Singer-songwriter duo, The Secret Sisters, join Sad Song Queens hosts Laura Webb and Lindsay Wolfington to dive into the emotional backstory behind their poignant track, “Hold You Dear” from their 2020 album Saturn Return. In this intimate conversation, real-life sisters Laura Rogers and Lydia Slagle, reflect on the raw vulnerability of early motherhood, family, and the fleeting nature of time that inspired the song.
Known for their close vocal harmonies, traditional Southern roots, and introspective songwriting across country, folk, and Americana music, The Secret Sisters have carved out a unique space in modern roots music. They share details of their music career journey that started unexpectedly when a spontaneously open audition in Nashville led to a record deal and their 2010 self-titled debut, produced by T-Bone Burnett and Dave Cobb. The album brought rapid national attention and tour slots alongside Paul Simon, Willie Nelson, and Ray LaMontagne.
The Secret Sisters tell Lindsay and Laura about their challenging experiences in the music industry, and how they almost left the business before Brandi Carlile encouraged them to continue making music. Carlile then co-produced two of their albums, You Don't Own Me Anymore (2017) and Saturn Return (2020) - both earning them Grammy nominations for Best Folk Album. Their most recent album, Mind, Man, Medicine (2024), is a deeply emotional exploration of human connection, self-reliance, and post-pandemic healing co-produced alongside Ben Tanner (Alabama Shakes, St. Paul & the Broken Bones) and John Paul White (formerly of Grammy-winning duo the Civil Wars).
To wrap up the episode, Laura and Lydia break down their personal favorite cry-worthy tracks from legends like John Prine and George Jones to modern masters like Big Thief and Madison Cunningham, making this an essential listen for anyone who loves a good cry.
So grab your tissues and prepare for tears as you dive into this deeply moving episode!
Keywords: The Secret Sisters interview, Hold You Dear, Laura Rogers, Lydia Slagle, Cry-worthy songs, songs about motherhood, acoustic folk harmonies, Sad songs podcast, music supervisor podcast, Lindsay Wolfington, Laura Webb
Exciting news! The Sad Song Queens podcast is a finalist in two categories for the Signal Awards! The Signal Awards recognize the podcasts that define culture, and we've been recognized for both the Best Music Podcast
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