With a new EP of classic country tunes, ‘The Sweetest Homewrecker’, sure to please fans of Dolly, Tammy, Loretta and Emmylou, Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah Jane Scouten is currently on tour in the UK with a run of shows through the summer, including appearances at Maverick, Hexham Bluegrass and Shrewsbury Folk festivals. Full tour dates and EP details follow:
Press release: Multi-award-nominated singer-songwriter Sarah Jane Scouten unveils The Sweetest Homewrecker EP, a collection of original classic country songs reflecting her storytelling roots in country and bluegrass. This summer, Sarah and her UK band will be featuring at festivals and listening venues across Wales, Scotland and England with songs off the EP and beyond.
Recorded during a sweltering Vancouver heatwave, The Sweetest Homewrecker EP emerged from the same sessions as her 2023 release Turned to Gold. These sessions brought together Matt Kelly (City and Colour), Leon Power (Frazey Ford, City and Colour), James McEleney (Andrew Collins Trio) and Trent Freeman (The Fretless).
Sarah Jane Scouten is an award-winning folk and Americana songwriter from British Columbia, renowned for her heartfelt storytelling and mastery of classic country music, working as a medical herbalist in rural Scotland when she’s not on the road. Drawing inspiration from legends like John Prine, Emmylou Harris, and Tom Petty, she weaves together elements of 60s and 70s country, British folk revival, and her bluegrass roots.
A four-time nominee at the Canadian Folk Music Awards, International Folk Music Awards, and Western Canadian Music Awards, Sarah Jane’s music captures the essence of timeless Americana while exploring deeply personal themes of love, loss, and transformation. Her latest release, The Sweetest Homewrecker EP, is a collection of original country songs, recorded alongside her critically acclaimed 2023 release Turned to Gold. Both projects highlight her evolution as an artist, featuring collaborations with top-tier musicians like Matt Kelly (City and Colour), Leon Power (Frazey Ford), with blood harmony duets from sister Anna Scouten on The Sweetest Homewrecker EP.
Track-By-Track:
Sweetest Homewrecker
A married country singer struggles to resist the temptation of a talented, green-eyed, guitar-picking stranger. One part Faithful Man by Lee Fields, one part Stand By Your Man by Tammy Winette, wrapped up in a honky tonk two-step sister duet laced with barroom piano.
Peddling in Heartache
A frank confession to the audience about their insatiable appetite for heartache, trauma and "authenticity" in Americana music. Is this the price of having a fanbase? Too pensive for country music, you say? Forget the lyrics and dance to this two-step par excellence.
Better Off Alone
New lyrics written to the Tennessee old time fiddle tune Green Valley Waltz, usually sourced back to Fiddlin' Arthur Smith. Sarah Jane learned this tune from one-time mandolin teacher Caleb Klauder from Foghorn Stringband.
Feeling Single, Seeing Double
Sarah Jane Scouten covers Emmylou Harris covers George Jones. The band recorded the song in the Key of F, which was too high for Sarah Jane to sing. Producer Johnny Payne verispeeded it down to E, which was still a stretch as she usually sings it in C. Then kicked it back up to F. Nothing like the frisson of a song almost falling off the tracks.
Recognized by the Canadian Folk Music Awards, International Folk Music Awards, and Western Canadian Music Awards, Sarah Jane Scouten continues to push the boundaries of folk and Americana songwriting. With The Sweetest Homewrecker EP, she delivers a soundtrack perfect for summer road trips, cementing her status as a modern-day country troubadour with a timeless voice.
https://sarahjanescouten.com/#tour-dates
Friday, May 30 Fire in the Mountain 2025, Trellech United
Sunday, June 8 Kirkgate Arts, Cockermouth
Thursday, June 12 The George, Moniaive
Friday, June 20 Solas Festival 2025, Perthshire
Friday, July 4 Maverick Festival 2025, Woodbridge
Sunday July 27 Hexham Bluegrass Festival, Hexham
Friday, August 15 Campfire Club at Cody Dock, London
Saturday, August 16 Campfire Club at the Earthship, Brighton, Stanmer
Sunday, August 17 Sarah Jane Scouten @ Folkrooms Peggy’s Skylight, Nottingham
Friday, August 22 Shrewsbury Folk Festival 2025, Shrewsbury
