The Feelies and Wild Carnation bassist opens up serving with the jangle pop vanguard

Exclusive video interview with FBPO’s Jon Liebman
May 29, 2023

Brenda Sauter wrangles the bass notes for the New Jersey rock band known as The Feelies. Although not a household name, the group proved to be an important influence on the evolution of indie rock. R.E.M. in particular were fans of their work, and Peter Buck helped co-produce The Feelies second album. Sauter, a multi-instrumentalist, got her start playing in NYC with groups like The Trypes, Yung Wu, and The Willies before eventually connecting with The Feelies in the mid ’80s. After their breakup in the early ’90s, she went on to form Wild Carnation with her guitar-playing husband Richard Barnes and drummer Christopher O’Donovan. She resumed bass duties for The Feelies when they reunited in 2008. Wild Carnation recently released their first album, Tricycle, through Delmore Records.

Watch our interview with Brenda!

See Jon’s blog, with key takeaways from this interview here.