Welcome to the website for the musical duo Richard Ruane and Beth Duquette
We're making a new record!
Richard And Beth's GoFundMe video from Richard Ruane on Vimeo.
We are Richard Ruane and Beth Duquette and we are very excited about the new record we're working on,"Notch Road." It's our first recording since 2011 and we're hoping you'll join us in completing it.
Song Samples from Notch Road from Richard Ruane on Vimeo.
Please take a minute and check out our GoFundMe page for music from the new record, rewards and more!https://www.gofundme.com/HelpRichard-Beth
Click here to hear a song from the upcoming album. The song is called “Ellie Brown.” It’s a ballad written by Richard. Richard sings lead and is playing an octave mandolin (made by Adam Buchwald of Circle Strings) with Beth singing harmonies. We’re joined on this song by our old friend Mitch Barron on acoustic bass and by our new neighbor Matt Flinner on mandolin. Yes, he’s that Matt Flinner. He recently moved from Nashville to Ripton and we’re all very happy to have Matt and his family here in town (and on a couple songs on our album).
We’ve been involved in the Vermont music scene in for quite a while, performing as well as presenting shows of other artists, running sound for concerts and festivals, and publicizing shows. We’ve always split our time being on the stage with working behind the scenes. We love helping to sustain Vermont’s vibrant and welcoming musical environment. Helping other musicians has always been important to us, but this time we need some help, too.
Richard has been selling some instruments to raise money too and still has a JBouvier mandolin and an Epiphone Casino electric guitar to sell. Go to this page to check them out: Instruments for sale!
Thank you so much!
Here's a little bit about the two of us
Richard Ruane and Beth Duquette have been performing music together since the late 1990s. This Vermont-based acoustic duo performs primarily original music with a clear traditional-roots influence. They are known for their strong, imaginative vocals and harmonies, often compared to classic sibling harmony duos. Ruane provides an inventive instrumental backing on guitars, octave mandolin and ukulele.
In addition to their original music, they perform traditional songs from the United States and the British Isles, songs by other songwriters and a few jazz standards. Their original songs are often compared with traditional songs as well as with the songwriting of Richard Thompson and Tim O’Brien.
For a number of years they performed as a trio under the name “Bread and Bones” with the addition of bassist Mitch Barron.
They have toured throughout New England and beyond, appeared in the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival's Emerging Artist Showcase, on Folkstage on WMFT, Chicago, Illinois, on Bound for Glory on WVBR, Ithaca, New York, and at Caffè Lena in Saratoga Springs, New York.
"Ruane is a talented storyteller, painting whole scenes with his lyrics. Duquette has a lovely voice, and her soulfulness shines through." Robert Resnik – Vermont’s Seven Days
Ruane is adept at the fine art of storytelling put to song. His originals speak to different shades of love, joy, mystery and real life. Terry Lickona - producer of Austin City Limits
Ruane’s songwriting has received wide recognition. He has been a finalist or award-winner at the Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Competition, the Great Waters Music Festival Songwriter Contest, the Plowshares Coffeehouse Singer-Songwriter Competition, the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest and the SolarFest Songwriter Showcase.
Check the "Videos" link above to see performance videos and to get an idea about what the music is like. New things will be posted there periodically.
We are currently working on our next record which should be ready for release in winter 2018!
The "Press" link above has quotes from publications and high-quality photos that can be used for publicity purposes.
The "Bios" link above has biographical information about both Richard Ruane and Beth Duquette.
The "Recordings" link above has information and ordering info for their recordings. Two of those are of the trio "Bread and Bones", which was Ruane and Duquette along with the bass player Mitch Barron. Those albums are "I Know Stories" and "Could Have Been a Dream". Before Bread and Bones existed, Richard Ruane recorded the album "Things That Strangers Say" with a number of friends including the future members of Bread and Bones and the former members of Feast or Famine.
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