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Sarah
Cleaver was the lone girl with a guitar, playing to audiences of mostly older
men, who blurted out “king me” during her performances at coffee
houses.
Okay, so older, checker playing men wasn’t exactly her target audience,
but as a 14 year old girl living in Allentown,
Pa., you have to take what you can get. And that meant playing Pete Seeger
and Joan Baez covers to a crowd of checker addicts.
Since then, Sarah has graduated from the old-time folk covers and moved onto
crafting her own songs and musical style(Although no one can say for sure
that there aren’t closet checker players still in her audiences). Drawing
from inspirations such as Patty Griffin,
Billy Pilgrim, R.E.M.,
and Melissa Ferrick, Sarah has
created an acoustic folk song with a few shots of rock ‘n roll and country.
With an aggressive guitar style matched with a powerful voice, Sarah delivers
thoughtful lyrics that inspire and move you to think.
Raised by parents who are peace activists, Sarah uses her music as a platform
to promote social and political change. By incorporating the personal in the
political, her music carries powerful messages but without being preachy.
Although music is her main form of activism, it’s not the only focus
of her songwriting. Her themes range from the various levels of relationships
to the struggle of figuring out your purpose and the fight for understanding.
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With her unique quirkiness and interesting life experiences, Sarah engages
audiences with the spirit of her performances, bursting with fiery lyrics
and personal angst. She’s not just another girl with a guitar, but a
woman with intelligent words to share and a perspective on life that’s
thoughtful and compassionate.
Sarah has performed in various parts of the country and the world including
India, Thailand, the Philippines, North Carolina, Colorado, Michigan, Philadelphia,
Allentown, Pa., Boston, Atlanta, and New York. For the last year, she’s
been rooted in Lansing, Michigan growing her armpit hair, planting gardens,
and recording her debut album.
After many long hours of practicing, recording, and perfecting in Jason Lantrip’s
basement in Lansing, Sarah has completed her debut album, “From Where
I Stand”(October 2003). The album is available through the indie loving
folks at CD Baby and the inspiring, hardworkin’
ladies at Goldenrod . Without them,
our CDs would be sitting on a lonely shelf somewhere or in a dark storage
closet collecting dust and dreaming of the days when someone will rescue them
from their dark pits and spin them for hours in their stereo.
