Brenda Sauter (Wild Carnation, The Feelies)

Today’s guest makes me want it to be 1990 again! It’s Brenda Sauter, bassist for the bands Wild Carnation, The Feelies, Speed The Plough, & The Trypes. But she didn’t start off on the bass. In fact, she started off playing the piano before moving to guitar. She began playing with her friends, which makes sense. Music basically defined her friend group at that point. She was playing a lot of folk music. Around this time, Brenda began playing…melodica! Yes melodica, the instrument all guitarists secretly wish they could play. One of the groups she was in even won a talent show judged by famed New York DJ, Cousin Brucie. 

But there were too many guitars in the bands she was in, so she began playing bass. That proved fortuitous. 

After sitting in with The Trypes, the eventually approached her about joining the band. That started a connection that eventually led to joining the band Wild Carnation. Not only did she join the band, she replaced famed bass player Michael Imperioli. He’s also dipped his toe into acting. Maybe you’ve seen some of his work. It took a little while for Brenda to accept because she didn’t have a cassette player in her truck and couldn’t listen to the demos! But once Brenda joined, they started working on their debut, Tricycle. She just didn’t know she’d be playing bass and singing, too. The album has been remastered and re-released. In addition to that, there is a treasure trove of extra tracks! And there’s more good news; Superbus, the follow-up to Tricycle, will be given the same treatment in the fall. So follow Wild Carnation on Facebook. Pick up the album on Bandcamp. And keep checking back for updates. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on Twitter & Instagram. Help support the show with coffee money at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or by buying stuff like shirts, coffee mugs, or shower curtains at performanceanx.threadless.com. So let’s jump right into today’s episode with Brenda Sauter of Wild Carnation on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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