They are a proudly amateur band from
Manhattan, Kansas. I love that they are amateur, and the professional attitude that they play with. They go where they need to go to be seen, and
to be known. They are a very original, and entertaining ensemble with a great
three part vocal sound (female voices), and two fine instrumentalists playing
over a solid rhythm section of guitar and string bass.
She is 3rd to perform in the
song critique seminar at FAI. She told
me that she always does that particular event when she is at a Folk Alliance
Conference. I’m excited to see her. She is introduced as Karen Schaeffer. I know her as “Sally” of Sally and
the Hurts. She explains that the song
she is about to sing takes place sometime in the middle ages, and the protagonist in
the song is writing a letter to their lover, or is about to but does not have
any ink. This sounds a little crazy to
me, but on the other hand, I’ve seen Sally and the Hurts and I know that this
will turn out well.
Sally and the Hurts played in our private
guerilla showcase room on the first night that we had showcases. I didn’t know what to expect. I had liked the three part vocals on their
YouTube, and I was not contacted by their manager (to my knowledge they have no
manager), which was a plus for me. The
band had a saw player in it. That was
cool as far as I was concerned.
Sally lives in Kansas these days, was born
on the east coast (Delaware) The song
chugs along and I get a happy feeling listening to them. The fiddle comes in with a snappy solo ending
with a “hey”. They slow it down and it
feels like I am riding on a train along the East Coast. Finally we are at home in “the snow”. The room explodes in applause, and
hoots. Megan, the fiddle player says
“we’re from Kansas”. Sally then
introduces “Honey Baby”: “He was real
good lookin’, had the right kind of pants for his legs. He had a nice lookin’ beard all cut and
manicured and everything. He was a real
purty feller. But I realized it wouldn’t
work out between us on account of he was already hitched. I wrote him a song. I don’t know his name, and he don’t know mine
which is good because he’d probably have a restraining order. It’s called “Honey Baby””
. The
saw starts into a nice intro. I’m kinda
laughing at the lyrics as they are about Sally taking possession of a guy, and
it doesn’t sound like she will take no for answer. There is a saw solo with the fiddle answering
and they are totally in possession of this audience.
I’ve heard people play the saw
before. Sally’s saw player is one of the
best that I’ve heard. She has great
intonation and is a very tasty player interacting with the fiddle to best
advantage. Sam, the string bassist is
the only male in the “Hurts”. He keeps a
steady beat with solid bass lines.
Megan, the fiddle player is a journeyman, a very, very competent
musician with her own look.
Sally explained to us that the band all
saved their vacation time and looked forward to coming to FAI 2020. She jokingly says she “bribed them with
candy”, explaining that FAI 2020 would be like an “indoor Winfield”, a festival which they
attend every year in Kansas. Sally and
the Hurts have finished recording their debut album, “Wild Life”. It is at the mastering studio now. Look for it online soon.
[from their promotional flyer]: "Sally and the Hurts is an American Roots band from Kansas. Band members include songwriter Sally Vee on lead vocals and guitar, Megan Hurt on vocals and violin, Jaimiee Lee on vocals, violin and musical saw, and Sam Trotter on upright bass."
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