To be completely honest, even after seventeen years of running The Influences, still there are times when I’m surprised by things I get to do and experience. Pretty often really. Trips I get to make, people I get to meet, places I get to see and music I get to listen to. To walk into an empty Paradiso and listen to three incredible musicians sound check while I unpack and set up my gear, and then for them to record a session for The Influences. To create something together no one knows of other than them and I – until I hit the publish button.

Imagine having to focus on filming, when Sarah Jarosz, Sara Watkins and Aoife O’Donovan of I’m With Her start singing harmonies and you’re the one person in the world to hear it. Somehow, I managed to, which is why I can now present you with their version of Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso and their own Mother Eagle (Sing Me Alive).

I’m With Her formed after Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan, and Sara Watkins participated in a festival workshop. This initial collaboration led to the establishment of a folk trio for the ages. Each member has a distinct musical background: Watkins with Nickel Creek, Jarosz as a folk musician, and O’Donovan from her solo albums and involvement with Crooked Still. Together, their combined efforts result in a musical group that draws on their individual and shared experiences.

From writing sessions to studio isolation: The making of Wild and Clear and Blue

Sitting outside looking out over the water running along the back of the Paradiso, Sara Watkins sketches the process of the album Wild and Clear and Blue: “The writing sessions took place over the course of three years. The fall ended up being the time when we could all come together for a few days at a time. And so, we did three little writing sessions.”

“We ended up recording the album in two chunks, the first was in April and then in July of 2024. Both studios were the kind of places where you are pretty isolated and you live at the studio; they have lodging on site. So, you can just really hunker down, get a bunch of groceries and just focus. Get your heads in this very focused, album-centred place and not feel distracted by going out and seeing friends or family at night. We could stay in this work and creative headspace. And it’s a really neat way to work and that’s how we’ve made both records.”

I’m with her on collaboration and creative support between projects

Aoife O’Donovan explains how they deal with combining different projects: “I think we’re all used to that, because even when this band started, we came into this band on the heels of other projects. So it sort of felt very natural to come and go between projects and collaborations.”

“And it’s been so fun for all of us, to release albums and have the other members of the band come to shows or sitting in with us on the road. I remember my favourite days about my last album tour was opening for Sara’s band Nickel Creek and the night Sarah came to Detroit. And we all sang one of my songs from my record, that’s not an I’m With Her song. Little things like that. There’s so much support between the three of us that it’s now it’s very exciting to have come back together and have this record that’s ours.”

Asked about their similar backgrounds, Sarah Jarosz says: “That’s something especially on this album, that we sing about in the title track. We’re all very lucky that we are close with our parents and that there was a shared love of music, from a very early age with our families. And I think that’s something that we kind of bonded over. And it inspired a lot of these songs, actually. That sort of generational connection to our families, but also just to other musicians. A lot of similar kind of experiences, sharing music as kids, that has carried those memories.”

Reimagining a pop hit

Sarah Jarosz: “Espresso, we worked up on a whim in the very final hours of our session for making this album. We had just an extra 45 minutes before we all had to leave the studio. We thought: ‘Well, we might as well make use of the time.’ And that song was very popular last year, and so we just worked it up really quickly and recorded it. And then we wound up releasing it in January for Hurricane Helene relief in North Carolina. And so we did that, but we’ve never made a video of it, until now.”

Sara Watkins: “I love the vibe of that song. It’s a fun song. Last summer, when we were making the record, it was on the radio all the time. I think Sabrina Carpenter is a interesting performer and I love seeing what she’s up to.” Sarah Jarosz adds: “I think it’s also just fun to do a completely different version of a song and so that one kind of presented an opportunity for that.”

Photos

Keep watching

Thank you for watching and enjoying this session. You’ll probably like some other sessions from The Influences’ archive too, like these earlier ones we filmed at TakeRoot festival.