Gwyneth & Monko Announce January and February Dates in Support of Self-Titled Release

Gwyneth and Monko announce January and February tour dates in support of their self-titled release due out February 15, 2011. With a voice that invokes Jenny Lewis’ solo work crossed with the intimate folk of Gillian Welch; Gwyneth Moreland strums her guitar in subtle chords while Michael Monko accompanies her lyrical stories with trickling mandolin, steady acoustic guitar and folk accents.

The new record, which was recorded at Old School Studio in Caspar, CA, will more accurately reflect what the duo sounds like live. And it’s no wonder their new work sounds this way, as they’ve been on the road for most of 2010, taking weekends here and there to record. Guest artists Scott Southard on bass, Jimmy Gallagher on drums and Matt Cooper Borkenhagen on pedal steel and dobro, join Gwyneth and Monko on their self-titled album.

This record exists in part because of a month of creative exploration. In July, Gwyneth Moreland and Michael Monko spent time honing new songs in a home recording studio. Those sketches came to life in Old School Studio and are filled with new elements: Moreland on banjo, Monko on fiddle and guest artists adding drums and bass. These additions allow Gwyneth and Monko to explore a different dynamic while still keeping the old-timey and Americana influences, songwriting style, Moreland’s vocal style and Monko’s intricate instrumentation.

Gwyneth and Monko tour across the country in an RV that serves as a temporary home on the road. The phrase “less is more,” couldn’t be more apt for Gwyneth & Monko. “We travel in a camper van that has a sink, cook top, and refrigerator,” says Gwyneth. “We both love to travel and so we view touring as away to do all our favorite things: playing music and traveling.”

Gwyneth and Monko Tour Dates

1/15/11 In-Store Performance - Dig! Music, Ukiah, CA
1/22/11 CD Pre-Release Show - The Arcata Playhouse Theater, Arcata, CA
1/23/11 CD Pre-Release Show – The Caspar Inn, Caspar, CA
1/29/11 Rominger West Winery, Davis, CA
2/2/11 Six Rivers Brewery, McKinleyville, CA
2/3/11 Sam Bonds Garage, Eugene, OR
2/5/11 The Mandolin Café, Tacoma, WA
2/6/11 Laurel Thirst Public House, Portland, OR
2/10/11 Smiley's Schooner Saloon and Hotel, Bolinas, CA
2/26/11 Evangeline's, Colfax, CA

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Watch Leopold and His Fiction Perform "Golden Friends" and "Ain't No Surprise"

Foundwaves captured Leopold and His Fiction on video while the band rocked out at P.A.'s Lounge in Somerville, MA. Feel the moment with the live performances of "Golden Friends" and "Ain't No Surprise."

"Songs by the aptly named Leopold and His Fiction seem almost like short stories collected by an itinerant traveler hitchhiking his way across the country. With raspy narration by singer Daniel James, the music feels drenched in world-weary mystery, populated by the lonely souls who haunt empty bus stations, dusty back-road gas stations, and crumbling saloons," says Foundwaves.

Leopold and His Fiction - "Golden Friends" - Live at PA's Lounge from Extraneous Noise on Vimeo.

Leopold and His Fiction - "Ain't No Surprise" Live at PA's Lounge from Extraneous Noise on Vimeo.

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