Located 28 miles southwest of Austin, Wimberley, TX, boasts natural springs and gravesites of early pioneers. It’s also been the hometown to Sahara Smith – a stunning, young singer-songwriter who started performing at age 12, and first garnered national attention at age 15 when she placed second in a contest for young songwriters on A Prairie Home Companion.
Now 21, Sahara is poised for a breakout with Myth of the Heart, the just-completed album of original songs shepherded by T Bone Burnett and producer Emile Kelman due August 31. The album features many of Burnett’s first-call session players, including drummer Jay Bellerose, guitarist Marc Ribot, and bassist Dennis Crouch.
PASTE “[Sahara’s] smoky voice, bluesy folk sound and lifetime love of Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits have finally been captured on her debut album.”
SEVENTEEN -“The striking, lanky redhead exudes confidence and grace before she even opens her mouth, but the real allure comes from her vocals[…] a mixture of the soulful folk melodies of Jewel with the soothing vocals of Norah Jones. raspy yet smooth, [with] lyrics that are drawn from her own life experiences.”
GLAMOUR -”[Myth of the Heart] invokes lazy summer nights and sweaty slow dancing. A must!”
MICHAEL VENURA / AUSTIN CHRONICLE – “She’s spooky[...] it as though her voice is coming from somewhere inside you or from some place you’ve only visited in dreams[...] and no lyric is expected. The words surprise you, while the voice feels anciently familiar.”
JAY BELLEROSE (drummer / Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, Beck) -”Sahara is blessed with an otherworldly quality and sophistication rarely seen in a young artist. It was a great pleasure to work with her.”
02/04/2011 - Sahara Smith's folk-country connection works -
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