Keepin' it `Real'
Album release concert to feature The Real Sarahs, Alex de Grassi
“You could struggle on through with your head in the sand, or set yourself free and move through the pain.” — lyrics from `Everything's Changed,' by The Real Sarahs
There are a few times in life where life really does resemble a song. Those songs tap into something so recognizable, so universal that they transcend genre and style, with the listener transported to that special realm where the Muse resides. The latest album by Mendocino County's beloved duo, The Real Sarahs, is such a creation.
Their latest CD is called “Everything's Changed.” The music was borne out of some serious suffering and was four years in the making. The album features original songs and artist favorites by the Sarahs, and was produced by legendary fingerstyle guitarist Alex de Grassi, who also performs on the album. A local release concert is scheduled for this Saturday at Ukiah's SPACE Theater and will feature the Sarahs, de Grassi, bassist David Hayes, drummer Kirk Harwood and some surprise guests.
Sarah Larkin hails from the East Coast and came from a musical family.
“My dad was sort of an Irish tenor,” she smiles. From the time she was a toddler, Larkin grew up singing and performing with her father, singing harmony in church and receiving a college music scholarship. She picked up the guitar following college and began writing songs. Larkin moved west following the death of her mother in 2005, landing in Boonville in 2007. “Music began really calling me again. I felt like it was my mom calling.”
Sarah Ryan was raised in southern Ontario, Canada, and like Larkin, grew up singing with her father.
“He was a great guitar player and a blues musician who felt strongly about sharing music with the family,” says Ryan. She recalls a red book filled with songs that would be performed at family gatherings. Ryan sang harmony at school events, choir, in a jazz group and in vocal singing programs. She competed and found herself traveling to Japan to sing. “Vocal harmony is always my favorite thing,” she explains. It was the death of her father 16 years ago that prompted her to write her first song.
Ryan was put off by the oppressive, competitive world of the professional musician, and ended up becoming a canoe guide. She hitchhiked up and down the Pacific Coast all the way to Mexico and back again. Ryan fell in love with California, moved to Anderson
Valley and met Larkin through a mutual friend. They performed at the Anderson Valley Variety show, but really bonded when they both attended Donna D'Terra's herbal retreat in 2011. “There was just this familial, sister-vibe. Our voices just clicked,” says Larkin. They released their first CD, “Afternoon with the Dirty Birds,” in 2013.
Larkin recalls meeting de Grassi several times — first singing at a whiskey pairing dinner at the Little River Inn, and the next time being one of the Music is Medicine fundraising concerts featuring Michael McDonald, which was directed by de Grassi.
“We decided to do a holiday show at the Caspar Pub House. We'd been on the same bill for previous gigs, but this was the first official gig that we did together. It was packed, and everyone had lots of fun. That's when we started thinking about a full project,” says de Grassi.
“Everything's Changed” was birthed during the onset of the pandemic, so early pre-production and arrangements took place remotely, with musicians and producers trading ideas via internet and phone. Tracks were virtually laid down and sent around, with tempos adjusted and harmonies added. “It was a long process,” smiles de Grassi.
“We'd written and recorded three previous albums,” says Larkin. “We had other songs out there, but we couldn't figure out how to really make some of those songs our own. So we brought songs to Alex to help bring them out into the light — so they were more fully formed.”
The new recording features seven originals by Larkin and Ryan, one traditional song and three unique arrangements of songs by Nanci Griffith, John Prine, and Kate Wolf. As the production of the album continued, de Grassi and the Sarahs invited a laundry list of virtuoso musicians and technicians to be a part of the project. They used Kickstarter to raise about $18,000 for the production costs, but still had to dig into their pockets to complete it.
“With `Broken Man' — Sarah Ryan's song — I remember thinking how great it was,” says de Grassi. “When Sarah first sang it, it sounded confessional and quiet, with a slow tempo. I remember thinking that this sounded more like a country song. Larkin and I encouraged her to put on her cowgirl boots and twang it,” says de Grassi. “She totally rose to the occasion.”
“Our first recording session was with Peter Temple Studio. Peter was the Tech director for Mendocino Music Festival. Then we reached out to David Hayes.” Hayes is known for his decades playing bass with Van Morrison — both in studio and live. “David played on every cut. We brought in Kirt Harwood (Norton Buffalo) for drums, and the five of us cut the basic, original tracks with scratch vocals over a few sessions.”