Laura

Having wanted to play violin since she was about 4, Laura finally got her first fiddle at 9 or 10. Starting out with strict classical training, she got bored of this and started to rebel by playing along to Chieftains CDs. Several years later however, she found bluegrass which seemed even more fun, and equally as important, faster! Bluegrass led both the twins to Sore Fingers Summer Schools where they heard the dobro for the first time when Sally Van Meter was teaching there. Laura was hooked and decided to take it up about a year later. In September 2008, Laura bought a cello which can be heard on a couple of tracks on “Jupiter’s Corner”.

Laura’s biggest influences are: Stuart Duncan, Jerry Douglas, Rob Ickes, Sally Van Meter, Stephane Grappelli, Aidan O’Rourke, The South Austin Jug Band, Tift Merrit, Patty Loveless and Ben Sollee.

Charlotte

Charlotte started out on classical guitar when she was 9, partly self taught and partly taught by their dad.  When Laura joined the school folk group, Charlotte followed and picked up the mandolin. Also self taught, until she attended Matt Flinner’s mandolin course at Sore Fingers and realised she had it all wrong! Soon after, with her mandolin playing back on the right track, she started to flatpick the guitar. In the summer of 2008, she took up the clawhammer banjo.

Charlotte’s biggest influences are: Matt Flinner, David Grier, Growling Old Men, Tim O’Brien, Martin Simpson and Kate Rusby.