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With so much happening in Seattle’s bustling music scene these days, how do you even know where to start? Allow the highly trained culture curators of Seattlemag.com to help with Band of the Week. This week, we catch up with local singer/songwriter Sera Cahoone, formerly of Band of Horses and Carissa’s Wierd. She’ll release her fourth solo album, From Where I Started, a banjo-tinged collection of folk rock, this Friday, on her own Lady Muleskinner records. Cahoone plays the Tractor Tavern Saturday, April 1.  

In three sentences, tell us the story of your band: Craigslist ad 2005: “Pedal steel player wanted-no assholes.” Jay Kardong answered and we’ve been playing together ever since. Around that time I found my guitar player Jeff Fielder and bass player Jonas Haskins—we’ve been together a long time.

Tell us about the new project and/or what have you been working on these days? I am about to release a new record, From Where I Started, on March 24th. I’ve been working on this one for awhile and am really proud of it. This record might be a little more personal than the others. Often my songs are inspired by real people and real events but end up far away from the original inspiration, but this record is a little more true. I kind of just put my heart out there.

What does being an musician in Seattle mean to you? Seattle has been an amazing place to be a musician. KEXP is an incredible supporter of local music. They have always been very supportive of me. The music that’s happening in Seattle right now is so cool and diverse from great hip-hop like Sassy Black & Stas (from THEESatisfaction) to emerging bands like Moon Palace. But Seattle really needs to stop and think about if it to keep this scene, keep this culture of arts because truthfully, I don’t how much longer artists and musicians can afford to live here.

What BIG question should we ask, and what’s the answer? How’s Chichi? Chichi, my toy poodle, just turned 14. A few less teeth and a little deaf and blind but she’s still feisty as ever.

What’s next? Come to my record release show at the Tractor on April 1st! Then touring touring touring. Start over and write a new record!