About

The Sarah Mac Band established their musical collective out of long existing friendships – friendships which are amazingly unique and span generations. The trio started in early 2005 with the goal to create original music blending the unique styles that Sarah Mac, Claire and Charlie each brought to the group. What emerged was an engaging combination of blues, jazz, folk and acoustic rock that has been classified as both Americana and Alternative.

Sarah Mac’s voice at times has the full power and grit of Janis Joplin, the sweet, soothing breathy tone of Feist or Edie Brickell, and at times the soul-shaking raw tones of an old soul or gospel singer. Paired with Charlie’s intricate guitar work and Claire’s solid, intriguing bass lines, this trio will leave you wanting to hear more.

The band, based out of Tallahassee, FL, has spent the last few years playing well over 100 shows throughout the South and crafting a live show that brings a raw energy that must be experienced to be fully appreciated. These shows have been well received by both fans and critics alike. The band has released 2 EPs and one full length CD with favorable reviews and ever increasing sales. The band is currently starting a new project featuring a series of single releases throughout 2009. Meanwhile, the band continues to tour and write new music as they build a growing fan base.

“Eclectic and ultra-catchy” – Paste Magazine

“A true Florida treasure..” – Tampa News Weekly

“This trio serves up an impossible to categorize, but easy to listen blend of styles that is refreshing and honest. The combination of exceptional vocal lines, intricate guitar work and funk-influenced bass lines converge into music that has to be heard to be believed.”
-Mike McHargue, President, Pixel Records

“… (the) vocals of Sarah McElhaney go far beyond American-Idol worthy and contribute beautifully to the band’s soothing, laid-back sound.” -Kristen Ruggeri, Tallahassee Democrat

“Through the sultry vocals of (Sarah) Mac as well as the intricate guitar work by Vanture, Awakening definitely helps to awaken the senses. Yet, staying true to its non-pigeon hole ideals, the album seems to reflect the various stages of life.” –FSView (FSU Newspaper)

“A stormer of an album. Awakening should be a definite purchase for those who appreciate truly original and heartfelt music.” –The Feminist Review

“The Sarah Mac Band’s version of Summertime deserves a mention on this list.” –NPR.org, All Songs Considered, Best Cover Tune Ever

“Mirroring the vocal harmonies is the play between the guitar and bass, which sounds like a choreographed duel for the ears. The lyrics are written from the depths – where honesty resides.” -Garret Bakalava, SLNN.com

Instrumentation:
Sarah Mac- Lead Vocals, Guitar, Piano
Charlie- Guitar, Vocals
Claire- Bass, Vocals

Sarah Mac 

Sarah adds vocals to the band, as well as playing the guitar and piano. It was widely thought that she was an intuitive, natural musician until her recent acquisition of an accordian, which she has been unable to learn how to play so far (much to the relief of her band members). She has formal training in the mental health field and is the team leader in the quest for healthy band member relationships and emotional wholeness.

The Real Story: She was raised in the back woods of Montana by a family of derelict Koala bears. At age 18 she relocated to Alabama where she soon became Miss Turkey Festival 1998. After graduating from Florida State University with a degree in…something…she learned of the recently formed Sarah Mac Band. Once she fully comprehended the serendipitousness of stumbling across a band already named after her, she lobbied for a few years and finally gained admittance to the band. In her spare time, Sarah likes to turn used milk carton jugs into hand puppets that look like the characters from TV’s Cheers (her Norm is on display in the local museum of folk art).

Charlie  Charlie, the oldest member of the Sarah Mac Band, lost his passport, which prevented the Sarah Mac Band from coheadlining U2’s last world tour. He complains that his life is ruled by women– Sarah, Keli and Claire in the context of the band, and his amazing wife Jaye, otherwise. He finds solace in practicing the guitar, which he has only been playing now for two weeks, and still finds the strength to ever remain “your hero and mine.” The Real Story: Born a child prodigy, Charlie was an expert Cook by age 4, routinely dominating Iron Chef competitions even before they existed. He opened his own culinary school at age 13 and then traveled the globe teaching world renown chefs the finer points of sauce preparation. Statues honoring him were erected in various European locations such as Rome, Paris, and Brussels (he makes a mean Belgian Waffle). In between all the cooking, Charlie found time to get married and have two children, all of whom he immediately put to work in his kitchen. Four weeks ago, Charlie announced to his family and friends that he was sick of cooking and wanted to take up guitar, and since then has been teaching himself to play. After answering an ad he saw in the sunday classifieds, he became the third member of the Sarah Mac Band.

Claire  Claire is the business and the brains behind the Sarah Mac Band franchise, sending out detailed weekly schedules to everyone first thing on Monday mornings to keep them all on track. She suffers from insomnia, which makes her the official driver for travel after late night gigs. She has years of formal training in piano and guitar, and then dabbled in hand percussion before deciding to learn to play the bass to fill out the SMB rhythm section. The Real Story: Not much is known about Claire’s early childhood. There are rumors of her existence and whereabouts up to age 15, but the details are very sketchy. One theory involves a kidnapping and a traveling circus, and this somewhat disturbing photo might back that possibility up. After breezing through high school and college, Claire put her degrees in engineering, organic chemistry, physics, and economics to use by forming the Sarah Mac Band (even though at this point she was the only member of the band). Upon meeting the aforementioned Sarah Mac, she contemplated changing the band’s name, but soon relented to Sarah’s pleas to join. The band was growing!