Sandpaper Dolls, the not-quite-year-old collaboration between Rebecca Dennison, Amber Estes and Suki Anderson, is a lesson in personal and musical harmony.
The three have been rehearsing since last October, expanding their registers and honing their a cappella songcraft while keeping their influences close by.
Dennison says she noticed a variety of old-school and contemporary artists creeping up among the trio when they started singing together: The Andrews Sisters, Bjork, Tom Waits.
It took a while for our voices to blend, Anderson says.
The three all say the live experience isnt a challenge for them, no matter the setting.
Sandpaper Dolls sings almost all original material, except for a cover of The Origin of Man, an instrumental cut by Budos Band Some horn solos we just skip, Dennison says and theyve lent their talents to several local artists, including an upcoming solo project from The Commonwealths Daniel Duncan, Alan Lomax denizen Nathan Salsburg, and gigged with Graciela Perrone of Uruguay, whose music appeared in the film Keep Your Distance.
Sandpaper Dolls plays this Friday at Bearnos in the Highlands (1318 Bardstown Road, 456-4556). The show, which starts at 6 p.m., will help pay for two Louisville nurses and a UPS pilot to travel to southern Sudan in September to work in medical clinics.
You can hear three Sandpaper Dolls tunes at myspace.com/sandpaperdollsband.
LEO Music Editor Mat Herron still hasnt watched an entire episode of American Idol.
This article appears in August 5, 2008.