Kevin Pace & The Early Edition have announced the addition of Maggie Ruffcorn to the group, based in Spokane, WA.
Just 18 years old and still in high school, Kevin was instantly impressed when he heard her sing, and invited her to join the band on mandolin. Still fairly new to the instrument, he says that Maggie will mostly be featured as a vocalist until she gets up the nerve to tackle mandolin breaks.
The two met at a showcase hosted by the Inland Northwest Bluegrass Music Association.
“She’s fairly new to bluegrass but not to the stage. She’s performed in musicals at her high school and although this was her first bluegrass performance, I saw that she had confidence in being on stage and a passion to perform in a bluegrass setting. I recently had her over for a band rehearsal where she listened and watched what we did, and then ran through a few songs that she knows. I really enjoyed her vocals and feel that it will be a great mix to add to the band. She’s a big fan of Alison Krauss and we look forward to adding some of her music to our repertoire, which will add a whole new element to our sound.”
Pace is the band’s primary mandolinist, and is joined by Josh Robertson on guitar, Jim Adams on bass, Barry Ehlert on fiddle, and Kaleb Dion on banjo. They perform primarily in the Pacific Northwest, doing shows in Washington, Montana, and Idaho.
Maggie is coming in as a part time member for the time being, which Pace says reflects her other commitments.
“As Maggie is getting ready to graduate high school this spring and figuring out where she’ll be going to college, she’s going to be quite busy so she’s joining the band as a part-time member for now. She plans to make all of the rehearsals and shows that she can but there will probably be some that she will have to miss. We’re just excited to have her on board and hopefully it will work out that she can become a full time member at some point.
Please help us welcome Maggie to the Early Edition!”
You can find out more about Kevin Pace & The Early Edition online.
