“Two banjos? Run!!!” 

Many might have such a thought, but they haven’t heard Banjophony or witnessed Damien and Ron on stage.  Both are experienced pickers, steeped in their home traditions (tenor and bluegrass respectively), and both have toured the world, Damien performing regularly with Kate Rusby and Ron as a member of Alison Krauss’ Union Station. Their collaboration is stellar. With all the jokes about banjo players in the world it is no surprise that a band with two banjos would double the fun. It does, both on stage and as a recording.

Both artists have followed similar trajectories. They began playing at a young age, immersed in their local scenes: Ron in Southern California and Damien in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. Ron’s big opportunity came in 1991 when he joined the mighty force of Alison Krauss’ band, for whom Grammy and Bluegrass Awards have rained down plentifully over the years. Damien played with Irish/Anglo supergroup Flook among others, before joining Kate Rusby’s band in 2008. He’s also been nominated twice at BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and hailed by none other than Jo Whiley as a ‘sonic architect.’

So, what is the appeal of a duet that’s basically one bloke from someone’s band and another bloke from someone else’s band playing some music together? That’s an easy one, there’s a whole lotta banjo. Blending the traditions of American bluegrass and Irish traditional, they create something new that sounds familiar. Ron’s eloquence and Damien’s improvisational flair drive this ensemble where 1 plus 1 equals much more than 2.

Touring as a 5 piece with the addition of Duncan Lyall on bass and keyboards Josh Clark on percussion and Steven Byrnes on guitars and stomp box????.  Damien and Ron present banjo driven tunes and songs driven by Damien’s silky baritone vocals. Their music will tug on your emotional harp strings and their between song banter will leave you chuckling for days after the show.

Banjos are often more than noticeable in the mix of a full band’s sound, fast-fingered and fuel for the fleet-footed. Sometimes a banjo even gets a solo. But with Damien and Ron, it’s more like ‘banjo squared’ in their output than the mere addition of one banjo to another. There’s a heapin’ helpin’ of mutual respect, particularly for Ron’s eloquence and for Damien’s improvisational flair.

“Beautiful and wild, there are no boundaries here. Something I have never heard before.”  – Jerry Douglas