OUR STORY
As rising stars in the west coast Americana scene, The Real Sarahs have distinguished themselves as skillful harmony singers and evocative songwriters. With an organic sound that enchants and uplifts the spirit, they share their special gift of vocal synergy. This ensemble creates magic with voices in harmony, acoustic instruments, and the energetic connection between artists and audience. Embracing many genres of music, you are likely to hear threads of folk, jazz, blues, bluegrass, and country running through their songs. Singing from the stories of their own journeys and life experiences, their original music is honest, captivating and heartfelt.
Introduced by a mutual friend in 2010, Sarah ‘Songbird’ Larkin and Sarah Ryan have been nearly inseparable, musically, since. Their recorded works are diverse and represent the broad musical influences and potential that this duo embodies. The 2017 release Afternoon With the Dirty Birds has the support of full instrumentation and showcases their songs with a big, 'full band' sound. Their 2018 release Headed For The Hills sinks back to their roots as acoustic musicians. This album was recorded in one day, on one microphone, and captures the authentic, raw power of their sound.
With gratitude for the gift of music given them, The Real Sarahs offer back their gifts with open hearts and truth of purpose. These women seek to inspire, uplift and entertain their audiences with songs that speak to the heart of the human experience. With the onset of regional and international touring in 2018, you can expect their voices to ripple out, touching more hearts and minds and carrying their message and influence to an ever broadening field of music lovers. With warmth and humor The Real Sarahs offer their REAL selves to the world as the women of song that they were born to be.
Meet the sarahs
Sarah Larkin
Sarah ‘Songbird’ Larkin grew up singing. From age 3, she was performing with her father and sister at church, and throughout her school years performed with choral ensembles, show choirs, and in musical theater productions. She began hobby songwriting in college and later began writing more seriously. In 2003 she picked up the guitar, and a new love was born.
Since forming The Real Sarahs, her songwriting has accelerated and a deep love for arranging songs for harmony singing has been awakened. ‘I often hear songs in my head first. A lingering tune, a repetitive melody line, knocking at the back or front of my consciousness. I often hear music when I’m working with plants or surrounded by nature. It’s as if they whisper them to me.”
Sarah Ryan
Originally from Ontario, Canada, Sarah Ryan has been singing and performing all her life. From her high school beginnings in jazz vocal a cappella to studying musical theatre in college; singing, acting and music have been an important and constant part of her journey. Her father, a blues musician, was an important influence throughout “I wrote my first song in 2008, just after my father died. The song ‘Markin’ Your Grave’ which is on our first EP, memorializes him”. Through travelling, new people and hard times, she often feels her songs flow through her in “whirlwinds of inspiration”.
Jen Rund
JEN RUND is a long time bassist and musician with a melodic, funky style. Insatiable in her exploration of music, she has performed and recorded with a wide variety of people and ensembles in both the US and Europe, including: rock, pop, folk, Latin, jazz, R&B, funk, and blues bands, in venues ranging from clubs to festivals. Since moving to Marin in 2011, Jen has shared the stage with many local legends, and has become a fixture in the Bay Area music scene herself. She has a style all her own, and brings a passionate joy of playing to all of her musical endeavors.