Meet Tabitha Agnew Benedict | The Foreign Landers

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tabitha Agnew Benedict and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tabitha, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Before we started the Foreign Landers, David and I were both playing in separate bands on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Even after getting married in 2019, we spent most of our time away from each other traveling full time to play gigs. But we’d always dreamed about starting a band together. When the pandemic hit in 2020, we found ourselves in Northern Ireland with a lot of free time to start making new music together–the silver lining of many unfortunate circumstances.

Starting our own business as a band has given us the chance to work together as a married couple. But even more so, it’s also allowed us to follow our own creative direction, and be confident in the identity of the music that we make. Through our songs we tell our own personal story, and starting this business together has given us the opportunity to be authentic through the art that we make.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The Foreign Landers is a duo hailing from opposite sides of the Atlantic united by our love of traditional folk music and our love for each other. Together we combine the musical styles of our respective homelands. It was unlikely circumstances that brought us together really. In an ironic reversal, David grew up in SC, playing with the only Celtic band in town, while I was perhaps the only kid in Northern Ireland who picked up the 5-string banjo after hearing Alison Krauss and Union Station. We both found ourselves playing with some of the most promising young bands on the scene—David with Boston-based Mile Twelve and myself with Cup O’Joe and Midnight Skyracer from the UK. There was an instant connection when we first met. Now married and based in the States, we’re so excited to be finally making music together.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We’d have to recommend some of our favorite spots in our new hometown of Travelers Rest, just a few miles north of Greenville. We’d first of all suggest going to Paris Mountain State Park for a hike – with lots of trails, beautiful lakes and lot’s of space to just soak up the beauty of Upstate SC. We’d then suggest going to Tandem, one of our favorite spots in Travelers Rest right Downtown. They make the best crepes/waffles and serve tasty coffee! You’ll be guaranteed to make some new friends while you’re there. Take a walk downtown and enjoy the sights and sounds of the sweetest little town, while gazing up at Paris Mountain in the distance. If it’s a Saturday, we highly recommend going to the Travelers Rest Farmers Market — so much to see, buy and look at! All the while, supporting local farmers and vendors. You’ll never run out of things to look at, taste and smell! After that, if you’re still needing a little extra caffeine kick to head over to Leopard Forest Coffee, to get a delicious iced coffee made from their freshly roasted beans!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would definitely have to say that we would probably not be making music together today if it were not for the IBMA (The International Bluegrass Music Association) conference and festival that takes place annually. We actually met back in 2017 at IBMA, in Raleigh NC. We were both playing with different bands at the time, and since then we have been back three times as The Foreign Landers.

Website: https://www.theforeignlanders.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theforeignlanders

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theforeignlanders/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCksOtQg8_qHWAXHqqYdxVdA?view_as=subscriber

Image Credits
Storied Artisan – Nicole Davis