February 10, 2017
Brought together by their mutual love of the traditional American songbook, Ladybird draws on a multi-dimensional background, including European classicism, Swedish folk, and jazz to create a sound that echoes like a wind through the Appalachian pines. Their original material is informed by these textures and brought to life by their instrumental abilities, but thrice as nice are their voices:
“Emoting deep from the back of their throats, each artist nuanced not only with the character of her instrument but also with the individuality of her vocals.”
Tri-State Indie
- Anna Cecilia Ferneborg (vocals, guitar, mandolin)
- Sarah Williams Larsen (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar)
- Laura Kay (vocals, dobro, banjo, guitar)
It is their diverse background that lends new treatments to old time songs. Their EP, “Hey There, Ladybird!” consists of three traditional songs (High On a Mountain, Rain and Snow, Red Rocking Chair) and one original. Ladybird’s renditions of the three traditional songs are uncommon. Sarah says, “The best advice we ever got was from Ry Cooder; he said ‘why play a song the way it’s been played before? Doesn’t matter if it’s better or worse, at least it’s different.’” While playing their traditional instruments, the girls, with producer Michael Southerton (Song Dogs) began to experiment with harmony and texture. The result is an EP dipped in sepia and soaked in a Southern honey, radiating with a dark beauty and warmth.