The Secret Sisters / Cheyenne Medders
The Secret Sisters
Image courtesy of the artist
Cheyenne Medders
Image courtesy of the artist
Growing up surrounded by the sounds of the South and the powerful timeless music emanating from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, the Secret Sisters were heavily influenced by a range of uniquely American musical styles, including country, bluegrass, gospel, classic rock, and pop. They were raised on a rich tapestry of music, listening to everything from George Jones and Loretta Lynn, to the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, the Ramones, Fiona Apple, and Rufus Wainwright. But it was their father, a musician himself, who introduced Laura and Lydia to bluegrass at an early age and spent many weekends bringing his daughters to local bluegrass festivals. While their 2010 debut album, The Secret Sisters, comprised mostly traditional country songs the sisters grew up loving, two standouts were Laura and Lydia's originals, “Tennessee Me” and “Waste the Day.” With that album lauded by critics and adored by their rapidly growing legion of fans, the stage was set for the sisters to advance as artists. The Secret Sisters further established themselves as songwriters with the release of their 2014 album, Put Your Needle Down.
Cheyenne Medders is an artist and producer living in Nashville, Tennessee. He wakes up every day, kisses his wife, high fives his young son, and gets to work on the soundtrack to future starlit roadtrips and Super 8 nature documentaries. He calls his studio "Departure" because his window faces the airport and because he believes music should take you somewhere. Medders's influences are distinct and diverse. As a boy on camping trips and long vacation drives, his dad would play Johnny Horton, Elton John, and Enya, as well as demos from his own songwriting career. As a teenager, Wilco's Summerteeth and Emmylou Harris's Wrecking Ball made Medders want not only to sing and play, but to produce records.