Sarah MacDougall has made quite a splash in the last few years. This up and coming alt.country/ indie folksinger has been everywhere and anywhere with her heartfelt songs and original style and lyrics. Sarah has toured Canada, UK and Scandinavia several times and there isn’t anywhere she has played where she hasn’t left a mark on her listener, and has often been called a favorite at festivals and venues, and she has been getting rave reviews all around for her latest c.d., Across the Atlantic, including 4-star reviews in Q magazine, The Irish Times, to name only a few.

Sarah writes simple yet multi-layered songs that sometimes make you want to tap your toes and sing along. Sometimes they will break your heart .Across the Atlantic is a  raw but polished and richly textured album and it features ten songs with serious stick-in-your-head melodies and poignant, sometimes quirky lyrics. Shifting back and forth between driving up-tempo ditties and bittersweet ballads, it is a beautiful album that celebrates train hopping and dancing in the rain. It also tackles heavy subjects such as having to leave someone behind across the Atlantic and poverty.

Sarah’s stamp is everywhere on this record, as a performer, producer, and audio engineer.
“I wanted to write an album that sticks in your head and grabs a hold of your heart.” says Sarah. “And I also wanted to prove myself as a producer and audio-engineer, because I am incredibly passionate about sound!

And she certainly has proved that she is could produce, write and record an album that is both heartfelt and elegantly produced. Herizon magazine described Across the Atlantic as having “…a heart that beats strongly- unique in this day of over-produced music for the masses. A self-produced album that is restrained and elegant in execution, Across the Atlantic highlights an emerging talent breathing new life into old musical forms” She has been compared to artists like Eliza Gilkyson, Lucinda Williams, Johnny Cash, Tracy Chapman, and more, but is definitely a unique voice in her own right  who has her own form of expression without attempting to copy anyone.

Sarah’s music has been heard on CBC (including Vinyl Café), BBC (including Bob Harris) as well as on Lufthansa airplanes. She has played everything from coffee shops to theatres, along with small and large festivals in Canada and the UK. She has shared stages with Todd Snider, James Keelaghan and Kimmie Rhodes, and toured Canada with Kate Reid and Joanna Chapman-Smith, and the UK with fellow Canadian band Po’Girl.

Sarah most often tours solo or with trusted friend and virtuoso lapsteel player Tim Tweedale (Headwater, Viper Central). She is currently working on her upcoming album, which should be available for the world’s ears in 2010.

Sarah was born in Sweden to a Canadian father and Swedish mother. She now lives in Vancouver, Canada.

Praise for Across the Atlantic:

“‘Where Do Birds Go To Die?’ asks Sarah….., and I know the answer to that one; they go round to your place, Ms Macdougall, where your combination of near perfect diction and sultry phrasing quite probably knocks all those poor little pigeons clean out of their trees.” Tastyfanzine

“Swedish exiled in Canada Sarah MacDougall is THE discovery of alternative folk song / country of this end of year, simply. Grade: a+ (+)” -With music in my mind (Belgium)

“Across the Atlantic proves that when you have talent like MacDougall’s you don’t need the backing of major labels and top name producers to make a great album. It’s only january, but this is already a contender for album of the year.”- Allison Stokes, Country Music People magazine (UK)

“MacDougall is a Swedish-born alt country/indie folk singer/songwriter based in Canada. This album is her first official release and has been produced and engineered by her. “I wanted to write an album that sticks in your head and grabs a hold of your heart” says MacDougall. “And I also wanted to prove myself as a producer and audio-engineer, because I am incredibly passionate about sound!” Well, congratulations Sarah, you’ve nailed it! ” Shakenstir.co.uk grade: 4/5

“Impressive debut.”
Joe Breen, the Irish Times,  grade:  **** (4/5)

“A moving blend of Scandinavian folk and indie Americana. From sing-a-long ditties to heart-breaking epics, Across the Atlantic gracefully highlights the hook, energy, and honesty of one of the most promising exports to come out of Sweden”
R. C. Joseph, 24 hours, Vancouver

“It’s almost as if Sarah has plucked the thoughts out of our heads and turned them into songs.”
Cheryl Santa Maria, Quietcolor.com (New York based Blog)

“There’s a heart to MacDougall’s second album that beats strongly- unique in this day of over-produced music for the masses. A self-produced album that is restrained and elegant in execution, Across the Atlantic highlights an emerging talent breathing new life into old musical forms”
Cindy Filipenko, Herizon Magazine, Canada

“My heart and mind were simultaneously throw into a spin. I can honestly say Sarah MacDougall brings something to the table that is both refreshing, and in these dark days uplifting.”
Bad Robot, UK

