The Severin Sisters

Amy Severin has a Pavlovian response to the smell of corn dogs.

In the years when she and twin sister, Heidi, fronted the bluegrass-pop group The Severin Sisters, they played in every type of venue imaginable.

That included a lot of fairs.

“I still, to this point, if I smell fried food, I get the, 'oh, we’re going on stage,' ” Amy said.

From the novelty of twins playing unique instruments (Amy plays banjo and guitar, and Heidi plays mandolin and violin) to their relentless performing schedule, the sisters built up a reputation and became the most recognizable music group in Salem.

Now as a three-piece — younger sister Haley Severin has officially joined the group — the group is playing more shows and has a new energy. They play at noon on Saturday, Aug. 12, at Willamette Valley Vineyards and at 6:30 p.m. later that day at Keizer Rotary Amphitheater.


The Severin Sisters never officially stopped playing — it’s almost impossible for a band consisting of twin sisters who grew up performing together to break up — it’s just that they cut back.

Way back.

The twins spent time on other things in life like marriage, children (Heidi has three daughters younger than 7) and careers (Amy teaches music at North Marion Primary School).

“We’re basically starting all over again,” Heidi said. “Not completely starting over again, but when you’re out of it for so long, people kind of remember you but you don’t.”

An early start
The twins played their first performances while in the fourth grade with a group of friends under the name Take Five at the State Fair.

The Severin twins were hooked; the rest of their friends weren’t.

“We just got bit by the performing bug,” Amy said.

The sisters excelled at music and sped up their education to concentrate on it more.

After attending Judson Middle School, they were homeschooled, and both got their GEDs at the age of 16.

At that point, they hit the road.

At their peak, which lasted about five years, the twins toured relentlessly — there were years when they played 200 shows a year.

The Severin Sisters, Amy left and Heidi right, performBuy Photo
The Severin Sisters, Amy left and Heidi right, perform in 2004. (Photo: Kobbi R. Blair | Statesman Journal file)

One year they played at the Pendleton Round-Up, and in that one-week period, they played 21 shows.

At their final show of the week, they were feeling fatigue.

A big man lifted his shirt and started to beat on his sizable belly. Between their exhaustion and the absurdity of the moment, they broke out in laughter and had to stop playing.

“It was the first time we lost it,” Amy remembered.

“He had good rhythm, though,” Heidi said.

Over the years, they opened for bands including Rascal Flatts, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Del McCoury Band and The John Cowan Band.

Though they weren’t on a record label and lived an itinerant life, the sisters were professional musicians.

“We were making enough to cover expenses and then net something,” Amy said. “And since we were still living at home, we had that added benefit of Mom and Dad not charging us room and board.”

“We were stupid and spent it all on fancy clothes,” Heidi said. “I would not do that again.”

More: Tribute bands taking over huge part of local music scene

Why they turned down their big chance
The Severin Sisters had their chance at the big time in the music industry.

At the height of their popularity, in 2003, they performed at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, with bluegrass legend John Cowan.

“We were giggly, ridiculous girls there,” Amy remembers.

They spent time in Nashville and wrote with Cowan and several other songwriters.

Several management companies approached them and told them that if they wanted to make it, they needed to move to Nashville.

Cowan even had a producer who wanted to work with the sisters.

But many great musicians — Willie Nelson for example — have gone to Nashville and failed to make it big.

“We couldn’t afford it first of all, and Haley was just a little girl, then,” Heidi said. “We didn’t want to abandon her.”

“It was a gamble, and we didn’t take the gamble,” Amy said.

They both started teaching music at Catholic schools around Salem as fill ins at first.

They had taken core classes at Chemeketa while touring, and in 2005, Heidi and Amy enrolled in Oregon State — Heidi graduated with a bachelor’s in music composition in 2007 and Amy in 2008, and Amy went back and got her master’s in 2011.

Though the twins never officially stopped performing — at their peak, Jason Carter and Silver Sorensen played drums and bass — they cut back to a few shows as a duo a year until a new member wanted to join the band.

More: Oregon State Fair's 2017 concert lineup includes country, rock stars

Haley Severin of Salem-based band The Severin SistersBuy Photo
Haley Severin of Salem-based band The Severin Sisters poses for a photo in Bush's Pasture Park. (Photo: MOLLY J. SMITH / Statesman Journal)

Enter the third Severin Sister
When Haley Severin was 6 years old and her sisters were touring nationally and making a name for themselves, she decided she wanted to join her sisters’ band.

“She wanted to change her name to Rainbow Severin and join the band,” Amy Severin said.

Over the years, Haley Severin — a recent graduate of Blanchet Catholic — learned to play multiple instruments and would occasionally get up on stage when her sisters were playing a show and sing a song with them as a novelty.

In the past few years, Haley showed greater interest in joining the group for real, and the twins were happy to include her.

She does, after all, fit the theme.

Not only is she playing bass — both upright and an acoustic bass guitar — but she also sings and has made the duo a three-part vocal harmony.

It should be a challenge to pick up on songs that her sisters recorded around the time she was born, but she is a quick study. After all, Amy was her music teacher in school at one time.

“It’s a little bit weird, especially when Amy and Heidi have been doing this for so long,” Haley said. “It’s also fun to get the opportunity.”

