While Zara Bode and Emily Miller stand out front with their matching dresses and seamless harmonies, they are quick to point out that the Sweetback Sisters are a band, made all the richer by the contributions of drummer Stefan Amidon, Ross “Rolling Thunder” Bellenoit on Telecaster and vocals, guitarist and fiddler Jesse Milnes, and newcomer Bridget Kearney on bass (previous bassist Joseph Dejarnette is featured throughout Chicken Ain’t Chicken).   While Zara Bode and Emily Miller stand out front with their matching dresses and seamless harmonies, they are quick to point out that the Sweetback Sisters are a band, made all the richer by the contributions of drummer Stefan Amidon, Ross “Rolling Thunder” Bellenoit on Telecaster and vocals, guitarist and fiddler Jesse Milnes, and newcomer Bridget Kearney on bass.

The band’s sterling musicianship insures that even the most ridiculous moments are tightly executed and musically inventive. “When he’s not ripping solos on the Telecaster,” Miller explains, “Ross (who toured with Amos Lee opening for Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello in the fall of 2007) is comping in a way that sets the tone for the whole band. Stefan has been playing drums all his life, and beyond his general savoir faire he also has a great sensitivity to lyrics and form."  While several of the members have jazz training, an equal number have a solid background in playing folk and traditional music. “We definitely err on the side of modernity at times, but Jesse’s foundation in old-time square dance music keeps the band from getting too heady and out of touch,” Miller concludes.

Much of the spark that ignites the Sweetback Sisters’ flame comes from Bode and Miller’s distinct (and distinctly different) upbringings. “I’m very new to traditional country music,” Bode observes. “But where I do not have the familiarity with those traditions that Emily does, our varying approaches are what make the pairing unique. She brings the roots, and I bring the retro.”

“The six of us all have very diverse musical influences,” Bode reflects, “but there’s always been something old-school about the Sweetback Sisters. Although we’ve definitely taken some modern liberties with the fashion and sounds, we all have a bona-fide respect for that era and style of American music. We do tend to rock from time to time, but you never lose that intimacy Emmy and I started it with—the genuine love of singing with one another.” That affection – for the music and for each other – is at the heart of every note of music the Sweetback Sisters make together.
 
“There’s something fundamental about country music that keeps people listening,” Miller concludes. “It doesn’t try to get into complicated emotional territory—it’s mostly about pretty basic things that people think about every day: loving your mother, hating that guy who cheated on you, eating fried chicken. No one ever gets tired of that, do they?”