Austin and Elliot

Chris Elliott (vocals and guitar) and Lisa Austin (vocals, bass, guitar, percussion, and 6-string banjo) will be guest artists at Studio Session Live on 2/13.  

http://studiosessionlive.com/html/free_tickets.html 

Their music deals with themes of love gained and lost in a stark, powerful fashion, rich with memorable melodies, cutting lyrics, and striking harmonies.

Chris has developed a vivid, literary writing style that ranges from darkly serious to deadly funny. According to Club Passim's Matt Smith, "his songs run the gamut from bitingly ironic to honestly beautiful."  

His unusual handmade acoustic guitar was crafted by luthier Alan Carruth, and its deep, powerful tone accommodates Chris' distinctive style, which alternates soft fingerpicking with vigorous, sometimes beautifully dissonant, strumming.

 With a voice that recalls Natalie Merchant, Lisa was a Lillith Fair semi-finalist for an opening spot at the 1999 Colorado Lillith Fair.  

While Chris takes a more cerebral approach to music making, Lisa is the more intuitive, creating original harmony lines by ear and unearthing the emotional core of songs. In addition to singing, she plays guitar, 6-string banjo, bass and percussion, adding energy to the live show. Her songwriting is dark and traditional-folk inspired, filled with rural imagery, reflecting her love of and reverence for the natural world.

 Greg Grant of the Online Folk Festival has this to say: "Just two voices and an acoustic guitar, but the songs are impressive.