The Sweetback Sisters

Although the Sweetback Sisters came together in Brooklyn at the dawn of the 21st century, their material draws directly from the classic country sound that defined Nashville in the 1950s. At the heart of the ensemble stand vocalists Zara Bode and Emily Miller, who first shared a stage as members of a traveling choir in 2005. Bonded by a shared admiration for Hank Williams, the pair began performing country numbers once each evening’s choir duties concluded. When the tour wrapped, both relocated to Brooklyn, where they launched the Sweetback Sisters; the group’s profile rose sharply following an appearance on A Prairie Home Companion in 2007.

Bode and Miller’s vocal blend soon formed the core of the band’s identity, yet the lineup also featured four accomplished musicians: guitarist Ross Bellenoit, guitarist and fiddler Jesse Milnes, drummer Stefan Amidon, and upright bassist Peter Bitenc. Drawing on a range of twangy sources that encompassed Roger Miller, the Davis Sisters, Nashville country, and Western swing, the collective issued its first recording, the Bang! EP, in 2007. The full-length album Chicken Ain't Chicken arrived two years later, and the ensemble revisited its retro honky-tonk approach on the 2011 release Looking for a Fight.