Meet Sister Sadie

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Sister Sadie.

Hello Sister Sadie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
This band started 12 years ago as five women who had known each other since we were teenagers but never played together as a band. We decided to book a night at The Station Inn in Nashville just for fun. It was so much fun that we did another one later in the year. That led to some promoters calling us about playing at some festivals in the summer.

We thought, ok, that might be fun. We can just do the ones that make sense, but none of us wanted to tour this configuration. We were all busy doing other things with our careers. The shows kept coming in, and then a record label approached us about doing a record. We recorded Sister Sadie I and Sister Sadie II. The second record was nominated for a Grammy. Then we won the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Vocal Group of Year three years in a row, Entertainer of the Year, Fiddle Player of the Year, and many more nominations.

From there, things started rolling. It all happened very organically and without a team of people working with us. We were doing our booking and managing. This past year, with many personnel changes along the way, decided to hire a team and give this thing 100% to see what happens. Deanie Richardson and Gena Britt are the two remaining members. After hiring Jaelee Roberts, Dani Flowers, and Maddie Dalton, the band is full force ahead and just released our third record, “No Fear.”

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It certainly has had many struggles and challenges along the way. We’ve had major personnel changes, with each new person coming in, the energy of the group, and the music changing. You have to regroup and find where that energy lands. It’s also scary because you hope your fans will be open to that transformation. We were concerned about every change but also very confident that the new energy would lead us to where we were supposed to be.

That has certainly been the case. The configuration that we have now is the best yet. Everyone is excited and has the same goals and dreams for where we are heading. Each person brings so much talent individually. When it’s all put together, it forms that magical thing that Sister Sadie has been since the first downbeat at the Station Inn 12 years ago.

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am most proud of how this band has plowed forward, no matter the setbacks. We didn’t give up when it got scary or hard. We decided it was worth it, but we still had more to do.

We named our most recent CD “No Fear” because we could’ve called it quits after those personnel changes. Instead, we went for it and made the best record we’ve done so far. We are so excited for the future and letting this play out as it’s supposed to.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
One thing we learned as a band is that you have to up your social media game to stay relevant these days. Two of us, Deanie and Gena, are over 50, so we are kind of old school in that respect. It’s so different today than when we were in our 20s. Fortunately, we have girls in their 20s and 30s who are really good at the social media part.

During Covid, that was kind of the only way to stay alive in this business. You could stream live performances, have a Q and A with your fans, or just simply keep the post going to stay in the scene. We have really cranked our social media and streaming game up. And we are so glad to be back out on a live stage feeling the energy of an audience.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sistersadieband.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/sistersadiemusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sistersadieband
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/sistersadieband
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/sistersadieband
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0rWSUQEtdCxT9Y1Hd0eGl8?si=Wbx5LMlNTnuEk7y6mdOBgg

Image Credits
Eric Ahlgrim and Amanda Cannon