In 2020, bluegrass group Sister Sadie made historical past by turning into the primary all-female group to win the Worldwide Bluegrass Music Affiliation (IBMA)’s coveted prime honor: entertainer of the yr. That very same yr, the group earned vocal group of the yr, whereas Sister Sadie member Deanie Richardson turned the second girl in 30 years to win the IBMA’s fiddle participant of the yr. The group initially shaped in December 2012, with a lineup that included Gena Britt, Deanie Richardson, Dale Ann Bradley, Tina Adair and Beth Lawrence.
However over the previous 4 years, Sister Sadie has weathered adjustments each exterior and inside — from pandemic shutdowns to the exits of group members, together with Adair and Bradley. The group’s two remaining founders, Deanie Richardson and Gena Britt, have cast forward with Sister Sadie — and within the course of, are welcoming a brand new technology to the group’s mission of placing gifted girls bluegrass gamers within the highlight.
Fiddle participant Richardson has spent years touring with artists together with Patty Loveless and Bob Seger, whereas banjoist/vocalist Britt’s resume has included time as half teams together with New Classic and The Daughters of Bluegrass. Rounding out Sister Sadie are the most recent members Jaelee Roberts (guitar/vocals), Dani Flowers (guitar/vocals) and the group’s youngest member, 19-year-old Maddie Dalton (bass/vocals). Roberts joined in 2020, adopted by Flowers in 2022 and in 2023, Dalton.
“Personnel adjustments are at all times laborious as a result of all the pieces adjustments—the power, the sound,” Richardson tells Billboard through Zoom. “With personnel adjustments, it’s like, ‘Can we name it or can we attempt to reinvent this factor?’ We determined to maintain going ahead.”
The relational ties with a number of the newer members run deep, significantly with Roberts. “I grew up taking part in in a band [New Tradition] with Jaelee’s dad once I was a young person,” Richardson says, “and [Gena] grew up taking part in in a band [Petticoat Junction] with Jaelee’s mother when she was a young person, and now we’re in a band with Jaelee.”
The group’s newest album, No Concern, which got here out Jan. 26, marks the group’s first full-fledged venture with their new label Mountain Residence, the place they signed in 2022.
“With all of the personnel adjustments taking place, we simply felt it was time for a change,” Richardson says of leaving former label Pinecastle Data and becoming a member of Mountain Residence. “Gena and I went to Mountain Residence and simply thought it could be a great spot to land. We began making calls, chatting with labels and seeing what household feels proper to work with, and this felt proper.”
For a number of the newer members, crafting the album got here with profession milestones and distinctive challenges.
“The humorous half is all of them went into the studio and recorded, and I had my school finals, so I couldn’t make it for the primary spherical, however within the second spherical of session I went in and simply cherished getting to listen to all of this music come to life,” Roberts stated, whereas Dalton known as the periods “a whirlwind of an expertise and so enjoyable,” noting that making the album marked her first time taking part in bass in an expert studio setting, simply two weeks after becoming a member of Sister Sadie.
The album’s 13 tracks span easy bluegrass to people, conventional nation and extra, anchored by every of the group’s members’ particular person musical proclivities.
“It’s a mirrored image of all of us, as a result of our particular person personalities come out within the document,” Britt stated. “We simply love songs and songwriters. Once we are making a document, we begin a Dropbox and everybody begins throwing songs we love into that Dropbox and we begin choosing issues out. There’s some electrical guitar on this album, some piano and drums and a B-3 organ—some issues which can be method exterior of the Sister Sadie field, however I like the place it’s heading.”
A few of these favorited compositions are pulled from the nation style, together with Cam’s 2017 single “Diane,’ which flips the script on Dolly Parton’s traditional “Jolene.”
“I performed within the band on the Opry and I used to be on one evening and Cam walked out and I used to be taking part in mandolin. She did that tune and I used to be floored. I believed, ‘It appears like an previous ‘70s pop tune.’ I despatched it to the ladies and so they cherished it as a lot as I did. The tune wasn’t an enormous hit, however we cherished it and it has been a crowd favourite.”
