From drumming with bar bands at a young age to the studio with Band of Horses, Sera Cahoone already had a respectable indie career before picking up a guitar and fronting her own band in 2006. With stripped-down sincerity, Cahoone’s peaceful voice matched with her acoustic strumming bestowed an honest, tastefully countrified folk, putting forth her roots as just the beginning.
The acoustic Americana singer/songwriter brings her country-noir sound to Billings, headlining an alt-country evening of music at the Railyard on Monday.
Cahoone, vocalist and guitarist for her self-titled band, is on an abbreviated tour of the west with three scheduled Montana dates, including Billings. Her band features Cahoone on vocals, acoustic guitar and harmonica and the talents of four others. The band creates a rich tapestry of sound with the electrified teardrop of the pedal steel and the gorgeous, resonating sounds of the dobro guitar, as well as the alt twang of banjo.
Cahoone’s musical roots are tangled in the northwestern Sub Pop family. She drummed with Carissa’s Wierd, and after the clutishly-popular Seattle “sadcore” band split, she moved on to form a solo career. Former bandmates Ben Bridwell and Mat Brooke formed Band of Horses, though Brooke split after the band’s first album to form the indie rock band Grand Archives.
While focusing on her soloist career, Cahoone came together with Bridwell and Brooke to drum on the Band of Horses’ 2006 debut full-length release, Everything All The Time. Cahoone self-released her first album, filled with thought-provoking country songs, that same year. The album gained the attention of Seattle’s KEXP and other media outlets such as National Public Radio.
Cahoone released her second country-noir album, Only As the Day Is Long, on Sub Pop Records in March 2008.
Cahoone is scheduled to play Missoula Saturday at the Badlander, Bozeman’s Filling Station on Sunday and at the Railyard in Billings Monday. Cahoone will perform on drums with opening act Betsy Olson. Olson, originally of Billings, moved to Seattle in 2001 to launch her music career.
Tickets for the Billings are $7, available at the door only.