
The Lonesome Sisters
The Lonesome Sisters With Riley Baugus: Going Home Shoes
© 2004 Debra Clifford, Sarah Hawker: The Lonesome Sisters (829757832029)
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Sarah Hawker, winner of Merlefest 2004 songwriting contest & Debra Clifford team up with Riley Baugus of Cold Mountain. Hard hitting acoustic lonesome female duet. strong harmonies & mountain sound. Includes Merlefest prizewinning song "Forgiveness".
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QUOTES:
"Crystalline harmonies and mournful tunes..." - The Boston Globe
"Sarah Hawker is a strong song writer. Debra Clifford is a rock solid guitarist. Both are accomplished vocalists. June Drucker is a bass players' bass player. Riley is, well Riley-a monster musician. Riley adds a nice old time feel and mountain edge to the later part of the CD. His reading of "I Met with Wild Bill Jones" has a classic old-time feeling. His duet with Sarah on "O Sing to Me of Heav'n" is edgy old style mountain singing. This is a strong recording of a mixture of traditional and original material. The song writing is powerful, the performances are heartfelt, and the production is first rate". -Bob Buckingham, Old Time Herald, Nov 2004
"My listeners and I love the Lonesome Sisters music. Warm, authentic and beautifully crafted, the albums are a joy". -Bob Harris Country, BBC RADIO 2
"At Ram Radio our motto is "Listen to the Circle...Unbroken!" The Lonesome Sisters embody that spirit and we are proud to play their music". -Pam McCluskey, Ram Radio
"Sister, brother and family singing groups have long been part of the country/bluegrass scene with the Delmore, Monroe, and Stanley duos and the Carter Family being the most popular. Similar language backgrounds as well as similar genetic voice qualities have made traditional sibling harmonies a powerful blend. Sarah Hawker and Debra Clifford are the Lonesome Sisters and their voices blend seamlessly in the old style..." - Brenda Hough, Read complete review at the California Bluegrass Association, Dec 2004.
"There are plenty of shivers in the Sisters' forlorn repertoire, but their minimal instrumentation is made a little warmer on Going Home Shoes by bassist June Drucker and banjo player/fiddler Riley Baugus of Cold Mountain soundtrack fame. So, if you're feeling a bit hopeless in these last few chilly days, or you're just dejected in general, this old-time-feel duo is sure to pluck a few heartstrings. Come share in those moods we all know so well: painful one night stands, night's starry wings, and bridges leading home." Sharon Nichols, Chronogram Magazine, March 2005.
THE BAND:
The Lonesome Sisters, Sarah Hawker and Debra Clifford, are known for their hard hitting high harmonies and their love of singing about tragedy and heartache in all its forms. They have performed at venues such as the Newport Folk Festival and the Kaufman Center, Merkin Hall in NYC, and played with Jesse Winchester, The Levon Helm Band, Hazel Dickens, Alice Gerrard, Laurie Lewis, Dudley Connell, Marshall Wilborn, Tony Trischka, and Barry Mitterhoff. They were also selected to perform in Fall 2005 for juried showcases at the Western Arts Alliance in Albuquerque NM, and at the Performing Arts Exchange in Memphis, Tennessee. At Merlefest 2004 they performed and won best country song in the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest for Sarah's song, "Forgiveness." There were 894 entries. Sarah's original song "Going Home Shoes" was included in the Fall 2004 Sing Out! magazine and compilation CD, with her music & lyrics printed inside. They have recorded two CD's on their own record label, Tin Halo Music.
THE CD:
Going Home Shoes features special guest and dear friend, Riley Baugus, oldtime fiddle, banjo,and guitar player with the Red Hots and singing performer on the film soundtrack Cold Mountain and Great High Mountain Tour. This latest recording stays true to the sparse, soulful intent of The Lonesome Sisters' earlier work, blending their original songs with more traditional pieces. June Drucker plays acoustic bass on this recording, adding her beautiful, sensitive trademark bass sound.
BIOS:
Sarah Hawker learned about traditional Appalachian singing from her aunt Ginny Hawker, her uncle Tracy Schwarz, and her grandfather, Ben Hawker, beloved Primitive Baptist singer, teacher, and teller of tall tales. She has successfully entwined the roots of her family heritage with her own original work, winning the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest(Merlfest 2004) for her song "Forgiveness," and having her song "Going Home Shoes" featured in Sing Out! magazine (Fall 2004). Along with singing and songwriting, Sarah plays guitar and clawhammer banjo. She lives in the Ithaca NY area.
Debra Clifford has played in bluegrass, country & swing bands for many years, and is active in the Upstate New York contra dance & Old Time scene. She has performed with Ginny Hawker and Tracy Schwarz and recorded with old time string band jimmyjohnnnyjoe. Debra is a songwriter, as well as a singer. She plays guitar, mandolin, clawhammer fretless banjo, and lives in Woodstock, NY.
Their first CD, The Lonesome Sisters, features traditional mountain, Appalachian ballads, classic country, gospel, and early bluegrass. With nothing more than a strong rhythm guitar, and a few beautiful fiddle touches by Chad Crumm of The Hix, this album is full of the traditional lonesome sounds and the spares instrumentation as these songs were once played. Ths CD is also available on CD baby, as well as Debra's flat out old time fiddle music string band, jimmyjohnnyjoe with Joe Thrift, fiddler.
reviews
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Sparse and heartfelt
author: Martin RobertsWhy these fair young maidens should be lonesome I don't know but this is certainly an excellent album. Sparse accompaniments, raw production, heartfelt songs and beautiful harmonies generate an overall feeling of rare and delicate authenticity. They seem to be acquiring a lot of UK reviews on this page - when are they coming over here?