The Severin Sisters name still holds weight in Salem, even though they haven’t released any new music since 2003. They tried to record a new album in 2009 but ran out of time and money.

This fall or winter, they plan to go into a recording studio and record for the first time as a three-piece group.

“We need something that shows what we do, this threesome, three-part harmony,” Amy said.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com or Twitter.com/bpoehler - Statesman Journal

What happens when you combine talent, determination, spunk and drive? You get the Severin Sisters! Twins Amy & Heidi, now 22, are already a local legend. They have worked with music legends such as John Carter Cash, John Cowan of New Grass Revival, Sarah Majors, and Tom Matthews. This past summer, they opened for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

Their sound is American roots. Amy states, “Our sound is evolving, maturing. Fans don't have to worry, though. We are staying true to the roots sound.”

They started their musical career at the tender age of 9.

“Our parents influenced us even earlier,” Amy said. “Although neither of them played an instrument, they exposed us to all types of music.”

They attended concerts in the park and many other live performances.

“Music was always part of our lives.”

Their instrumental career began when each girl independently began lobbying their parents to rent them an instrument. Amy, influenced by the Moody Blues, wanted to play guitar. Heidi was in love with the violin. Their parents obtained instruments and lessons for the girls.

“There was no pressure from them,” Amy said.

There didn't need to be. The girls practiced constantly, and even slept with their instruments beside their beds.

It didn't take long before the sisters realized that they could play their instruments together. They started with folk songs. Heidi played the melody on violin, and Amy filled in with chords. From 4th through 6th grade, they studied banjo, mandolin, music theory & composition.

“Our first gig was with a band that we formed with our friends. We called ourselves “Take Five,” because we were more about taking breaks than about working,” Amy said.

Their group debuted at the Oregon State Fair.

“I was really nervous until we finished our first song and the applause broke out. I thought, 'I like this!' and the nervousness disappeared. It's never returned!” she said.

The band of 11-year olds was short-lived. But the Severin sisters continued on alone, focusing on Celtic & old-time fiddle tunes. Their first album was released when they were just 16. A year later they released “Let's Talk,” with all-original music. They toured heavily, promoting the album.

Traditional high school wasn't possible with their busy performance schedule, so they attended home school, supplemented by classes at Chemeketa Community College. Today they attend a new music program at OSU that emphasizes recording, editing & composition.

Their education isn't limited to college. They have visited Nashville twice, including songwriting sessions with Sarah Majors, Tom Matthews, and Dean Miller, Roger Miller's son.

The young women bring different strengths to their partnership. Heidi is the detail person. She keeps track of schedules and attends to the day-to-day details.

“We wouldn't get anything done if it weren't for her,” Amy said.

Heidi describes her sister as “upbeat, a big picture person; Amy is always in a good mood!”

So, what's on the horizon for this talented duo? They will start recording a new album after January 1. They are currently playing some of the new pieces in their concerts, so fans can catch a preview
- Salem Monthly

American Roots duo brings banjo and mandolin to Summer Term

CORVALLIS — The Severin Sisters will perform in the brick courtyard outside the OSU Bookstore at noon Wednesday, July 16, as part of the Oregon State University Summer Term Folk and Celtic music series.

The Severin Sisters play American Roots music with a bit of bluegrass to highlight their instrumental abilities. Heidi was awarded second place in the National Mandolin Championship in 2002, and Amy has received awards playing her treasured 1934 banjo. Both sisters sing lead and vocal harmony.

The Severins are twins that both graduated from OSU in 2007 with music degrees and are currently teaching music in the Salem public schools. They both write songs and have collaborated in creating new material for their three CDs.

Amy is accomplished at both the old-time frailing style and three-finger style of banjo picking. She was influenced by such players as Bela Fleck, Earl Scruggs, Alison Brown and Scott Vestal, but has developed her own distinct style. In addition to her proficiency on the guitar and banjo, Amy also plays the cello.

In addition to the mandolin, Heidi has also studied classical violin techniques for many years and participated in numerous music festivals playing baroque, classical, and jazz pieces. She also plays old-time, Scottish, and Celtic fiddle.

- The Gazette-Times

American Roots duo brings banjo and mandolin to Summer Term

CORVALLIS — The Severin Sisters will perform in the brick courtyard outside the OSU Bookstore at noon Wednesday, July 16, as part of the Oregon State University Summer Term Folk and Celtic music series.

The Severin Sisters play American Roots music with a bit of bluegrass to highlight their instrumental abilities. Heidi was awarded second place in the National Mandolin Championship in 2002, and Amy has received awards playing her treasured 1934 banjo. Both sisters sing lead and vocal harmony.

The Severins are twins that both graduated from OSU in 2007 with music degrees and are currently teaching music in the Salem public schools. They both write songs and have collaborated in creating new material for their three CDs.

Amy is accomplished at both the old-time frailing style and three-finger style of banjo picking. She was influenced by such players as Bela Fleck, Earl Scruggs, Alison Brown and Scott Vestal, but has developed her own distinct style. In addition to her proficiency on the guitar and banjo, Amy also plays the cello.

In addition to the mandolin, Heidi has also studied classical violin techniques for many years and participated in numerous music festivals playing baroque, classical, and jazz pieces. She also plays old-time, Scottish, and Celtic fiddle.

- The Gazette-Times