The Church Sisters – Sarah & Savannah Church
Over the past decade, one of the most exciting singing groups in bluegrass and traditional country music have been The Church Sisters, Savanah and Sarah. From the time they were young teens in southern Virginia, these fraternal twins had captivated audiences with their lovely duet harmony on old time, bluegrass, and country standards.
As the girls got older, they would travel with their family to Nashville where they caught the ear of super picker and producer, Carl Jackson. Soon they were being featured on shows like Larry’s Country Diner, and singing with Jackson and country duo Joey + Rory. An album, There’s You, was realized while the girls were still in high school in 2012, which caused a real stir among people who recognize vocal talent. These two would be something to reckon with in the music business.
Then in 2014, Jackson put a track from the Church Sisters on the Orthophonic Joy album, celebrating the Bristol Sessions where music from The Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, and the Stonemans was captured for the first time in 1927. The girls delivered a soulful version of Never Grow Old, which found them back on Larry’s Country Diner to sing it on television.
The girls put their own band together, touring in support of that record, and There’s You, and became quite popular in the southeast near their new home in Galax, VA. Now 18 years old, both Sarah and Savannah soon married, in a double wedding with two grooms that was impossibly cute.
Before long they had choices to make about their musical career, with options available in both the bluegrass/Americana and commercial country market. The Sisters signed with Moonstruck Management, and made the decision to try for a career with a Nashville label. In 2018 their first country album, A Night At The Opry, was released by The Valory Music Co, an imprint of Big Machine Records.
But as often happens with family bands, when the young folks plot their lives as adults, life and career plans diverge, and Sarah and Savannah have decided to break up the act. Savannah will continue pursuing a career in country music, with Josh Trivett and Moonstruck Management handling representation.
So best of luck to Savannah in conquering the country market, and to Sarah in whichever direction her life goes.
