Since
their early years as teens in a DC church choir, Maureen Andary and
Sara Curtin have developed a unique musical relationship. Intricate
Soprano harmonies soar over multi-instrumental arrangements of ukulele,
guitar, flute, accordion, hand percussion, and the occasional kazoo/glockenspiel
solo. Listeners are invited into The Sweater Set’s joyful friendship
as their songs play out like musically elaborate gossip about (what
else?) the perils of courtship, lust, and heartbreak. Robyn Mincher
of the Washington Post Express wrote
“(The Sweater Set) weaves through personal narratives as if Curtin
and Andary are whispering juicy tidbits in your ear. But don't let the
vintage-clad gossiping girls fool you
— their songs are tales of self-governing women.”
The
friends reunited when Ms. Andary was selected as a finalist in the 2008
Mountain Stage NewSong Contest. Ms. Curtin joined her for the
experience and they have been collaborating ever since. The Sweater
Set has enjoyed a precocious beginning, performing in selective East
Coast venues and festivals including Bryant Park’s After Work Series
in Manhattan, Campfire Festival at Boston’s renowned Club Passim,
IOTA Club & Café, the Fort Reno Concert Series,
and the Shakespeare Theatre’s Harman
Center for the Arts.
The
Sweater Set has received 5 Washington Area Music Association
award nominations including Best New Artist and Best Debut Album of
2009, has been awarded a Young Emerging Artist grant from the DC Commission
on the Arts & Humanities and are 2010-2011 Artists-in-Residence
at the Strathmore Center for the Performing Arts in Bethesda, MD.
To See LIVE FOOTAGE of the 2008 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest
that brought Sara and Maureen back together, go to the "VIDEOS" section of The Sweater Set website!