The Foreign Landers

ArtsLink will present The Foreign Landers in concert on February 23, 2023, at the Gold Derrick Gallery in Sistersville, WV. The Foreign Landers is a duo hailing from opposite sides of the Atlantic united by their love of bluegrass and traditional folk music and their love for each other. Together they combine the musical styles of their respective homelands, along with their instrumental prowess and haunting vocals to create something new.

It was more than unlikely circumstances that brought these two together. David Benedict grew up in South Carolina playing with the only Celtic folk band in town, while Tabitha Agnew was perhaps the only 12 year-old in Northern Ireland who started playing the 5-string banjo after a chance hearing of an Alison Krauss & Union Station record. Ironically, it took each a while to discover the traditional music of their own countries, but they eventually came around. Both excelled at their instruments and found themselves playing with some of the most promising young acoustic bands on the scene today—David with the Boston-band Mile Twelve and Tabitha with both Cup O’Joe and Midnight Skyracer from the UK. With such unique common threads, there was an instant connection when Tabitha and David finally met.

Now married and based in the States, the Benedicts are finally making music on their own. Their debut EP Put All Your Troubles Away marks the first chapter in their journey together, and this adventurous recording will take you along with them to uncharted musical territories.

Funding for this program made possible with assistance from WETZ/WYMJ Radio. This program is presented with financial assistance from the West Virginia Division of Arts, Culture and History and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the WV Commission on the Arts. This engagement of The Foreign Landers is made possible through the Special Presenters Initiative program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts. With additional funding from the Harry E. and Olive T. Barth Charitable Trust, a component fund of the Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley. ArtsLink is committed to providing universal accessibility wherever possible. Persons with special needs may contact us at 304-455-2278 to request assistance.

Tickets are available at the door. For ArtsLink members $10 Individual, $15 Family; Non-members $15 Individual, $25 Family; Students $5. Credit Cards, checks, and cash are accepted.