photos: kat petersen

Michigan-based, Pleasantly Aggressive Folk Duo Nervous but Excited (Kate Peterson & Sarah Cleaver) is two songwriters, two singers, two guitars, a mandolin, a violin, a few harmonicas, a barrel of harmony, some vaguely choreographed dancing and a lot of laughter. Their original repertoire ranges in topic from smart, introspective narratives to the tactfully political… and they still dabble a bit in the love/post-love variety every now and then.

As these two ladies take the stage or any living room near you, you won't be able to deny the power of their laughter, combined with their genuinely emotive chords and words. These two women are not afraid to sing loud and sing hard. The sensitive tug of their voices can pull you through worlds of progressive politics, and their harmonies have been described as the kind that build so smoothly until suddenly they start to shake your insides.

The duo continues to navigate the endless road of music touring and are impressive in their search to find where their music lies and breathes within all of us. These are not two musicians that are just looking for audiences to play to. They are looking for audiences to sing to. To laugh with. To appreciate. To breathe in and to take home. Their humor has welcomed us all, their melody has held us, and their movement has energized us.

	"Most of us have soundtracks to our lives.  Those songs that remind us; that speak for us when we don't have the words; that symbolize a moment, an experience, a feeling.  Kate & Sarah are the type of artists that write those songs.  To watch them perform is to experience music for what it is -- Pain, Love, Joy, Sorrow, Understanding, Truth given a voice." --Shalynn (dedicated, yet impartial)

Collectively Nervous but Excited has shared stages with many-a-talented nationally touring performers including Melissa Ferrick, Ferron, Toshi Reagon, Utah Phillips, The Butchies, Jim Post, Alix Olson, Bitch, Ellis, Amy Speace, Girlyman, Pamela Means and Ember Swift.

They continue to cris cross the country in support of their 6 releases, Bootleg from the Basement EP (2008), Once More... With Feeling(2006), eight live songs (October 2005), Torch Song Evolution (Winter 2004). Previous independent albums include Kate Peterson's 2005 release of Undone and Sarah Cleaver's 2004 release From Where I Stand.  Nervous but Excited is distributed by Goldenrod Music. 

From coffee shops to festival stages they’ve lead people in laughing, singing and handclapping throughout the country for over three years.