Music
Press
"Crystalline harmonies and mournful tunes..." - The Boston Globe
"My listeners and I love the Lonesome Sisters music. Warm, authentic and beautifully crafted, the albums are a joy" - BBC Radio 2
"The Lonesome Sisters’ sound is straight out of Kentucky or West Virginia. Intricate acoustic guitar, upright bass and shimmering harmonies fill these beautiful bluegrass ballads. "We try to open the door in this life here below, but only God’s golden key will unlock our new home,” sings vocalist Sarah Hawker in "God’s Golden Key." "Oh Sleeper" begins with banjo and Hawker’s powerful vocals: "One terrible beautiful morning…I’ll shake off time from this body and meet you in that eternal home." Thoughts of home and jilted lovers populate Going Home Shoes. We even get some old time religion as Hawker croons “You want forgiveness, tell it to Jesus that’s his job not mine.” A few traditional tunes make an appearance, and it’s a testament to the Lonesome Sisters’ songwriting that listeners’ ears will easily slide from the traditional to original without noticing any change in style or song quality." - Performing Songwriter Magazine
"The warm plainitive voices of Sarah Hawker and Debra Clifford were simply destined to be entwined. Chad Crumm's production makes you feel like you are in the room with them. Their own compositions are indistinguishable in spirit and quality from the traditionals or Stanley Brothers songs here. Instrumental accompaniment by Clifford, Crumm, and Rose Sinclair (Heartbeats, Planet Zydeco) is all the more compelling for its restraint. "Omie Wise" features Hawker's voice unaccompanied and is the most chilling rendition I have heard. - Dirty Linen Magazine
"Ever feel lonely? Sure, we all do. Cleverly, two musicians pinpointed this universal emotion last year and decided to package and sell it. Of course, nearly every artist has presented some pining and aching to the public, but these ladies are running with it. They've even named themselves after their woes: The Lonesome Sisters. Admittedly not a huge fan of Appalachian folk tunes or traditional country music, I heard ten seconds of The Lonesome Sisters' latest release, Going Home Shoes, and was immediately smitten with their hard hitting authenticity. And when I say latest release, I'm referring to the one from May 2004, not the self-titled debut from April 2004. Kinda prolific, these two. Curious yet? Their harmonies are smackingly clear and infectious. The Sisters keep it simple, employing only soulful vocals, rhythm guitar, and an occasional fiddle or banjo. The sparse instrumentation only serves to accentuate their introspective themes of tragedy, loss, and heartache. 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." - Chronogram Magazine
Awards and honors for The Lonesome Sisters include:
Best Acoustic Duo, GIBSON GUITARS 2006
"Follow Me Down"
Best Original Song, Clifftop WV Appalachian Stringband Festival Songwriting Contest 2006
TOP 12 DIY PICS, Performing Songwriter Magazine 2005
"Forgiveness"
Best Country Song, Merlefest Chris Austin Songwriting Contest 2004
"Going Home Shoes"
Sing Out Magazine 2004 compilation CD
- Best Acoustic Duo Giibson Guitars 2006
Discography
The Lonesome Sisters
The Lonesome Sisters with Riley Baugus: Going Home Shoes
The Lonesome Sisters with Rayna Gellert: Follow Me Down
Photos
Bio
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(Merlefest 2004) for her song "Forgiveness," and having her song "Going Home Shoes" featured in Sing Out! magazine (Fall 2004). Her song "Follow me Down" was voted best original song in the Clifftop WV Appalachian Stringband Festival Songwriting Contest, in August 2006.
Debra Clifford has played in many bluegrass, early country and old time contra dance bands in the Upstate NY and Ithaca area. She has performed with Ginny Hawker & Tracy Schwarz, Mac Benford, and recorded a CD with the old time string band jimmyjohnnnyjoe. Debra is a songwriter, and a singer and teaches old time guitar. She plays an old Gibson SJ acoustic guitar, old Gibson mandolin, and fretless clawhammer banjo in the Lonesome Sisters. Debra also lives in Woodstock, NY, in the beautiful Catskill Mountains.
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