A Dirty Dozen with SARA MILONOVICH from SARA MILONOVICH & DAISYCUTTER – July 2026

Sara Milonovich of Daisycutter releases a new Album Last Resort Motel shot by Samantha June Arius Photo

According to a recent press release: “A record about identity, persistence, and the common ground that brings us together, even when modern life threatens to pull us apart, Last Resort Motor Inn from Sara Milonovich & Daisycutter is the sound of a songwriter taking stock — not just of a changing America, but of a lifetime spent navigating its back roads, small-town communities, music scenes, and contradictions. Raised on a family farm in upstate New York, Milonovich grew up surrounded by bluegrass, folk, old-school country, and the earthy sounds of an agrarian area that still relied on agriculture. By nine years old, she was turning that rural landscape into music of her own, leading her first band as a top-shelf fiddle player. By her late teens, she was touring internationally as a member of the Celtic/bluegrass fusion band The McKrells. By the time she launched her solo career with 2009’s Daisycutter, she’d earned attention from folk legends like Pete Seeger, appearing on his Grammy-winning album, At 89.” We get Sara to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release. What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through? Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

My latest song, “What We Did With the Place,” is a honky-tonk rocker about gentrification. It was inspired by a sarcastic comment I really wanted to yell, but didn’t, at some loud tourists in my town, and it’s the first single from my new album, Last Resort Motor Inn, which will be out in October. Musically, the song is meant for dancing and singing – picture a bunch of priced-out artists having a dance party while loading a moving van. But I hope listeners will also take a deeper look at some of the grey areas that come along with the gentrifying of a town, and think a bit about the concept of who – if anyone – is truly entitled to a place. In this song, as in some of my other songs, listeners might notice that the fiddle sometimes occupies sonic territory that an electric guitar would take in rock music, and there are guitar-inspired riffs throughout. And all of my albums contain an “Easter Egg” somewhere in the tracks – a recording of a common loon call. It’s not on this song, so diehards will have to wait for the full album to see if they can find it!

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

I grew up surrounded by music – my parents always had records or the radio on in the house, and my grandparents were involved in organizing local bluegrass concerts and jams, so my earliest memories are of loving music and thinking it was the coolest thing ever! When I was four, my grandparents gave me my first violin, and I started going to those bluegrass festivals and learning from an older generation of musicians who took me under their wing and started teaching me fiddle tunes and old songs.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

There wasn’t one song, album, or artist that inspired me – there were many! Everything from old folk albums to what we now call “outlaw country” (Willie, Waylon, Emmylou, Dolly, etc.) to great classical musicians to amazing bluegrass pickers to rock and roll I heard on the radio. I found different things that inspired me in all of it.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Raul Malo, the lead singer of The Mavericks, who sadly passed away last year. His was a once-in-a-generation voice that transcended styles and genres. For living artists, I’d have to pick Emmylou Harris – she’s absolutely one of my heroes!

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour? What do you like to do to unwind?

Get out into the woods! Camping, hiking, backpacking, kayaking… anything to get out and connect with the natural world: I’m there!

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

Fiddle-driven Northeastern alt-country, with female-fronted, socially-conscious songwriting. If you’re into Kathleen Edwards or Jason Isbell, you might dig what I do. The comment that always makes me cringe: “You remind me of Charlie Daniels, or that guy from the Dave Matthews band!” No disrespect to Charlie Daniels’ songwriting or musical influence, but he was a pretty sloppy fiddle player, so when you spend decades trying to hone your craft to be as clean and precise as possible, with the best tone and intonation you can get, that comparison can drive you nuts!

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

We’re all professional musicians, so when we’re not playing together in my band, we’re usually working with other bands or in sessions. So we don’t get nearly enough time to socialize and kick back – I wish we did! Several of us are excellent cooks, however, and I’m a bit of a wine nerd!

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

Several years ago, I got to play and sing at a Bernie Sanders rally, and I’ll admit I did get a little bit shy when we got to meet Bernie. He and his staff were incredibly nice, though, and he thanked the musicians during his speech, which is total class.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

The best part is the ability to connect with people. I think that’s why we all do it, deep down. It ain’t the money, hahaha! Whether you’re telling a story in a song that really means something to someone, or sharing a moment with a live audience from the stage, which is something that I think is an irreplaceable part of humanity, no matter what sort of AI / streaming BS comes out next, or meeting fellow musicians or people from different cultures on the road, it all comes back to connection. And the food can be damn good, too. If I wasn’t a musician, I’d probably be a wilderness guide or a park ranger or something that involved being outdoors a lot.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

“What was the last time something happened that made you want to quit?” The answer right now: anytime I read something new about AI stealing somebody’s art. I think we don’t acknowledge as much as we should how freaking hard this business is. There’s an 80-90% rejection rate on a daily basis, and fewer reliable ways to earn a living, especially given what’s going on with AI and streaming, and the overhead and pressures of touring. Throw in the demands of having to constantly produce “content” and hustle on social media, and it does a number on your mental health for sure. A question I’m tired of answering, but that still deserves attention and a good answer: “What’s the difference between a violin and fiddle?” Joke answers aside, in general terms, the difference is in the style of music played. If it’s classical music, it’s a violin. If it’s a type of folk music, it’s a fiddle.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

A long, long time back, a “producer” suggested I change my last name to something “less ethnic.” I tried it for about five minutes, and it never felt right. I don’t think it made a difference in my career one way or another, but it pretty much encapsulates something I’ve learned through many years of experience: if someone suggests changing your sound or look or art in a way that doesn’t feel right to you, it’s not right, and it’s not worth it.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

I wouldn’t be able to pick just one record – that’s a really unfair question, especially for someone who’s been inspired by so many albums from different genres AND generations! But I’d love to be a fly on the wall of Ola Belle Reed’s porch to hear her talk and sing her songs in some of those early field recordings. Music doesn’t get any more direct and honest than that.

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