As children, the music of The Everly Brothers touched Dawn McCarthy and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy; it touches Dawn's children and the little 'prince' within Bonny today, and makes them dance and sing, The Brothers' harmonies make the hairs stand up — they enervate and inspire, Beyond the visceral impact of any one song, any "So Sad" or "Devoted to You" that rings out from the radio on any given day, there is also the tracks that The Brothers trod over the course of several decades of singing together and making records.
What the Brothers Sang is made with deep respect for, is inspired by The Everly Brothers, but it pays tribute by being a record that only Dawn and Bonnie could make, and only in the room with the players that had come to join them, Their duets are a sensuous display of give and take that includes everything that's resonating in the room, every surface that's being pressed or rubbed or hit is a part of the action, Their harmonies are in the tradition, but they are their own, not cutting-on-the-dotted-line of Everly magic, These songs make Dawn and Bonnie more themselves, They have their own natural way, and it is infused in every deep moment of every song here.
With a great spirit of collaboration, support and exaltation, What the Brothers Sang was recorded and mixed by David Ferguson, The songs were played by Emmett Kelley, Dave Roe and Kenny Malone, with featured players Billy Contreras, John Mock, Dan Dugmore, Matt Sweeney, Pete Townsend, John Catchings, Bobby Wood, Joey Miskulin, Nils Frykdahl, Ian McAllister, Joey Baron, Dr, Chris Vivio, and Noah Tag, This is as fine a bunch of musicians as can be assembled, and their combined session credits include hundreds and hundreds of records — and a stack of number one singles — all of which informed their playing of the great Everly Brothers songs included on What the Brothers Sang.
