My Dear Companion
My Dear Companion is a country trio known for their masterfully performed vocal harmonies, and the unique mixture of beauty and grit that they add to their repertoire of country music. They are inspired by the vocal styles of old-time country and bluegrass artists such as The Carter family, Bill Monroe and the High Sierra Trio.
They released their first album Sister’s Tears in 2021 and it’s a beautiful handful of the group’s favorite songs from the country and bluegrass tradition. Their second album, Well of Time, released in the spring of 2024, is a collection of mostly original songs written in tight collaboration between the three band members. On the album they stay true to their country roots, while seeking ample inspiration from the American folk genre and country spirituals. The songs are poetic gems, beautifully detailed melodies and stories filled with romance, longing and sorrow.
Agnes Åhlund- vocals & zither
Hannah Shermis- vocals, banjo & dulcimer
Lea-Marie Sittler- vocals & guitar
Agnes Åhlund
Agnes Åhlund is a musician based in Gothenburg, Sweden. She has studied jazz and world music for many years, constantly exploring different vocal techniques and developing a broad spectrum of sounds to her unique voice. She is a singer, multiinstrumentalist and songwriter in My Dear Companion and several other projects, and has also multiple times worked as a composer and musician for different theaters in Sweden.
Other projects:
Åkervinda
Glitterfittan
Furuhill
Björn Petersson Kvartett
Glöggkompaniet
Hannah Shermis
Hannah Shermis is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer and choir leader based in Gothenburg, Sweden. She has studied music at The Academy of Music and Drama in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Other musical projects include the duo Eldstorm with musician Elin Engberg. Their music has been described as “folk noir”, a darker, moodier take on american folk, reminiscent of early David Bowie, Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake.
Hannah Shermis also works as a choir leader for Gothenburg Country Choir and writes music for stage productions. She can also be seen in bands/projects such as GrejaGreja and Lindha Kallerdahl Woice, and can be heard singing back-up choir on numerous records.
Lea-Marie Sittler
Lea was born and raised in Stuttgart, Germany but has lived in Sweden for over a decade. There she studied music with focus on Swedish folkmusic and improvisation and jazz with the soprano- and tenor saxophone as her main instruments. Later on her focus shifted more and more towards singing and songwriting, which has been her at times half-time, at times full-time occupation for the past ten years. In 2016 she started her solo project Lea & the Loved Ones, with which she has released two studio albums, a third one in the making. Lea & the Loved Ones has a dynamic setting and can be everything from solo to a full band.The genre is said to be indie-folk and the songs remind some listeners of Joni Mitchell and Feist. Even though Lea sees herself mostly as a singer, she is at home on both the acoustic and the electric guitar, the piano and the saxophone and works at times also as a composer for film music.
When Lea isn’t indulged in music, she works as a teacher and choir leader.