Sara
Softich's interest in music began at an early age. She began playing piano at age 7 and the violin at 12. Fiddle tunes became her passion as a teenager and, influenced by her father's love of music, at 17 she played her first guitar chord. She began songwriting a few years later when she left Minnesota's Iron Range.
In 2004 Sara Softich released Rusted and Bent, featuring alternative bluegrass songs inspired by her small town roots in northern Minnesota. She toured regionally, nationally, and internationally with Rusted and Bent, performing nearly 100 shows in 2005 at music festivals, theaters, listening rooms, colleges, and pubs.
In fall 2005 Softich began recording Pipe Dream, a collection of piano songs she wrote. Her childhood upright piano inspired the recording. Pipe Dream was produced by Softich and engineered by Jason Wussow at their home studio on an old 8 channel board. The album is dedicated to Sara's mother, who spent her last $600 on the piano for then-10-year-old Sara. The original idea for the project was to record a simple piano/vocal CD but it developed into an intricate grouping of songs, sounds, and guest musicians. Pipe Dream abandons the alternative bluegrass sound of Rusted and Bent, instead serving as its alter ego. Its volatile lineup of songs ranges from theatrical cabaret to patient, beautiful melodies.
