I’m With Her, the celebrated folk-Americana band comprised of Aoife O’Donovan, Sarah Jarosz, and Sara Watkins, released their second studio album, Wild and Clear and Blue, on May 9th of this year. The trio is spending the summer touring in support of it, including a stop at the Levitt Pavilion on July 16th. “I’m so excited to come back to Westport,” Aoife, who sings and plays keyboard and guitar, tells Westport Lifestyle. “I remember when we were booking this tour, I mentioned to Sara and Sarah, we have to go back and play in Westport. It’s such a cool venue. I loved looking out and seeing the public library in the background. Last summer, when I was there, my family came—my daughter and my niece were running around on the grass. It’s a great energy for live music, to have a place where you can bring the whole family and take in music under the stars.”
The fact that playing the Levitt was so memorable that the band wanted to do it again is a huge compliment to Westport: in their ten year history as a group, I’m With Her has played venues all over the world, toured with bands like Iron & Wine, and won a 2020 Grammy Award for Best American Roots Song for their song “Call My Name.” The group originally came together after a stroke of good luck. “We’d all known each other for quite a while through the scene,” explains Aoife. [All three women have solo careers, and have performed with other groups as well, including Crooked Still (Aoife) and Nickel Creek (Sara).] “We loved each other’s music. And then about ten years ago, we found ourselves at a festival, in a workshop set where you find yourself on stage with people you might not otherwise have found yourself on stage with.” The three women had an instant connection, especially in their gorgeous harmonies. “We just felt joy from our harmony blend,” explains Sarah. “I think all of us had a feeling like I hope that’s not the only time that happens,” adds Sara.
It was far from it. For the next few years, they booked a series of mini tours in the UK, playing cover songs and material from their solo projects. (And yes, for the curious: the name “I’m With Her” predates the 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. The band started using it shortly after their first performance, in early 2015.) Eventually, they booked themselves a writing retreat of sorts in Vermont and wrote their first album, 2018’s See You Around, in a little over a week. “It was a really consolidated approach to the songwriting process,” says Aoife. The process for Wild and Clear and Blue was entirely different, the women say. “Over the last seven or eight years, we’ve all been in situations where we had an idea that we didn’t want to finish by ourselves, or it wasn’t the right fit for what we were working on at the moment, and we all brought those to the writing sessions we did for this album,” Aoife says. The result is an 11-track record that’s infused with history, specificity, and heart. “All these songs feel so collaborative from start to finish,” agrees Sarah. “We’re really proud of this music– it feels very personal, and musically we’ve created this larger sonic landscape that supports the songs in a unique way,” Sara says.
That electric musical chemistry is the fuel behind this summer’s tour. “This material is stuff that we connected to each other on, and now we get to connect with anyone who is drawn to the record and feels similarly,” says Sara. Aoife cites the opening lines of the track “Ancient Light” (“Better get out of the way//Gonna figure out what I’m gonna say”) as a kind of thesis statement for audiences. “It’s saying: we’re gonna take you on this adventure with us, and we’re walking through the woods, clearing the brush, and finding some peace on the other side.”
“There’s something so special about being on tour with this band,” says Sarah. “We’ve all experienced touring under our own names for our solo projects, and that’s great too, but it’s a joyful experience getting to do it together, where everything is shared. And then to get to share the music with the audience, too— it’s just awesome.” Those gorgeous harmonies aren’t just sonic— they represent a connection that is felt by band members and audiences alike whenever I’m With Her takes the stage. “I keep coming back to the idea of community,” says Sara. “The community of our touring company, the community of these audiences that we have come to know, who are bringing their kids now– it’s a big part of life to us,” she says. “We’ve spent a lot of time making this record. Now we finally get to go out and do the thing that we’ve been waiting to do, which is play the music with the audience. It’s going to be a really, really good year.”
I’m With Her appears at the Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts on July 16th at 7pm with guest Ken Pomeroy. Tickets, $31-173.50, at levittpavilion.com
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The Levitt has an incredible season planned— I'm With Her included. "We are thrilled both to present I'm With Her and to continue our relationship with Aoife O'Donovan as part of our 51st season under the stars," says Carleigh Welsh, V.P./executive producer for the venue. "These incredible women and the diverse and dynamic artists who will light up our stage are a constant source of inspiration." Other summer concerts happening at the Levitt Pavilion you won't want to miss:
- The Disco Biscuits 30th Anniversary Tour: Saturday, June 28th
- Umphrey's McGee: Friday, July 11th
- Michael Franti & Spearhead with Allen Stone: Sunday, July 13th
- Dark Star Orchestra: Saturday, July 19th
- The Wood Brothers: Sunday, August 10th
- Josh Ritter & the Royal City Band with Bhi Bhiman: Wednesday, August 20th
For tickets and more info on these shows, visit levittpavilion.com