The Sweet Water Warblers came together to make music in 2014. That year, all three ladies had a single performance at the Hoxleyville Music Festival, and all of them noticed their strong connection musically pretty quickly. There on the stage at the festival, a special bond was made sharing their mutual passion and love for social change and music. Each of the women, Rachael Davis, May Erlewine, and Lindsay Lou, bring their own musical prowess on writing, vocals and instrumentalization.
Their first EP, With You, released in 2017, featuring gospel, bluegrass, soul along with blends of pop and Americana. The Warblers will release their full studio album, The Dream That Holds This Child, out on May 15, and produced by Dan Knobler (Lake Street Dive, Caroline Spence). The album’s themes focus on encouragement and empowerment, along with focusing on modern femininity. The trio’s latest single is “Mother’s Voice,” solely about the connection with ‘the mother,’ which can be mother earth, femininity, ourselves. Listen to “Mother’s Voice” here.
In celebration of the single, the group has launched an interactive fan-participation video project for the song, in which fans can submit a picture or video of what a nurturing mother means to them. They’re encouraged to submit family photos, a close friend, a mentor, an elder, a flower or a river to be featured in the music video for “Mother’s Day.” The music video will be released on Mother’s Day, May 10, 2020. With the release of “Mother’s Voice,” The Sweet Water Warblers joined us in conversation with us about their early formation, their history with music and their latest single and project with “Mother’s Voice,” their upcoming album, and each of their fun music favorites from childhood to adulthood.
You three all came together after a single performance at Hoxeyville Music Festival. When did you all realize that you wanted to perform music together?
May Erlewine: I think we realized it right there on stage! We all were in mutual admiration of each other, but when our three voices joined together, it was beyond what we could have imagined.
Rachael Davis: For me it was about halfway through the first verse of our first song during that set that I think we all kind of realized something special was happening.
What is each of you guys’ history with music, and when did you know you wanted to be a musician?
May: I grew up with music as a pillar in my family. I was singing and writing songs from the moment I could talk. I picked up a guitar at 11, and never looked back.
Lindsay Lou: I knew I wanted to be a singer from a very young age as well. I was making up songs and learning to sing with my relatives from the start. There’s something so special about connecting with the voice. It’s medicine unlike anything else. I learned how to play the guitar to accompany myself when I was 13 on The Indigo Girls’ Blood and Fire. Music is the way my family gathers, so it’s a big part of feeling home to me.
Rachael: I grew up in a musical family. Both my parents are musicians and educators and I was the oldest of four siblings. We all played music in a family old-time band called Lake Effect and would go around to all the Michigan music festivals in the summertime. I started performing with my parents when I was 2 years old and I never remember wanting to do anything else besides be a musician and an artist. I started writing songs when I was a teenager. I attended Interlochen Arts Academy, a prestigious arts high school in Northern Michigan, for my senior year of high school and studied musical theater and Shakespeare acting. After I graduated I started playing shows around Michigan with a guitar player by the name of Brett Hartenbach. When I was 20 I made my first solo record and the following year I moved to Boston and started touring and playing music full time and that’s what I’ve done ever since!
You all are also multi-instrumentalists. When did you pick up your instruments, and is there anything else that you play and/or want to learn to play?
May: I am a songwriter that plays instruments to write and produce music mostly. I play guitar and keys mostly. I have loads of instruments I like to enjoy. Lately I have been working on the drums.
Lindsay: I dabble on the guitar, bass, banjo, and piano. The voice is my main instrument. I’ve always wanted to play fiddle…if I could just get past that screechy first stage!
Rachael: Voice was my first instrument from a very young age. I started piano when I was 9. I tried guitar when I was 12, but it was pretty difficult for my tiny hands. Then, my dad, who’s an amazing banjo player, put the banjo in my hands when I was 17 and taught me clawhammer banjo. The year after that he taught me guitar. Then a handful of years later I discovered the delight that is ukulele…
Your next single, “Mother’s Voice,” is coming out on April 10, and you guys have launched an interactive fan project, with some incredible submissions already. Can you share with us more about the single and the project?
May: The song is all about embracing the eternal feminine within. It’s about returning to, seeking refuge in, and serving the nurturing spirit of the mother. It’s a lullaby of sorts and we felt like now would be a good time to offer it to the world. We are all in need of a lullaby and also that feeling of connectedness to our origins. We invited our online community to share photos and video that reflect their connection to the mother. We’re working on compiling these submissions and creating a visual journey to go with the song.
