Rose Rock Daughters
Rose Rock Daughters
The music of Rose Rock Daughters, the folk artists comprised of the beautiful and talented Swaim sisters, sprang up from the red dirt world that named them. The roots of these Oklahoma natives run deep through four generations.
“Both sets of grandparents live within 40 minutes of us,” says Kallie, eldest of the three girls. “We’re pretty close.”
Their sound is soulful, weaving homespun personality with polished musicality. The Rose Rock Daughters have been singing together since the day they could walk. Images of oil fields, cattle drives, and Sunday-go-to-meetin’ give shape to their debut album, “Rose Rock Daughters”.
Coupled with their folksy vocal sound is their rip-roaring instrumental prowess. Kallie, the eldest, plays piano and harp, while middle daughter Kaycie fuses the lines between violin and fiddle. Kambrie, the youngest, adds emotion and rhythmic punch on the mandolin.
“We sing and play the things we know,” says Kaycie, the gutsy alto. “Everyone can relate to the experiences in the songs we sing. It’s about the homeland, finding peace where you are, remembering what’s important,” adds Kallie.
The rose rock is an Oklahoma legend. The story goes that when the Native Americans walked the Trail of Tears, their tears were treasured by God and formed flowers out of the ground. Today the state is renowned for growing more rose rocks than any other place on Earth. For these exceptional young women raised in the beauty of the heartland, the metaphor fits perfectly.
Faith is a bedrock for the Rose Rock Daughters. Their first performances were at their local church; the encouragement they found there led them to pursue greater opportunities and they began to tour the Midwest. That journey took them to the Fine Arts Summer Academy in Nashville, a chops-honing, performance-based arts event hosted by the Classical-Crossover artist, Annie Moses Band. Their friendship with the members of the Band bore fruit as they began to work together to develop their style and message, performing at such legendary stages as the Grand Ole Opry House, The Cannery Ballroom, and The Country Music Hall of Fame’s Ford Theater.
The themes of their debut album range from Oklahoma life, with cuts like “Sing Oklahoma” and “Blue Cathedral Skies”, to fiddle originals like “Scissortail,” which simulates the air-borne stunts of this Oklahoma State Bird, to heartfelt folk ballads like, “Lay of the Heartland” and “Cinnamon River.” The album culminates by showcasing the Rose Rock Daughters spiritual roots in the feisty cut, “Born Again” and the beloved hymn, “For the Beauty of the Earth.”