A chance meeting at their local Black Fen Folk Club in Cambridge uncovered Hannah and Ben’s shared musical passions and sympathies, that over time has developed into a unique and intimate show of American roots and English folk music.
Huddled round a single microphone, singing intimate duets with just mountain dulcimer, dobro and guitar Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage are a folk duo that look & sound classically timeless, yet feel refreshingly unique.
Their unique unplugged presentation creates a widescreen, cinematic soundscape with open spaces and atmosphere, giving their beautifully pure vocals room to share the songs’ emotion and narrative.
The material is as joyful and fun as it is intense, but the common factor is the duo’s warmth and confidence in each other; their natural ease and connection is clearly evident on the recorded music, and a genuine pleasure to witness on stage.
Joy is much needed in the world at the moment. Woody Guthrie knew that the best way to empower the powerless and bring folks back to peace was to take to the road and sing. When the dust storms hit Oklahoma in the 1930s he kissed his young wife and kids goodbye and took to the trail to find work. For 30 years this original “dust bowl troubadour” travelled America, responding to turmoil and poverty, to fear and hatred with a wry humour and the promise of something better, way over yonder…
October 3rd marks the 60th Anniversary of Woody’s death, and gives us a moment to reflect on his legacy. For all the itinerant folk musicians looking to lift the spirits of the listener, Woody’s music speaks loud.
Hannah Sanders and Ben Savage are two such singers, and they mark this anniversary by launching their Way Over Yonder Tour and releasing one of Guthrie’s most loved songs: “We have opened our sets for the last year on the road with Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key as a reminder of the footsteps we travel in” says Hannah “and because it sets the stage for what we sing for today – joy, irreverence, and an integrity of sound and feeling we feel is crucial to folk music right now.”
This song was originally given music by Billy Bragg and Wilco. The Mermaid Avenue albums have become one of the greatest original US/UK folk collaborations. As Ben reflects “We love how this song represents the coming together of old and new, old time American and English folk-ish tradition and the poetry shows how Woody could tell a very personal story as much as the plight of his fellow man.”
It lives as a song of hope in the face of adversity. It tells us to sing loud and dream a different collective future, way over yonder in the minor key.
For further information, and to purchase tickets, click here.