disappear fear

Beneath the surface appeal of their melodic hooks, folk-inflected pop grooves, and intricate vocal blends, blood sisters Sonia Rutstein and Cindy Frank channel a fierce commitment to social feminism. Raised in Baltimore, the siblings launched disappear fear in 1987. The band’s moniker signals their drive toward solidarity, the dismantling of injustice, and the removal of divisive prejudices. Rutstein writes the bulk of the material; critics have likened her songwriting to that of Phil Ochs, Joni Mitchell, and Bob Dylan, while the pair’s harmonies and overall style echo the Indigo Girls. Following three well-received independent albums plus an EP, the duo secured a deal with Philo Records. Their 1995 self-titled Philo release earned a Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation honor for Outstanding Album. June 1996 brought the arrival of Seed in the Sahara. That year Sonia also embarked on a solo path, limiting her disappear fear involvement to sporadic appearances for nearly ten years. The project reconvened in 2005 under the name SONiA & disappear fear, issuing further recordings such as Tango in 2007, Splash in 2009, and Blood, Bones & Baltimore in 2010.