The Real Sarahs
With organic harmonies that enchant and uplift the spirit, The Real Sarahs share their special gift of vocal synergy. This trio of women, who are all named Sarah, enjoy the magic that is created by voices in harmony, acoustic instruments, and the energetic connection between artists and audience. Embracing many genres of music, you are likely to hear threads of folk, jazz, blues, and country running through their songs. Singing from the stories of their own life journeys and experiences, their original music is honest, evocative and heartfelt.
As if by fate, Sarah ‘Songbird’ Larkin and Sarah Ryan were introduced in 2011 and quickly discovered a mutual love for harmony singing and songwriting. Almost immediately, they began writing and performing together. Honing their trademark harmonic vocal style and original compositions, they recorded their first CD together in 2013 and The Real Sarahs was born.
As neighbors in a tight knit musical community, it was inevitable that Sarah Rose would find her way to The Real Sarahs. The duo initially brought her in to record cello tracks on a forthcoming album, and after months of flirting with collaborations and learning each others’ tunes, ‘Rosie’ officially joined the group in January of 2017. Her strengths as a singer/songwriter, harmony singer and cellist made her a natural fit. In May 2017, The Real Sarahs released their first full length album, Afternoon with the Dirty Birds, featuring Sarah Rose on cello, and they have spent the year since sharing it and their new repertoire with audiences from Santa Cruz to Shelter Cove.
The group has emerged as a featured act at many local festivals including the Kate Wolf Festival in Laytonville, Railroad Square Music Festival in Santa Rosa, Redwood Ramble in Navarro, and the Sundays in the Park concert series in Ukiah where they opened for Ozomatli in 2017. They recently played at The Independent in San Francisco as part of Nat Keefe’s Concert Carnival which was broadcast live on KPFA. While enjoying playing at venues large and small, these women are steadily growing a regional and international fanbase.
With gratitude for the gift of music given them, The Real Sarahs offer back their gifts with open hearts and truth of purpose. These women seek to inspire, uplift and entertain their audiences with songs that speak to the heart of the human experience. With warmth and humor The Real Sarahs offer their REAL selves to the world as the women of song that they were born to be.
Originally from Ontario, Canada, Sarah Ryan has been singing and performing all her life. From her high school beginnings in jazz vocal a cappella to studying musical theatre in college; singing, acting and music have been an important and constant part of her journey. Her father, a blues musician, was an important influence throughout "I wrote my first song six years ago, just after my father died. The song 'Markin' Your Grave' which is on our first EP, memorializes him". Through traveling, new people and hard times, she often feels her songs flow through her in "whirlwinds of inspiration".
Sarah 'Songbird' Larkin grew up singing. From age 3, she was performing with her father and sister at church, and throughout her school years performed with choral ensembles, show choirs, and in musical theater productions. She began hobby songwriting in college and later began writing more seriously. In 2003 she picked up the guitar, and a new love was born. Since forming The Real Sarahs, her songwriting has accelerated and a deep love for arranging songs for harmony singing has been awakened. 'I often hear songs in my head first. A lingering tune, a repetitive melody line, knocking at the back or front of my consciousness. I often hear music when I'm working with plants or surrounded by nature. It's as if they whisper them to me."
Sarah Rose McMahon is a singer-songwriter, ukulele player and cellist born and raised in Mendocino County. She first fell in love with the cello at four years old and it's been all about music ever since. In her songs, she draws upon her own life experiences and travels: travels to India and Africa, bluegrass in Asheville, backpacking in the Trinities and Cascades with her ukulele in tow, Scottish Fiddle festivals and camps and a childhood immersed in classical cello and folk music. In January 2016 She released her first solo acoustic album 'Lay My Burden Down'.
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