Rachael: We were slated to release A different single for the month of April, but in light of everything that’s happening in the world right now, we thought that this song should be available to people in this time of struggle and uncertainty. And what is more soothing than a mother’s voice? We had this idea for the project and wanted to include anyone that would participate… Finding photographs of what a mother is to you is such a comforting activity and brings us all back to the center. Right now everyone is desperate to find some sort of balance and we thought that offering this as a healing balm was the right thing to do at this moment. We had intended to release a video in tandem with the single release, but we received so many submissions that we are pushing the video release back to Mother’s Day. Will even release another single before the video comes out… And Mother’s Day is the week before the album is to be released…
Your upcoming album, The Dream That Holds This Child, comes out May 15, What was it like writing, recording and working with producer, Dan Knobler?
May: Dan is a beautiful soul. Reverent and hilarious, he somehow puts everyone at ease. He is so talented and serves the music with his entire being. It was a gift to share in creating this record with him.
Rachael: Dan is a magical human being… Making this album was the most positive musical experience I’ve ever had, hands down. Dan brought in some of the best players Nashville has to offer and what he brought to the table personally kind of set the standard for how I am going to approach making records from here on out. I honestly don’t think I want to make another record without him ever again…
Fun Questions
Who was each of your first concert(s), and which one has been your favorite so far?
May: Favorite is too hard because so many are good for different reasons and also hopefully my favorite show will always be the next show I am about to play. My first official show was at a cafe in Ann Arbor opening for a friend of my sister’s. I was 15, I think.
Lauren: I think the first real concert ticket I got for myself and went to (much to the chagrin of my poor ol dad) was Anti-Flat in Chicago when I was 15. It was a 6-hour drive away from home. Common Rider, led by Operation Ivy’s Jesse Michaels, opened the show. It was very exciting. I sang a song I’d just written for Justin Sane at the meet and greet after the show.
Rachael: I do not remember my first concert because my parents were so active in the live music scene in our community when I was born… So my first concert happened before I was verbal and can remember such things. But I am told that I went to a square dance when I was nine days old and the band that was playing that night was called The Pretty Shaky Stringband.
As for my favorite concert, that is a tough one… Because I’ve seen so much live music. A few that stand out when I was 18 I went to see Patty Griffin at The Ark in Ann Arbor and I was such a huge fan at the time and she’s still one of my biggest influences. That same year I saw The Crossing with Tim O’Brien and Darrell Scott at a music festival and that stands out in my memories. Also a couple of years ago I got to see John Prine’s album release show for the Tree of Forgiveness at Radio City Music Hall in New York and I pretty much cried the entire time. But I think the most exciting live show I’ve ever seen was watching my husband play in Jack White’s band at the Bridgestone arena in January 2015. That night everything was turned up to 11.
What was your first album on cassette, CD and/or vinyl?
May: CD
Lauren: The first album I called my own was Alanis Morrisette’s Jagged Little Pill. I commandeered it from my older brother.
Rachael: The first vinyl record that belong to me was the soundtrack to the Nutcracker, the first CD I owned was Bonnie Raitt Nick of Time, and I think the first cassette I ever had was the first Mariah Carey album
Which five albums and/or artists would you not want to live without?
May:
Patty Griffin – Living with Ghosts
Jason Isbell – South Eastern
Brandi Carlisle – Fire Watchers Daughter
John Prine – John Prine
Stevie Wonder – Songs in the key of life
Lauren:
The Indigo Girls – Self-Titled
May Erlewine – Love Labor
The Clash – London Calling
Dr. John – In The Right Place
Bobby Charles – Self-Titled
Rachael:
Paul Simon – Graceland
The Band – The Band
Essential – Billie Holiday
The Big Chill Soundtrack
The Clash- London Calling
Do you have a guilty music and/or entertainment pleasure?
May: I watch pretty hilarious Netflix shows while I do laundry. Trashy ones like “Love Is Blind” and I am a huge “Queer Eye” fan. I listen to lots of pop hits.
Lauren: Outlander – Cheesy romance, time travel, and Scottish accents. I love it.
Rachael: I LOVE Billie Eilish and I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE “The Vampire Diaries.”
What are you currently listening to, reading and/or watching?
May: I have been loving my pal Theo Katzman’s new record Modern Johnny Sings Songs In The Age of Vibe, excited about reading this book ‘when the drummers were women’, and eagerly awaiting Sue Monk Kidd’s new book “The Book of Longings,” I loved watching the new season of “Grace and Frankie.”
Lauren: I’m currently listening to Jackson Browne’s first album a lot and Janis Joplin’s Pearl. I’m watching “Ozark” at night with my husband and reading Rilke’s “Book of Hours” and “Janis, The Biography” by Holly George-Warren.
Rachael: I’m listening to lots of old Cuban records. Peruchine and Beny More… I’m watching Disney+ and reading lots of kids books to my kids…
Connect with The Sweet Warblers on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
