Sad Daddy poses for a quick photo in the Ozarks
Sad Daddy, forming in the Spring of 2010, has traveled down many a road, together and separate, but always finds its way back home again. Their latest album Ozark Shine marks the band's fourth studio release a new chapter in their long-running collaboration.
Recorded at the Bomb Shelter in Nashville, Tennessee, Ozark Shine captures the band at full stride. The songs come from all corners of the Sad Daddy multiverse -- some born out of writing sessions in Little Rock in the lead-up to recording, some long loved tunes finally making their way onto an album, and others deeply personal, solo compositions that pull from the well of living just a little outside the mainstream. As always the styles are varied but unmistakably Sad Daddy, a blend of early blues, jazz, jug band, country, old-time, and bluegrass that defies conventional labels.
The making of Ozark Shine came with a number of auspicious signs and favorable omens. A chance spotting of David Rawlings grabbing Vietnamese food, a catfish (the band's spirit animal) waiting for them on the fridge at their Nashville lodging, and — in the midst of recording! — a message passed along to Melissa from John Prine's wife that John would've loved the music. Furthermore, when the band reconvened at the Little Buffalo River in the Ozarks to shoot videos for its upcoming release, a bald eagle flew overhead.
This latest release builds on the foundation laid by their previous albums, including 2021's Way Up in the Hills. That record was born out of a different moment when the four bandmates gathered at Brian's cabin in Greers Ferry, Arkansas during the unexpected stillness of 2020. Over a couple bottles of chocolate milk and a few jugs of whiskey, they wrote and arranged songs together in a way they never had before, recording them live in a circle with engineer Jordan Trotter. The result was a down home collection full of porch stomps, hamboning, sizzling bacon (if you know you know), and the kind of joyful experimentation that comes from simply using what's on hand. The album debuted at #1 on the Alt Country Specialty Charts and marked a turning point toward a more collaborative, Band Band identity. That spirit carries forward into Ozark Shine, where the group keeps leaning on each other's strengths, writing and arranging many of the 12 new tunes together.
Recorded at the Bomb Shelter in Nashville, Tennessee, Ozark Shine captures the band at full stride. The songs come from all corners of the Sad Daddy multiverse -- some born out of writing sessions in Little Rock in the lead-up to recording, some long loved tunes finally making their way onto an album, and others deeply personal, solo compositions that pull from the well of living just a little outside the mainstream. As always the styles are varied but unmistakably Sad Daddy, a blend of early blues, jazz, jug band, country, old-time, and bluegrass that defies conventional labels.
The making of Ozark Shine came with a number of auspicious signs and favorable omens. A chance spotting of David Rawlings grabbing Vietnamese food, a catfish (the band's spirit animal) waiting for them on the fridge at their Nashville lodging, and — in the midst of recording! — a message passed along to Melissa from John Prine's wife that John would've loved the music. Furthermore, when the band reconvened at the Little Buffalo River in the Ozarks to shoot videos for its upcoming release, a bald eagle flew overhead.
This latest release builds on the foundation laid by their previous albums, including 2021's Way Up in the Hills. That record was born out of a different moment when the four bandmates gathered at Brian's cabin in Greers Ferry, Arkansas during the unexpected stillness of 2020. Over a couple bottles of chocolate milk and a few jugs of whiskey, they wrote and arranged songs together in a way they never had before, recording them live in a circle with engineer Jordan Trotter. The result was a down home collection full of porch stomps, hamboning, sizzling bacon (if you know you know), and the kind of joyful experimentation that comes from simply using what's on hand. The album debuted at #1 on the Alt Country Specialty Charts and marked a turning point toward a more collaborative, Band Band identity. That spirit carries forward into Ozark Shine, where the group keeps leaning on each other's strengths, writing and arranging many of the 12 new tunes together.
Sad Daddy has some fun with hats crocheted by Gina Gallina
Unique to Sad Daddy, all of its members sing lead and write original tunes, and the combined sound is truly a mix of American Roots music. From the sounds of early blues, jazz and jug bands to early country, folk, old-time, bluegrass, to soul and funk, they combine many influences, similar and different, creating an indefinable genre of their own they like to call Sad Daddy. Joe Sundell, on banjo and harmonica, developed his unique banjo picking style from studying Mississippi John Hurt’s finger picking. On the tunes that are more jug-band style, Joe brings his unmistakable "Joe bounce" ragtime jazz feel. His distinctive voice, deep yet trebly like a combo of Willie and Hank, and folksy writing and delivery reminiscent of Woody Guthrie, meshes perfectly with the stylings of the other three. Brain Martin on guitar, kazoo, mouth horns, and harmonica also emulates Mississippi John Hurt’s style picking on guitar and seems to be in a league of his own with his masterful kazoo and mouth horn solos. Brian’s deep, gravelly vocal tone is reminiscent of a Leon Redbone or Tom Waits and his writing of Willis Alan Ramsey and John Prine. Melissa Carper, bringing the booming upright bass, makes sure the whole room is on the right groove. Also pulling from early country, blues and jazz (such as Jimmie Rodgers, Leadbelly, Billy Holiday) Carper has been called by Saving Country Music ‘one of this generation’s greatest singers and songwriters.’ Her voice has been likened to a ‘Hill-Billy Holiday’ by her peers, with a muted horn like tone that melds with and soars above the tones of Joe and Brian’s voices. Rebecca Patek gets rowdy on fiddle, sliding between all the styles with her effortless delivery and down home and funky rhythms. Her distinctive voice, somewhat like an old-timey Iris Dement, and her lazy vocal phrasing are a delight for the ear to follow around. Her songwriting style combines roots with, at times, more modern grooves adding yet another unique piece to the Sad Daddy pie.
