She wasn’t always Daughter of Swords.
Alexandra Sauser-Monnig first committed herself to music when she formed a band called Mountain Man with a couple of friends in college a decade ago. The trio drifted apart in 2012, but over the course of the last six years, Sauser-Monnig has been writing songs, working in North Carolina and waiting for the right opportunity.
In 2017, she finally rejoined her Mountain Man bandmates, and in 2018, they released their second LP, “Magic Ship.” But Sauser-Monnig also began recording a set of 10 songs that would go on to become “Dawnbreaker,” her solo debut album.
After touring across the country under the new name of Daughter of Swords, Sauser-Monnig is finally returning to the Triangle for a show at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro on Nov. 30 at 8 p.m.
Sauser-Monnig has performed solo for the majority of the last year, so this show will give her the opportunity to finally share the stage with some of the artists that helped bring “Dawnbreaker” to life. Presented as The Dawnbreaker Band, the four musicians — Nick Sanborn, Ryan Gustafson, Jeff Crawford and Yan Westerlund — will be there to perform the album as it was recorded.
“It definitely feels like ‘hometown show vibes’ in a really special way,” Sauser-Monnig said of returning to the area. “I haven’t played a full band show in the Triangle since my record came out. It’s not a record release show, but it feels sort of celebratory in a way.”
Sanborn, of Sylvan Esso fame, co-produced the record with Sauser-Monnig. Jeff Crawford also played bass on the record and will also be playing it at the concert.
“I’ve played a lot of solo shows in the last year, and it felt like a good opportunity to touch base with the other sounds on the record and do that in the context that the record was made in,” Sauser-Monnig said.
The concert is being performed at the ArtsCenter, but is organized and presented by Cat’s Cradle. The owner of Cat’s Cradle, Frank Heath, has previous experience with Sauser-Monnig.
