Martha Scanlan and Jon Neufeld (USA)

Event information

Stepping in at short notice to replace Rachel Harrington are these two Oregon-based musicians who have found new success together to add to their individual achievements.

Jon Neufeld and Martha Scanlan's unique alchemy on stage started when they first played together at Portland's Indie-roots festival Pickathon more than a decade ago. It was an immediate musical connection and friendship that has only deepened with time and miles spent touring venues and festivals across the country.

When so much began to shift and live shows ground to a halt in 2020, what began as a loose plan to work on a new record seemed to become a musical journey of its own, a necessary sort of refuge. They began passing songs and music back and forth from their respective studios; Martha in Western Montana and Jon in Portland Oregon, often in the early hours before the world was awake, often waiting to listen to the track until tape was rolling, almost as though the improvisational live interaction onstage was occurring over time and space, in slow motion. The result is a continuing collaborative project in motion, an unfolding story.

While their collective accolades are impressive- they have shared the stage and collaborated with artists as diverse as Levon Helm, Jim James, Emmylou Harris and Peter Buck, and played festivals from Merlefest to Bonnaroo – it is that unique alchemy, that sense of adventure and improvisation on stage and in the studio, that most characterizes their work together and what has earned them a loyal following worldwide.