Sweet Betsy

Sweet Betsy ... a fine duo with driving guitars and strong harmonies
with a taste of "folk" and "blue."
- Old Time Music Company- Wapakoneta

"The duo – Mike McDermott and Pam Baugham – have a great stage chemistry that really enhances their sound. Listening to these two is like watching two great actors work together: they are able to play off each other really well and when one leads, the other follows." - Miami Valley Music

"Excellent musicians and voices...they will be back!!!! What a perfect duo."

~Manfed Schreyer-Owner of Taffys (Eaton, Ohio) - fb

" There's no end to the positive parts of Sweet Betsy...the harmonies are something to behold.You simply cannot go wrong listening to Sweet Betsy, they are wonderful.

-Rev.Dave,Trolley Stop, Dayton, Ohio (July 2009)

- Rev.Dave

Selected for Skope Radio & TV streaming audio, song: Wind In My Sail (Dec.2009) - skopemag.com

Sweet Betsy brings acoustic mix of country and folk to Canal Street

By Don Thrasher

Contributing Writer

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Pam Baugham of local acoustic duo Sweet Betsy has been singing her whole life. She had written a few songs over the years, but she couldn't shake the feeling she could be doing more with music.

Unfortunately, she didn't know how to make it happen. That changed in 2007 when Baugham got an opportunity to sing with Mike McDermott, a friend from church.
Extras
Photos
Sweet Betsy: Pam Baugham (foreground), Mike McDermott (background)
Click to enlarge
Sweet Betsy and Caleb Trimbach and Friends

* WHERE: Canal Street Tavern, 308 E. First St., Dayton [Map]
* WHEN: 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 7
* COST: $5
* MORE INFO: (937) 461-9343 or www.canalstreettavern.com
* ARTIST INFO: www.myspace.com/sweetbetsy3
* More info on how to go

"I realized I had music inside me, but I just didn't know how to get it out," she said. "Then Mike and I started playing and he inspired me to do stuff. It was great to get out there and perform. I was just learning to play guitar too, and Mike was gracious enough to let me come along. Once we got together more, it really started to gel."

McDermott and Baugham were soon performing around the area as a duo, focusing on an acoustic mix of country and folk. However, the group began to change with the addition of multi-instrumentalist Amanda Roberts in early 2008.

"We wouldn't be where we are now without Amanda," McDermott said. "She really raised our game, which was good because neither of us are professionally trained. We're just kind of hacks and she helped us become better musicians. She's just fabulous. She has a great, angelic voice and is an unbelievable player."

Although Roberts left Sweet Betsy over the summer when she and her husband relocated to Louisiana, her presence is still felt in the group's eclectic music.

"Amanda brought a lot of different influences," Baugham said. "There was some traditional folk music and Celtic stuff like jigs and reels. That kind of opened our eyes to new types of music we could play."

Sweet Betsy's new CD, "So Long for Now," was recorded by John Pittl at his Pitfall Studio. The EP — which gets its official release at Canal Street Tavern on Thursday, Jan. 7 — features covers such as "Shady Grove" and "Petronella," and several tasty originals. "Be Who You Are," written by Baugham, has an early '60s pop vibe, while McDermott's "Down the Hallway" is a moody, Celtic-infused instrumental.

"We're still changing," McDermott said. "Pam and I like some things that maybe Amanda didn't like as much. We're trying to add more of a jazzy, bluesy edge to our music.

"Some of the things we're doing now with our songwriting and arrangements have definitely benefited from Amanda's time in the group," he added. "Now, as a duo, we feel like we're going where we really want to go." - Don Thrasher/ Active Dayton