| Sarana VerLin | |
| Instrument: | violin, guitar, keyboards |
| Genre: | Celticana – a blend of rock, pop, folk, Celtic and Americana |
| Label: | Drum Dancer Records |
| Years Active: | 1977–present |
| Associated Acts: | R.U.R., Natasha, Dark Carnival, League of Nations, PhDs, Gutterpups, Amadon Crest, Billy Brandt and The Basement Band |
| Background: | solo_singer |
Sarana VerLin (born September 19, 1953) is an American violinist, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She was the vocalist/violinist of the bands Natasha and Dark Carnival, and violinist for numerous bands.
VerLin was classically trained on violin starting at age 10 and performed in The International Youth Symphony which was founded by Windsor Symphony Orchestra conductor Matti Holli. After high school, she played guitar and rock violin with other musicians for many years.
In 1979, after a feature article about women in rock appeared in the Detroit News, she decided to front her own band called Natasha which won an award for Best New Talent. They were active until 1985 and during that time she also worked on projects with Grammy Award winner Don Was, Grammy Award winner Eminem producer Steve King and Marilyn Manson/Debbie Harry producer Ben Grosse. They toured extensively throughout the midwest and Canada.
She is in the Detroit Metro Times Hall of Fame (alongside Patti Smith, Iggy Pop and Aretha Franklin) after winning best instrumentalist 3 years running for the Detroit Metro Times Music Awards (a.k.a. the Detroit Music Awards). She has been featured in numerous articles in the Detroit Free Press, Goldmine, Trouser Press, Metro Times, and the Detroit News as well as television and radio appearances.
Sarana was one of the original members of the supergroup Dark Carnival, which was a rotating group of superstars from the Detroit Area...most notably Niagara, Ron Asheton, Scott Asheton, Cheetah Chrome of the Dead Boys and poet Jim Carroll.
In 2004, she switched her talents from rock to Celtic, performing at midwestern renaissance and pirate festivals such as the Michigan Renaissance Festival for the next 4 years. Her most well known and popular song written during that time is St. Brendan's Reel.
After reappearing on the Detroit music circuit in 2009, she won Detroit Music Awards Outstanding Instrumentalist in the Acoustic category. In 2010 she won Detroit Music Awards Outstanding Folk Act as a duo with Billy Brandt and received several other nominations in various categories. Her music has been heard worldwide from Australia to Japan and her song "Knock On Wood" was featured on Taxi Talk video in 2010. VerLin's recording of 'Kyrie' was featured in a 2012 Haiti Rescue film soundtrack for Maryland's Fire & Rescue team.
She appeared in two films which were shot in Michigan. She is credited with playing the part of a renaissance fiddler in All's Faire in Love and also appeared in where she was a journalist photographer. A voting member of the Grammy Awards, she currently splits her time between Detroit and Stroud when not touring.
Sarana VerLin's primary musical instruments are the violin, the guitar and the baritone violin. Her current style blends the roots of Celtic, Folk and Americana.
VerLin has toured extensively throughout the Detroit/Ann Arbor area as well as touring Michigan, Florida, Canada, Chicago, New York City, Boston, Cleveland, Toledo, Ohio, and England. In 2009, she performed solo and with various musicians during the summer tour, performing at Metro Times Blowout, Hamtramck Blowout, Scarab Club Musings Series, Dunegrass, and Michigan Earth Day Festival as well as individual venues.
In May 2010, she toured for 2 weeks around Exeter with music partner Billy Brandt. Arriving back in the US in June to begin the heavy summer touring season, she performed solo, as a duo with Billy Brandt, or with full band lineup (Brandt on guitar/mandolin/vocals, John Holk on bass/vocals, Drew Howard on dobro/mandolin, Chris Degnore on guitar, and Todd Glass on drums.)
In 2011, VerLin returned to England with Billy Brandt and added Stroud, Crediton and Exmouth to Exeter May dates. From June through September, the Michigan tour included festivals such as Ann Arbor Summer Festival, Concert of Colors with Don Was's All-Star Review, Arts, Beats and Eats, Assembly Line Concert behind the Michigan Governor, Thumbfest, Detroit River Days Festival, Crossroads Music Festival, Bluewater Festival and concerts at Chelsea Sights & Sounds, Black Cat Concert Series, Stone Arch Concert Series, Trinity House Concerts, and Stonehouse Concerts.
Since her November 2011 move to the UK she has continued to tour 3–4 weeks in the US and 3–4 weeks in the UK & Europe with Billy Brandt. She also performs at festivals (including Bristol Folk Festival, Priddy Folk Festival, Watchet Music Festival, Stroud Fringe Festival) and venues throughout the UK either as a solo artist, with UK music trio Iron & Oak, or guesting with various groups. She organizes the Stroud Americana Festival, a 3-day festival in her hometown of Stroud during the first weekend in June.