Sass! began in June 2004 when singer-songwriters Susan Urban and Sandy Andina found themselves booked into the same performance slot at DucKon, a suburban Chicago science fiction convention. Given the choice of splitting the time or sharing it, they serendipitously opted for the latter. They soon found that their writing styles, voices and eerily similar senses of humor work together in a most entertaining way! Their “Original Classic Folk” music is influenced by everything from folk to rock to opera. They released their first full-length duo CD, “Sass! Album One” in November 2006.

Sandy performed as a solo folkie in the 1980’s, honed her humor chops in Chicago's comedy clubs, and then performed as a bassist and vocalist for various Chicago rock bands. After returning to the solo folk circuit, she released her debut solo CD, "Ghosts and Angels" on her own Essay label in 2001. Her songs appear on numerous compilations and have received airplay on public, college, commercial, internet and syndicated radio worldwide (including "Dr. Demento"). She has performed solo across the United States, in Montreal and in Puerto Vallarta. Sandy plays acoustic guitar and mountain dulcimer with Sass! and also includes electric bass, frailing banjo and autoharp in her instrumental arsenal.

Susan's experience parallels the history of Chicago's folk scene since the 1980s. She has performed all over the United States and in Canada, both solo and with various groups, including the currently seasonally popular Bittersweet Christmas Band. She is not only a veteran performer and spellbinding musical storyteller, but has decades of experience running folk music coffeehouses and cabarets. Susan's solo releases include the CD album "Da Codependent Polka" and the follow-up "Old Blue Dodge." Susan's instrumental chops are showcased in Sass! on acoustic guitar, six-string banjo, kazoo and various percussion instruments; she also counts mandolin and autoharp among her instrumental skills. As if that weren't enough, Susan is also a circuit-riding Unitarian Universalist guest service presenter.

In July of 2005, Kate Early joined Sass! to form The Sass! Trio. Kate Early springs from a long line of short musicians on her father's side and a shorter line of longer ones on her mother's side. She adds saucy Black Irish wit, traditional songs of doom and gloom, and some of her favorite contemporary selections to the Sass! Trio. Kate also performs with Phil Cooper and Margaret Nelson as a member of both “Cooper, Nelson & Early”, which focuses on traditional folk music, and the Bittersweet Christmas Band.  Kate is sometimes a tunesmith and often a dancer (Morris and belly at the moment). Her solo debut CD, "Mr. Versatility’s Daughter," came out in June 2007.

The Sass! duo and trio have performed all over the upper Midwest, with occasional forays to other areas in every direction, and a number of live radio broadcasts along the way.  A Sass! Trio performance offers scintillating three part harmonies, a satisfying variety of musical styles and a truly wicked collective sense of humor.