Richard Ruane and Beth Duquette live in the tiny Vermont towns of Ripton and South Lincoln, along the ridge of the Green Mountains. Their music owes a strong debt to tradition but isn’t bound to it. Ruane, an award-winning songwriter, pens the bulk of their material. Their music features the kind of tight harmonies often associated with sibling acts that have grown up together. They take turns on lead vocals as well as full duets. Duquette has a lovely, soulful alto voice. It blends beautifully with Ruane’s warm baritone. Ruane is also a multi-instrumentalist and swaps off from guitar to 4-string tenor guitar, ukulele, octave mandolin, and mandolin. They often are joined by bassist/vocalist Mitch Barron, performing as Bread and Bones.
Based in Vermont, their music has taken them throughout the Northeast, down to Texas where Richard was a songwriting finalist at the Kerrville Folk Festival’s New Folk Competition, and over to Chicago where they played on the Folkstage radio show on WFMT. They have appeared in the Falcon Ridge/Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, on the Bound for Glory radio show on WVBR, Ithaca, New York, and at Caffè Lena in Saratoga Springs, New York.
Some things people have said about them:
“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
"Finely written songs, with wonderful vocal performances, and solid instrumental backing to put the whole over with eloquence and grace.” - Oliver di Place, Musings on Music
"Their playing and singing are crisp and confident: Ruane’s work on guitar is full of finesse and creativity. Ms. Duquette’s harmony and lead vocals are clear and to the point but not overly adorned. Ruane possesses the three critical tools necessary to any writer in any genre – narrative sensibility, a poet’s ear, and a sense of humor. There are substantial rewards here for the listener.” - Jeff Trippe MaineFolkMusic.Com
“The music is delivered tastefully. Ruane's guitar work is crisp and emphatic. Duquette's singing is a fine clear alto in perfect step with Ruane. Together the two can sing with the best on record. Finely crafted songs. A sound that is very confident and mature.” - Art Edelstein – Times Argus
"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
"Duquette’s and Ruane’s voices weave delightfully through each other and the music.” Herb van der Poll - Vermont's Seven Days
Their most recent album, Notch Road, was in the top 20 of the International Folk DJ List the month after its release. It was named Vermont’s Best Folk Album of the Year by the Vermont Times Argus newspaper. “This album is an acoustic, folk and Celtic-infused delight with traditional ballads and 1930s-style jazz songs. Consistency in performance, creativity and recording is rare. With Ruane and Duquette we are treated to a wonderfully entertaining album."
It was also named one of the Best Vermont Albums of the Year by the Country Tracks website. “A couple of songs on Notch Road are covers of traditional folk tunes, but you’ll be hard pressed to tell which ones if you don’t already know them. Every track sounds like it could be some old farming ballad or vintage romantic lament. Take “Come On Back,” which sounds like something Jean Ritchie might have sung. Equally timeless are the pair’s harmonies, beautifully delicate blends that keep fresh songs both old and just old-sounding.”
Vermont’s Seven Days arts newspaper said this of the album, “. . . the most impressive thing about this record is its versatility. Both singers have engaging voices, the songs never linger too long, and the writing has true character. For those who have already been listening to the duo, none of that will come as a surprise — though these are arguably the strongest tunes they've written to date.”