Alysse Gafkjen
The three members of I'm With Her standing together in a close shot (shoulders and up).
The members of I'm With Her, from left: Aoife O'Donovan, Sara Watkins and Sarah Jarosz.
Dreamy notes of the fiddle and guitar accompanied by triad melodies steeped in storytelling are the hallmarks of Aoife O’Donovan, Sara Watkins and Sarah Jarosz, the all-female, Grammy-winning supergroup I’m With Her. Their sophomore album, Wild and Clear and Blue, released May 9, flirts with folk, bluegrass and Americana in a manner both fresh and timeless. The album draws the past into the present, reflecting the music the group grew up with while exploring familial love, connection, remembrance and what lies ahead.
“It’s an intense record. It’s a deep record. There is not a lot of surface fluff on this album,” O’Donovan tells Isthmus in a phone interview in advance of their June 10 appearance at the Overture Center’s Capitol Theater. “There are a lot of important people in our lives who have passed away, and we are trying to invoke their voices or spirits. But it’s also juxtaposed with joy, with real domestic family moments and real physical memories.”
The title track, “Wild and Clear and Blue,” is a heartfelt ode to O’Donovan’s, Watkins' and Jarosz’s childhood memories of listening to and falling in love with music. The video for the track includes home video footage from when all three members were children, especially focusing on their early engagement with music. “Sisters of the Night Watch,” unfolds gently as it calls to foremothers and matriarchal souls in solidarity and connection.
O’Donovan says that there’s a novelistic dimension to the album as a whole, a through-line that connects the songs.
What the group’s publicity terms “the collective human experience” is a major motif on Wild and Clear and Blue. The album invites listeners to reflect on their own pasts and their path into the future.
These are feelings that O’Donovan believes are best experienced live.
“Going to a concert, going to a third space that is neutral, to experience something beautiful is something I hope people can see the importance in, and can look beyond what their perceived differences [are] to share an experience,” says O’Donovan.
For their 2025 tour, I’m With Her has partnered with PLUS1 to donate $1 from every ticket sold to Conscious Alliance, a nonprofit that provides food and other household essentials to low-income communities. For every dollar donated to Conscious Alliance, two meals can be donated to an underserved family.
O’Donovan says that charitable giving can often feel nebulous or unclear – it is not always easy to discern which organizations are doing their homework and truly making a difference. O’Donovan says she is proud to support PLUS1 and Conscious Alliance, organizations she believes have strong track records and proven impact.
“For anybody interested in getting involved on a philanthropic level, think about the little things you can do. And that’s what is so cool about PLUS1 — it’s just $1 from each ticket, but it adds up.”
The members of I’m With Her, who last performed together in Madison in 2018, are excited to be back in the city. As she is arriving in Madison a day early, O’Donovan is looking forward to a rest day to run the scenic Picnic Point trail, enjoy a hazy IPA, and possibly get together with local friends.
“I love Madison so much,” said O’Donovan. “I’m excited to be in the city the day before the show. By the time we take the stage, I think we will be bringing a very positive energy.”
When asked what Madison fans should expect from the show, O’Donovan said each show is unique. “There is a lot of listening that goes on on-stage and there’s real deep collaboration within the songs, so there are a lot of things that will change from night to night, a lot of improvisation that will go on.”
However, O’Donovan made it clear that it will be a vibrant stage presentation, with plenty of tunes from Wild and Clear and Blue, and a dedication to making a positive impact.
