User:Olslizjak/Boyd and Wain

Boyd & Wain
Boyd and Wain is an English acoustic Anglo/American roots folk Americana duo comprising American singer-songwriter Katy Boyd and English violinist Benny Wain. Part of their appeal comes from the quality of Katy’s original songs, which are funny, touching, sometimes a bit political, often personal and always outstanding lyrically. Part of the appeal of Boyd and Wain is great onstage chemistry. And then there’s some first rate fiddling. The combination of English/Celtic violin playing and rootsy American twang make for very original and notable pairing.

History
Katy Boyd grew up in Menlo Park at the top of Bohemian Central, Perry Lane - a counter culture hub of writers, artists and musicians which was home to Ken Kesey and whose frequent vistors included the Greatful Dead's Jerry Garcia. Boyd cites her earliest influence as Joan Baez, who was a local Palo Alto resident and who Boyd had met several times when she was young. After attending University of California Santa Cruz she become a full time songwriter. Boyd won what is now the West Coast Songwriters Association’s annual song writing contest and moved to the UK hoping for a Virgin Recording Contract. Instead, she got married and gave up her musical career. However, upon the collapse of her marriage she picked up where she left off and began writing and performing again, finally securing a recording deal.

Benny Wain started his professional music career playing in the family band The Sidling Stompers out of Sydling St Nicholas in Dorset at the age of 12. The band, which included his even younger sister Nina Wain had great success all over Southern England, and were played on Radio 2's FOLK ON TWO. They formed folk rock band Jigsaw which had notable success in the 1990's and were almost signed to Sony. A version of the band is still playing in the South West of England, sometimes with Ben Wain.

Benny Wain and Katy Boyd met playing in function band Howling at the Moon. The duo formed in May 2009. In July 2009 they won the Trowbridge Villiage Pump Unsigned Act Competition. Judges included Keith Donnelly, festival organizers and one audience member. They have gone on to play major festivals in the UK including Tolpuddle, the Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival, Bath Party In the City, Wimborne Folk Festival and The Brighton Fringe. They have tourned the US several times. The first album "Ain't No Fairy Tale" apeared in the RMR (Roots Music Report) Folk Radio Chart several times in the summer on 2010.

Discography

 * Ain't No Fairy Tale, 2010