The original Sad Daddy trio
Going back in time, the first seedlings of Sad Daddy were planted when Martin and Carper met in Arkansas at each other's shows and talked about joining up to play together some day. This would come to fruition in 2010 as they brainstormed playing shows together during the summer months. He mentioned it would be fun to have a 3rd person on this project and Carper had recently starting busking down in Austin, TX with Sundell (native Arkansan) and suggested Joe as the 3rd person. The 3 immediately shared tunes via the interweb (Martin in AR and Carper and Sundell in TX) and began preparation for a summer of touring together in 2010. They decided to make a quick recording of each other's tunes to sell on the summer tour. This self-titled debut album of 10 original songs was soon to become a fast favorite of all who would hear it, including many of Sad Daddy's stone-cold hits to this day. Martin had been entertaining the idea of naming a band Sad Daddy, an expression he had picked up from a friend in Southern Arkansas who would call a big fish, or a big snake, or a big buck a "Sad Daddy" -- so Sad Daddy it was. The three had a successful first summer of touring in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas and began gaining a following in these states. Sundell and Carper returned to Texas after this summer of fun in which they had pitched tent mostly in Arkansas. They continued to meet up in each other's states for shows. A year or so later, Patek began sitting in on the Texas Sad Daddy shows and soon the trio couldn't live without the amazing addition of her fiddling and singing to the group.
The Show and Tellers
Sad Daddy has had various phases of hitting it hard as a band and times of focusing in on solo projects and other bands, always reuniting and fanning the Sad Daddy flame anew, jumping right back into it like seeing a good old friend again. All with solo albums, Brian Martin (No Rider), Joe Sundell (Ramblin' Mind, Hat Thief, Incredible Fun Box), Rebecca Patek (Come up and Meet Me), Melissa Carper (Arkansas Bound, Daddy's Country Gold, Ramblin' Soul, Borned In Ya), when the 4 come together they offer their original material up to arrange "Sad Daddy style."
Sad Daddy has formed bands within the band, largely due to the distance of residing in different towns and states. Joe, Melissa and Rebecca formed The Show and Tellers while living in Austin. When Joe moved back to Arkansas in 2014, Rebecca and Melissa formed their duo, The Buffalo Gals Band and their duo albums Brand New Old-Time Songs and Where the Heart Wants to Go both reached Number 2 on European Americana charts and charted on the Roots Music Report in the U.S. Brian Martin has had a long and steady career with his One-man band, Brian Martin, touring extensively across Arkansas and Louisiana. Joe also performed for many years as a One-man band and in 2014 opened for Shakey Graves on a tour across the Eastern U.S. Other bands of note have been Sundell's Austin-based String band The Austin Steamers with songs from their Old Black Crow album featured in the Oscar-winning movie Boyhood. The band also cameo-ed in the movie and there is a close-up shot of Sundell's hand and banjo-head for a half of a second! Melissa's Austin-based Country & Western Swing band The Carper Family recorded three albums together, toured extensively in U.S., Canada, and Europe, and were featured in 2013 on A Prairie Home Companion.
Sad Daddy has formed bands within the band, largely due to the distance of residing in different towns and states. Joe, Melissa and Rebecca formed The Show and Tellers while living in Austin. When Joe moved back to Arkansas in 2014, Rebecca and Melissa formed their duo, The Buffalo Gals Band and their duo albums Brand New Old-Time Songs and Where the Heart Wants to Go both reached Number 2 on European Americana charts and charted on the Roots Music Report in the U.S. Brian Martin has had a long and steady career with his One-man band, Brian Martin, touring extensively across Arkansas and Louisiana. Joe also performed for many years as a One-man band and in 2014 opened for Shakey Graves on a tour across the Eastern U.S. Other bands of note have been Sundell's Austin-based String band The Austin Steamers with songs from their Old Black Crow album featured in the Oscar-winning movie Boyhood. The band also cameo-ed in the movie and there is a close-up shot of Sundell's hand and banjo-head for a half of a second! Melissa's Austin-based Country & Western Swing band The Carper Family recorded three albums together, toured extensively in U.S., Canada, and Europe, and were featured in 2013 on A Prairie Home Companion.
The Buffalo Gals
Rebecca Patek's album Come up and Meet Me, a collection of 10 original tunes and 2 instrumental covers, won Best Bluegrass album of 2017 with the Independent Music Awards. Both Carper and Sundell played on this award winning album. Joe moved from Texas back to Arkansas in 2014 and, soon to follow, Rebecca and Melissa moved to Arkansas in 2015, marking the reuniting of Sad Daddy in full force. Sad Daddy recorded their 2nd album Fresh Catch in 2016 and it was nominated for Best Americana album with the Independent Music Awards and Sundell's "Mountainside" won Best Bluegrass Song.
With a long and dedicated history of making their audiences happy, Sad Daddy is emerging anew with their album Ozark shine, with a release date set for June 2026. Whether recording in a cabin, a Nashville studio, or playing for their friends, family, and fans across the Southeast region, the band continues to do what it has always done best -- write songs, share stories, and bring people together.
With a long and dedicated history of making their audiences happy, Sad Daddy is emerging anew with their album Ozark shine, with a release date set for June 2026. Whether recording in a cabin, a Nashville studio, or playing for their friends, family, and fans across the Southeast region, the band continues to do what it has always done best -- write songs, share stories, and bring people together.
The Carper Family
Joe at the Sinclair in Boston opening for Shakey Graves
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Brian's album No Rider was released in June 2011
Rebecca saws a tune on her award winning album Come Up and Meet Me
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