jesse is a West Virginian by birth and a Nashville resident by circumstance. He learned to play old-time fiddle and fingerpicking guitar from his dad, Gerry Milnes. When he's not touring with the Sweetback Sisters, Jesse runs a fiddle repair shop (Cheap Fiddles of Nashville) out of his garage. So if you're in the area and need to get your fiddle repaired, you know who to call. Jesse is also a frequent poetic contributor to the Sweetback Sisters' blog. Check it out.
Jesse Milnes
Bridget Kearney, the newest addition to the Sweetback family, earned double degrees in jazz bass and English literature from the New England Conservatory and Tufts University. She currently plays in an assortment of cutting edge bands including Lake Street Dive, Joy Kills Sorrow and the amazing Xylopholks.
Bridget Kearney
Stefan Amidon grew up singing in his own family band The Amidons, and picked up many instruments along the way. Primarily a drummer, Stefan has played with many folk bands such as Popcorn Behavior, Lissa
Schneckenberger, Matt and Shannon Heaton, and The Sevens. More recently he
has played drums in jazz bands big and small, timpani in orchestras and clarinet with his older brother, avant/folk artist Sam Amidon. Stefan graduated from Oberlin Conservatory with a degree in Jazz Performance.
Stefan Amidon
"The Sweetback Sextet"
All photography byAndrew Parsons
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