Martha Scanlan and Jon Neufeld’s unique alchemy on stage started when they first played together at Portland’s Indie-roots festival Pickathon ten years ago. It was an immediate musical connection and friendship that has only deepened with time and miles spent touring venues and festivals nationwide. It is that unique alchemy, that sense of adventure and improvisation on stage and in the studio, that characterizes their work together and has earned them a loyal following worldwide.

They have shared the stage and collaborated with artists as diverse as Levon Helm, Jim James, Emmy Lou Harris and Peter Buck, and played festivals from Merlefest to Bonnaroo. When so much began to shift due to the pandemic and live shows ground to a halt, what began as a loose plan to work on a new record became a musical journey of its own – a necessary refuge. The result was a collaborative project in motion, an unfolding story. Their album, Last Stars First Light, debuted last year on Jealous Butcher Records.