Milagro Saints
SD INESON (guitar, vocals), former member of English NYC-based band The ack Rubies, JOYCE BOWDEN (guitar,vocals, clarinet) former member of x-Talking Head, Jerry Harrison's Casual Gods, Tom Tom Club and collaborator with cellist/composer Arthur Russell, and LEE KIRBY (hammond organ, harmonica, piano) met by chance encounter in NYC and soon found their various musical influences harmonizing into their own subgenre soulfolk.
A move out NYC to Raleigh NC, found them submerged in the rootsy celebrations of the local scene, releasing their eponymous CD on local label, MoodFood (who released the original Whiskeytown debut) hitting the local music top ten on radio.
Their 2nd CD "Midnight America" (2001) released on Moon Caravan Records, won them a slot in the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, Okemah OK, sharing the finale stage with all the performers, led by Arlo Guthrie in a mass version of "Goodnight Irene"
"Sunday" (2003) gained even more interest for the band including radio play in Europe, became the theme song for WFIT's radio show 'Private Radio' and garnered comparisons to Fairport Convention and Rusted Root.
"Let It Rain" (2006) had the break-out track "Jack Kerouac" and the band was invited to play in Lowell, Mass, the authors's home town, in July 2007
on the occasion of the 50th year anniversary of his masterpiece 'On The Road', a show also featuring our musical heroes, 10,000 Maniacs.
In 2006 The Saints also donated a track to the Holiday Compilation benefit CD "Jolly Holly Raleigh Christmas" called "Child Of Peace" an original ballad, recorded with the Sounds of Creation Choir, and the featured song when the Saints were interviewed on NPR's "State Of Things"
Ed Root,(Slow Children, Crisis Lounge, 33 & a Third)
has continued adding his drumming and vocal talent to the Saints, and Roberto Morales has now joined the band on electric and acoustic guitars, Paul Smith is guesting on lap steel. and Kevin Bobal plays didjeridoo (!) on "Change Of Heart" on the upcoming,
as yet unamed release on Moon Caravan Records,
due out FALL 2008.