Love my Cd's. Heard Lonesome Sisters for the first time at Merlefest.
author: SallyWas delighted with CD Baby delivery of my order of Going Home Shoes and two other Lonesome Sister's CD's. I have been a Riley Baugus fan..he's from Winston Salem, N.C. I heard the Lonesome Sister's perform for the first time at Merlefest this 2007 and am now a new fan! Their harmonies, musicianship, and plaintive voices are wonderful.
Try all their CD's, you'll love them all.
author: Rebecca C.The Lonesome sisters are great-the best Old Time music I have heard in a long time. I bought all three of their CD's. I have passed the word to others, who have also bought all their CD's.
My new favorite cd
author: Chip RussellI listen to old-time and stringband music constantly, and this is now my new favorite cd. Beautiful tight harmonies and wonderful songwriting. AND Riley Baugus!! What more could anyone ask for?
a beautifully sad album
author: steven woodThis is some of the most gorgeous music I've heard in the past few years, even better than The Lonesome Sisters first album. The pitch-perfect harmonies, sparse instrumentation and gracefully simple lyrics will linger long after the disc stops spinning, and you'll be glad they do. Lovely and sincere.
Beautiful Music.
author: Chuck EWe saw the Sisters live recently, awesome. We look forward to next Cd.
Awesome live performance and on the CD
author: Becky WolfI heard some of the songs at a concert in Cambridge and then purchased the CD. I love the music and would recommend this CD to anyone interested in country, bluegrass, and/or folk.
I am thoroughly impressed by this group!
author: Karen GirondelI love the voices, the gorgeous guitar playing and the poetry of the lyrics. I can't wait to hear them live when they come to the Boston area!
excellent
author: James Upton (UK)Addictive, and we listen all, the time. Beautifully and very professionally produced.
This is good
author: MAURICE TAYLOR (England)This CD is as good as the other LONESOME SISTERS CD I recently bought, FORGIVENESS is the standout track, the sisters sound good and make me feel good and they write good songs as well.
Riley Baugus Rocks.
author: MantonI'm a Riley Baugus fan and love hearing him do his thing so well with the sisters.
A superb album
author: PhilA wonderful album. You couldn't ask for better.
Great music.
author: LaurieI heard the Lonesomes in Montreal. I love both CD's and I loved them live too. Thanks! Laurie.
Heard on BBC2.
author: Peggy DarnellVery beautiful music. Hope you come to England soon.
trully fantastic. especially forgiveness
author: john raysonevery track is the tops. I play forgiveness over and over.
I've played this over and over.
author: F. F. SmithExcellent , moving , good sound quality.
author: David BennettHeard a track on Radio 2 (UK) , couldn't find CD in UK , glad I tracked it down , this is real music.
Wonderful
author: DamanThis is very addictive music. I have both CDs. This one is very soothing somehow.
very refreshing and sufficiently different.what is claw hammer banjo?
author: stuart cannGreat originals.
author: SusanBoth Cds are Fab!! Top notch production and sound.
exelent
author: cees-janniethis is the first time we hear the lonesome sisters we like it so much. If Jesus came tomorrow I think He has a cd from the lonesome sisters in His pocket.
wow.
author: WillI cant stop listening to this CD as well as their other one. Both great, Thanks!
I didn't know they still made music like this
author: Ray HoultonUsually I don't like most of the material that Bob Harris plays on his country show on bbc radio.TheLonesome Sisters were the exception;as soon as I heard They all Pale I had to get the cd.Many thanks to cdbaby.A truly superb album.I eagerly await their next album.
Pure crystal clear sound and wonderful voices.
author: Annie WilsonI bought this after hearing only one track on the Bob Harris country programme and I was not disappointed!.The music is so pure and clear - the voices are wonderful.The whole thing is deceptively simple but everytime I listen to it I can hear something new. I love seeing people's faces when I play it for them - they are just bowled over.
A stunningly beautiful old time country CD.
author: Cindy James BellTalk about setting a mood, very cohesive. I Love Debra Clifford singing Rain and Snow, as well as the other originals by them both. One of my favorite CDs.
A stunningly beautiful old time country CD.
author: Cindy James BellTalk about setting a mood, very cohesive. I Love Debra Clifford singing Rain and Snow, as well as the other originals by them both. One of my favorite CDs.
A breath of fresh air
author: Graham MallinsonWhilst listening to Bob Harris country BBC Radio 2, I heard the track they all pale from the album, this I felt was one of the best tracks I had heard for a long while. Other tracks where recommended, so I went about buying the album, unable to get it off the shelf in England I bought it through CD Baby. Like the initial track I first heard they all pale, I found the other 11 on the album, equally as refreshing.
Very beautiful music.
author: Sandy HerrickI heard the BBC playing the Lonesome Sisters. It struck a chord with me and now I can't get enough of them!
Excellent clean, crisp singing and playing - Ignore at your peril!
author: Toby WoodI heard one track on the BBC here in England and immediately ordered it from CDBaby. I now listen to this great music every night and have not tired of it. Assured singing and great songwriting. You really get the feeling that The Lonesome Sisters know their music and respect their heritage. Gillian Welch watch out - you're being challenged!
I'm a long time Riley Baugus fan, and love these originals.
author: Pamela CarlsonOne of my favorite CDs I own. Dreamy.
Beautiful originals and Traditional music
author: Cheryl Ann WallaceI love this CD. Riley Baugus (of whom I am a fan) mixed with the Lonesome Sisters is wonderful. Great original music.