Two different songs, “Willow” and “Ode to the Ozarks,” had been co-written by nation singer-songwriter and Grammy winner Ashley McBryde, who additionally lends her vocals to “Ode to the Ozarks.”
“Ashley is one among my greatest associates,” Flowers says, recalling that the 2 met in a songwriting session, and that McBryde was a contributor to “One thing to Lose,” featured on 2018 album Sister Sadie II, “We love her and she or he’s at all times been such an incredible supporter and got here to my first present with Sister Sadie at [Nashville music venue] Station Inn and sang with us on the Opry. She’s a giant a part of Sister Sadie—she’s Sister Ashley.”
“After I noticed Sister Sadie dwell for the primary time, I used to be like, ‘Okay, now I’m obsessed,’” McBryde informed Billboard through a press release. “I came upon by means of Dani Flowers (we’ve been associates for over a decade), that they had been interested by slicing ‘Willow,’ a tune I had written fairly a number of years in the past. Then I came upon they had been additionally gonna reduce ‘Ode to the Ozarks,’ and I used to be so tickled. Deanie known as and requested if I’d come and sing on ‘Ode to the Ozarks,’ and I used to be blown away. I like the entire document and I’m nonetheless obsessive about Sister Sadie.”
“If We Ain’t Drinkin’ Then We’re Combating” is an older tune, written by Richardson and former Sister Sadie member Adair.
“I used to be in a wedding that simply form of went south and was not in a great place,” Richardson says. “The one factor we actually appeared ahead to daily was like, ‘What are we ingesting tonight? What cocktail are we making?’ and I stated to Tina in the future, ‘It’s simply no enjoyable over right here. If we’re not ingesting, we’re preventing. And she or he was like, ‘Oh my god, let’s write that.’ So it was a fast write, and there was some comedic tinge to it. The texture is extra Reno and Smiley, simply actual swingy old-school bluegrass.”
Dalton takes the lead on “Mississippi River Lengthy,” a tune Flowers co-wrote when she was 19.
“Maddie joined as we had been ending up the document,” Flowers says. “We knew she was an incredible bass participant, however I didn’t understand how nice of a singer she is till we heard her at a competition and knew she wanted to sing on this document. I’m so joyful this tune has new life.”
The group’s accolades are a testomony to the ability and dedication of its members, particularly in a male-dominated style. Richardson says the group’s all-female lineup hasn’t been a deterrent.
“I’m a homosexual girl in bluegrass music, and I’ve by no means ever had a difficulty,” Richardson says. “I don’t really feel like us being girls has actually hindered us. The one factor I’ve ever seen is that they’re solely going to guide one feminine band at a competition. That’s the one actually adverse draw back I’ve ever seen. We’ve received an incredible profession. For me and us, I don’t really feel prefer it’s ever been a difficulty. I do know it has been for many individuals, however we simply attempt to keep optimistic and provides it hell and see what occurs.”
Even whereas incomes prime awards from the IBMAs, Sister Sadie didn’t have a reserving agent or supervisor and was reserving exhibits and facilitating its personal enterprise operations. That’s modified, as they’ve now signed with Madison Home for reserving, and commenced working with supervisor Chris Segal. The Sister Sadie members say they’re devoted to forging forward, at the same time as they steadiness roles as musicians with different tasks together with jobs (Richardson works at a financial institution and Britt at a glasses retailer), faculty and household.
“We do as a lot as we will and we even have jobs and children,” Richardson stated. “We began this factor as a pet venture. We had been like, ‘Let’s get these superb girls collectively and play after we can.’ Then that developed into tour dates and information and IBMA Awards, but it surely was natural and we by no means actually went in 100% on this. So we had this dialog of ‘What if we received managers and brokers and the fitting combo of fantastic, gifted, strong-ass girls and actually went at this 100%? What would occur? In order that’s the place we’re headed.”
