A new beginning can happen at any time. No matter where you may be on your journey, you can always start over once again.

After 26 years, nine albums, and over a thousand shows, The Motet embarks on another chapter galvanized in equal measure by their longstanding bond and a surge of fresh energy. The genre-breaking group — Dave Watts (drums), Joey Porter (keys), Garrett Sayers (bass), Drew Sayers (keys, saxophone), and Ryan Jalbert (guitar) — officially welcome local Portland artist, Sarah Clarke (lead vocals) to the family. Their inimitable instrumental interplay proves just as fiery as ever, while her addition only fuels their collective flame higher. 

They ignite a new era with their 2024 full-length album and first with Sarah on the mic, Love Time. “It’s our first step into the world as this iteration of The Motet,” affirms Sarah. “It’s also an opportunity for folks to hopefully jump aboard and see where it goes.”

“It is the beginning,” agrees Dave. “We’re not in this for money or fame. We just want to be able to write songs and play shows. The fact we can travel as far as we do, go through everything as a team, and play music we wrote together is humbling. To see people coming out to shows, smiling, singing, dancing, and sustaining our careers is nothing short of a miracle.”

The Motet bubbled up out of Colorado back in 1998. Their catalog has grown to encompass a bevy of fan favorite albums. In between, they have packed houses coast-to-coast. The band has impressively headlined their hometown Red Rocks Amphitheatre seven times as well as gracing the bills of Bonnaroo, Bottlerock, Electric Forest, Bumbershoot, Summer Camp, and High Sierra, to name a few.  

The Motet first crossed paths with Sarah on tour. Blown away by her performance with her band Dirty Revival, Dave kept in touch, and asked her to sing at a handful of Bay Area shows in 2022. Sparks flew, chemistry sizzled and the collaboration showed immense promise. 

“We’ve continued going down a path of funk, soul, and disco, but Sarah takes it all up a notch,” Dave smiles. “We’re all so thankful and excited to be here,” Sarah leaves off. “It was amazing to work on a studio record together, but the live show is where it’s at. Now, I’d encourage you to come out and see it for yourself.”

As this new chapter gets underway, there’s still nothing like getting lost in the world of The Motet.