Chatham Rabbits
- Americana
- Roots
Sarah McCombie, of the North Carolina duo Chatham Rabbits, is ready for change: “I’m ready for our fans to get to know the people we are now. We’ve grown up together and getting to reveal this album feels like our collective coming of age.”
This declaration is coming from a woman who has spent the past six years building a robust catalog and passionate fanbase within the Americana community with her husband and bandmate, Austin McCombie. A woman who knows there is more to the band’s story than vows, banjos and vintage dresses.
The duo has released three albums — All I Want from You (2019), The Yoke is Easy, The Burden is Full (2020), If You See Me Riding By (2022) — that nod to the old-time roots of their college stringband pastime, but with their new release, Be Real with Me (February 14, 2025), they have demonstrably grown up. “These past two years have totally changed us,” describes Austin. “We’re not as bright-eyed and naive as we were when we committed to Chatham Rabbits full-time.” This honesty is the backbone of their fourth studio album. The title is the ask — or rather the plea — Be Real with Me.
As unified as ever being the McCombies, the two have faced challenges within their marriage, an overhaul of faith and belief systems, a global pandemic, three moves, the loss of beloved family pets, and the heartbreak that is unique to getting really real and brutally honest with each other. Austin’s once fair freckled arms are now adorned with tattoos by artists he’s met on the road, and natural elements that bring him joy. Sarah’s closet is still brimming with vintage pieces, but she’s likely to reach for a slip dress at the moment instead. With their forthcoming release, Sarah is excited for fans to hear the band’s forward momentum. The music speaks for itself.
As Sarah explains, “we got married so young. We are simply not the same people we once were because playing music for a living has consumed and transformed us. This lifestyle has presented us with exhausting tour schedules, vulnerable songs that force us to talk about our marriage, difficult business decisions, and the ever-complicated dilemma of mixing art and money and friends and employees. Ultimately, though, it has been a net positive experience.”
Written post-pandemic by Sarah and Austin and recorded over a two-year period at the Studio at Small Pond Farm, in Pittsboro, NC, Be Real With Me was co-produced by Austin McCombie and the band’s longtime collaborator, Saman Khoujinian (The Dead Tongues, Lou Hazel). This record is the band’s “Return of Saturn,” an astrological phenomenon that occurs around the age of 29, when one reevaluates life, and through trial and error, figures out who and what one would like to commit to moving forward. This record is about doing your best and still failing, facing the imposter in the mirror, wanting to be reckless and young while simultaneously mature and maternal.
