Making her Opry debut July of last year, Melissa Carper slaps the upright bass while singing Evil Eva at the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival. Playing along and taking turns singing lead throughout the night are Rebecca Patek on Fiddle; Brian Martin on guitar, harmonica, and kazoo; and Joe Sundell on banjo and harmonica. The four piece “jug” band, as they call themselves, make up the group called Sad Daddy. Their music has an old time sound with earworms to rival pop radio. Their YouTube videos enhance their yesteryear country feel. Singing off the dock of a lake, a man next to them is fishing and drinking whiskey as though they weren’t even there. You can hear dogs bark while they play in font of or inside a cabin, clearly used and not a prop, gives their music the background it deserves real, country, and Arkansas. In another video they are playing on a farm next to hogs, oinks and all. Sad Daddy is as refreshing and real as it gets, and might I say a damn good band. Here’s our interview with them.

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Where did you grow up and where do you call home now?

Melissa and Rebecca grew up in the Midwest, Nebraska and Wisconsin respectively, and currently reside in Austin, TX. Brian and Joe grew up in Southern Arkansas and live in and around Little Rock, AR.

How have the life experiences of where you lived affected your songwriting or the songs you choose to record?

We’ve all spent a good portion of our lives in Arkansas and in the country in general. A lot of our songs are about getting back to the country, longing for simpler times and a hot meal around the fire.

What artists/songwriters have impacted or influenced your work the most?

Lead Belly, Iris Dement, John Prine, Hazel Dickens, Jimmie Rodgers, Gillian Welch, Mississippi John Hurt

When you perform, what do you hope is your audience’s biggest takeaway?

Sad Daddy makes you happy and hungry. Our songwriting is the calling card of the band. We like to make you laugh and cry all within the span three minutes.

If you get back before I do, put a log on the fire start up the stew. Throw in some rice and beans. You and me honey we can live real lean.

Sad Daddy, from the song “Live Real Lean”

Tell me a little bit about your latest project?

We just went in the studio in March 2024 to record some fresh songs that we had been co-writing for the past year. We used the Bomb Shelter Studio in Nashville, TN which is known for their analog and vintage audio gear. Some of the greatest days of our lives were spent writing and arranging the songs on this album. We leaned heavily into what makes Sad Daddy tick, namely lots of kazoo solos, sound effects, and laughter. We are hoping for a 2025 release.

What was different or unique about your approach to this last project as compared to previous ones?

Starting with our previous album Way Up in the Hills, we really began co-writing and collaborating a lot more. This album features even more co-writes and we brought in some extra musicians for a few of the tracks, which gave some of the songs a different feel. There was a catfish magnet on the fridge and we saw David Rawlings at a Vietnamese Restaurant on the way to the studio, a very auspicious omen. (Catfish is our spirit animal.)

Was there ever a time you felt like you wanted to quit making music?

When Melissa was studying classical music she had her doubts, but when she joined Sad Daddy there was no turning back.

What is your funniest or favorite “on the road” story when touring?

The first summer of Sad Daddy, Melissa’s old Chevy van got three flat tires within two shows. Joe and Melissa tried to change the tire while Brian practiced kazoo.

Who or what keeps you grounded the most?

Our friendship with each other and our families.

What advice would you give artists just starting out?

Just keep doing it and don’t be afraid to invest in yourself.