“Any musician as talented as Sarah MacDougall will undoubtedly turn me into a fan. Any musician as talented as Sarah MacDougall who also loves Bruce Springsteen and would banish Tyra Banks runs the risk of turning me into an obsessed stalker”
TLC (This Little City) Magazine, Vancouver

“Posesses the fun and flirt of Feist, the depth of Tracy Chapman, and the powerful, haunting delivery of Chan Marshall”
24 Hours, Vancouver

“I really fell in love with this album and it was love in first listen.”
Country Startpage, Netherlands

“What a great record she has! It has easily been my most played CD this year so far”
James Windsor, promoter Cosmic American, The Maze, Nottingham, UK

“She sings ‘I don’t want to be alone anymore’ and I’m checking flight times to BC whilst making favourable comparisons to Neko Case. MacDougall is dramatic though in a more matter of fact way – it just so happens that she has a beautiful voice – The songs aren’t so much showcases for her voice, the voice is put to work in the service of the songs.”
David Cowling, Americana UK

“As a songwriter MacDougall writes engaging lyrics wrapped around appealing melodic hooks and her voice is as beguiling as it s captivating (in her low register she resembles Eliza Gilkyson). She also shows considerable skill as a producer weaving a variety of musical threads into a fascinating musical tapestry.”
The Record, Canada

“This newish Vancouver singer-songwriter offers up a tasty collection of mid- tempo alt-folk tunes marked by classy instrumentation beyond that of your average Canadian folkie. As a singer, MacDougall has the honeyed pipes of Austin folkie Eliza Gilkyson, but as a composer she calls to mind such arty CBC Radio favourites as Danny Michel and Christine Fellows.”
Winnipeg Free Press

“It’s a remarkably skilfully performed and produced album.. Her voice is the star instrument here, so strong, warm and authoritative with that folk music warble at times, like Joan Baez or even Buffy St. Marie…..A hugely impressive debut record”
John Davy, Whisperinandhollerin’, UK

““Crow’s Lament” is a great example of the eclectic nature of this new record. The song’s a whirling dervish of a tune about death. It features Sarah’s lusty vocals, some of the unusual instrumentation from the record (dobro, weissenborn, lapsteel, odd percussion, rhodes, and pedal steel) and clever lyrics. You can buy the new record here or here (and I heartily recommend that you do!).”
Swedesplease/Songs Illionois Blog

“This colourful album attests to an emotional maturity and diverse life experiences…..As the artist, composer, and mixer, MacDougall’s stamp is everywhere on this album, making for a rich listen.”
The Martlet, Victoria, Canada

“With her melancholy dark voice she takes us on a trip through unhappy love, dying crows and satire. Sarah proves that she soon will belong to the big players within Americana/Alternative country”
David DJ Dake, promoter Mosebacke, Stockholm

Praise for Sarah’s Live show:

“No matter how many superlatives you used to describe Sarah MacDougall it wasn’t enough, absolutely stunning!”
Hedley Jones, Wombwell AD Wombwell Madfest, UK

“It must be unusual to witness a concert where every song captivated the entire audience and it was a pleasure to hear original songs of such outstanding quality”
John Roffey, Maverick Magazine UK

“As an artist she is creative and innovative and as a musician she is talented but as a singer she is stunning. She has a voice that soars from the warm depths to the crystal heights in the wink of an eye.”
Flicky Harrison, The Swindon Advertiser, UK

“I’m not alone in considering one of the highlights of the festival to be the wonderful Sarah MacDougall an amazing Swedish/Canadian songwriter”
South Yorkshire Times, UK

“Sarah was sensational, probably the best session I’ve ever done.”
Paul, Sunny Govan Radio, Glasgow

“Greeted by an enthusiastic crowd, Swedish/Canadian pop, folk country act Sarah MacDougall lived up to all expectations.”
The Northern Echo, Newcastle, UK

“Superb… MacDougall’s strong and resonant voice set up the evening; her latest album, Across The Atlantic, is definitely worth investing in.”
Wales Online

“The mixture of country tales with a folk sensibility, seasoned with a Scandinavian sense of melancholy and kitted out in a distinctly Woody Guthrie wardrobe, Sarah proved to be every bit the folk troubadour we initially anticipated.”
Folk and Roots Magazine, UK

“Sarah MacDougall was mesmerising and gave a truly blinding performance….Sarah’s songs mixed traditional country with a dash of folk resulting in a phenomenal sound.”
Maverick Magazine, UK

“Sarah’s music is honest, open, and beautiful – it makes an immediate emotional connection with the listener.”
Steve Bellamy, Juno-winning Music Producer/Engineer

“a beautiful voice fronting rustic-leaning songs…..the perfect soundtrack to an Appalachian train hopping journey”
Meeghan Maultsaid, Artistic director, Under the Volcano Festival Vancouver