The Foreign Landers are mandolinist David Benedict, who grew up in South Carolina, and Tabitha Agnew Benedict, who started playing 5-string banjo at a young age in her homeland of Northern Ireland. Tabitha has been featured on Folk Radio previously as a member of the sibling trio Cup O’ Joe from Co. Armagh. In his review of ‘In The Parting‘, Matt McGinn was very complimentary of Tabitha’s calm and smooth vocal and her ‘banjo fills that Bela Fleck would be proud of’.
Tabitha and David are now carving their own path in the acoustic music world together, and next month, the duo will be releasing their debut full-length album, Travelers Rest (12 November). The album is named after their new hometown of Travelers Rest, SC, and it naturally reflects on that journey, of moving across the Atlantic in the face of many challenges and trying to find a new home. Several special Transatlantic guests are joining them on the album, including John Doyle, Brian Finnegan, Brittany Haas, Ethan Ballinger, and more. On the album, it’s Brittany that joins them on the album version of Garden, but today, we are treated to a live performance of the song, filmed and recorded at Furman University near their home.
David tells us:
“Being married and from different countries, it’s been easy for both of us to feel a bit out of place no matter where we are. This original ‘Garden’ is a bit of an ode to planting seeds and laying roots down even in times of uncertainty. We filmed this live version of the song at one of our favourite local green spaces–the Furman University Rose Garden near our new home in Travelers Rest, SC. Hope you enjoy!’
Not surprisingly, their music has a warm chemistry, and those calm and smooth vocals of Tabitha still work their magic, aided by some subtle harmonies from David. The Foreign Landers are most definitely a name to look out for.
“Hearing The Foreign Landers for the first time immediately landed a huge smile on my face and for a moment allowed escape from all the negative noise in the world. Tabitha and David simply sound like two people who are meant to make music together. The playing, singing, and arrangements are all so wonderful—I’m a fan!”
Sierra Hull
Travelers Rest is out on 12 November and can be pre-ordered from Bandcamp: https://theforeignlanders.bandcamp.com/album/travelers-rest