Dan & Laurel EPK

Meeting in 2012 via a chance YouTube sighting and fueled by a once-in-a-lifetime musical chemistry and friendship, Canadian-American husband-wife Roots-Folk duo Dan Frechette and Laurel Thomsen are “prodigious players with songwriting that sets them apart.” With soaring violin, diverse guitar styles, compelling storytelling, a dash of harmonica and humor, and unique vocal rapport, they deliver a dynamic, engaging, polished performance.

Based in the mountains above Santa Cruz, California, Dan and Laurel have released five albums as a duo. Their third, Between the Rain, was top ten on Canada’s Roots charts for 2016. Touted for being both "lyrically refreshing and musically diverse,” their original songwriting and composing spans the range of Roots based genres, “pondering contemporary subject matter with vintage sensibility.”

They have toured North America extensively, playing everything from Home Routes house concert tours of the Canadian Prairies, to headlining spots at The Listening Room Festival in St. Petersburg, Florida, BBC Radio in Liverpool, UK, Canada’s definitive Winnipeg Folk Festival, Northern California’s beloved Kate Wolf Music Festival, and opening up for The Wailin’ Jennys at a sold out theater in Grass Valley, California. Besides The United States and Canada, they’ve toured Ireland, the United Kingdom, Denmark, France, and Germany.

Recognized for their musical talents as children, both have spent their adulthoods as full time musicians, recording artists, and music educators, while gathering broad influences along the way. Ranging from Folk-Rock, Classical, Old Time and Celtic, to Gospel, Jazz, Vintage Country, Rock n' Roll, Blues, Ragtime, and Bluegrass, Dan and Laurel flow seamlessly through genres, tempos, stories, and moods, embodying each style with virtuosic command and keeping music fans on the edge of their seats. Enjoyment is palpable, yet even beyond the notes we find they are consummate storytellers, seamlessly weaving their dramatic story in perfect counterpoint to their performance. So much had to go right in order for the two to even cross paths, and as those who meet and hear them soon discover “there is something incredibly romantic about these two and the way that their love story is told through their music.”

Dan Frechette (danfrechette.com) is a musical force; As anyone who has ever met him can attest, he is a living, breathing folk festival who's songwriting has been appreciated by the likes of Bob Dylan, Tim O'Brien, Doc Watson, and David Bowie. Born in Canada's frozen north and raised in the idyllic, yet tiny town of Pinawa, Manitoba, Dan took an early obsession with music to the extreme, garnering the attention of publishing giant EMI who signed him a deal when he was just 17. Since then he has taught himself how to play 15 instruments across multiple genres, has written over 1600 original songs, released over 125 albums, and has been performing high-energy, soulful concerts throughout North America and Europe. Dan’s prolific output, distinctive voice, and grassroots career path have led many luminaries to sing his songs and share their stages. Dan has opened for the likes of Dar Williams, Richard Thompson, Ron Sexsmith, Blackie and The Rodeo Kings, and Iian Matthews of Fairport Convention. Dan’s songs have been featured in movies and covered by artists around the world, including Ireland’s Dervish, Australia’s The Ploughboys, and Canada’s The Duhks for which he penned their hit singles "The Mists of Down Below" and “You Don’t See It.”

Born and raised 2000 miles away, but in the equally picturesque town of Monterey, California, Classically trained violinist and violist, composer, author, and educator Laurel Thomsen (laurelthomsen.com) has enjoyed performance and studio recording across a variety of genres for over 25 years, with ensembles ranging from symphony orchestras to bands and singer-songwriters. With "fascinating undertones and range," and an eloquent, "judicious" playing style that can both rock a solo or support with atmosphere, texture, and groove, Laurel is frequently sought for her ability to add depth to diverse styles of music. Dubbed “The Hookmeister” by one California Bay Area recording engineer, her knack for creating infectious melodies has saved more than one songwriter’s song from the chopping block. Passionate about not only sharing her music in performance, but also helping others find their musical expression, she's been a longtime Strings magazine contributor, the author of several multi-media courses on string playing technique, the creator and host of the popular Violin Geek Podcast, and as reported on the front page of the New York Times, since the age of 14 she has been an enthusiastic private, online, and workshop lessons instructor to dedicated violin, viola, and fiddle students around the world.