How do you describe Leela and Ellie Grace?
Start with the following recipe for Leela and Ellie Grace:
2 cups of spine-tingling, sister harmonies
1 cup of sweet songwriting
½ cup of groovin’ old-time instruments
¼ cup of rockin’, high energy
2 tablespoons of quirky humor
1 teaspoon of percussive dance
A dash of Midwestern charm
Heart to taste
Mix it all together and bake for twenty-something years. Serve fresh and warm at your favorite venue.
Leela Grace and Ellie Grace are singers, multi-instrumentalists, songwriters, and percussive dancers who grew up traveling across North America performing with their parents Paul & Win Grace as The Grace Family. For the past 10 years, they have been making a name for themselves around the country as a duo, in addition to offering solo appearances, and touring with nationally-known bands such as the Dirk Powell Band. Leela and Ellie have been acclaimed by audiences and fellow musicians alike for their powerful voices, close sisterly harmonies, warm stage presence, and driving old-time instrumentals.
Leela and Ellie's music has a strong grounding in traditional American and Old-time string band styles, but crosses over into the contemporary folk realm, including their own compelling original songs. They recorded three albums with the Grace Family (in addition to doing studio work with other musicians) and just released their second duo CD, Where the Waters Run, in early 2008! The sisters have performed at prestigious venues across the United States and Canada, ranging from the Winnipeg Folk Festival to the Lincoln Center in New York City to the Summer Solstice Festival in Los Angeles.
Many things have been said of Leela and Ellie, including the following:
"Their work is among the freshest and best anywhere on the American folk music scene."-- Kent Anderson, Folk DJ, KCSC
"Leela's and Ellie's singing is clear, pitch-perfect, and expressive. 'Soaring' is a word that comes to mind.” -- The Old Time Herald
“Their sterling credentials in old-time music, stunning vocal harmonies, instrumental expertise on banjo, mandolin, guitar and fiddle, and clogging that is unmatched make them a hit wherever they play!” -- Fox Valley Folk Music Festival, Chicago, IL