A musical testament goes big

The pandemic slowdown allowed Lizzie Plotkin and Natalie Spears to polish their album “Just over the Ridge,” which topped bluegrass and folk charts after its January release.

The year 2020 might be remembered as the worst in the history of live music. But for area musicians Lizzy Plotkin and Natalie Spears, it will be revered as a pivotal time for perfecting their first album together.

“It changed how we were going through quarantine,” Plotkin said of her socially distanced work with Spears during the COVID-19 crisis. “It was such a crazy, sad, hard time that to have something positive to work on was important.”

Plotkin and Spears sent off the year we’d rather forget with a memorable finale: by releasing a juggernaut duet album on January 15, 2021. “Just over the Ridge” premiered at #7 on the Billboard Bluegrass Charts the following week, and continued to pull national attention throughout the spring, holding #1 album on the Folk Alliance International radio charts for the month of February. The album draws influence primarily from old-time and bluegrass standards, featuring six original duets of fiddle and clawhammer banjo, soulful singing and a touch of funky blues.

“It wasn’t all rushed, and we were able to put our whole selves into it,” Plotkin said. “We are so happy that people are enjoying the record and playing it on radio stations around the world.”

Born in Nashville, Plotkin has lived in the Gunnison Valley for a decade. As an intern studying birds at Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Gothic, Plotkin’s music took shape under the cathedral gaze of Gothic Mountain, and through meeting roots musicians in the valley. She made the switch from environmental to music education seven years ago, and started touring with local band Free the Honey prior to branching out on a more solo basis.

Spears grew up in Washington, D.C., with a father who played jazz and classical piano as a hobby. She started learning the keys at age three, played throughout high school and eventually picked up an upright bass. With her focus on sports, her music fell to the back burner, but then an interest in natural building brought her to the Rockies and back to her music. She ended up in Carbondale, working for a straw bale builder, and started playing casually with other musicians in the Roaring Fork Valley.

“I’d never really learned how to play with other people,” Spears admitted. During her time in Carbondale, she learned about old-time and roots music, and she honed into that rhythm playing with a group called Pearl and Wood.

Both Spears and Plotkin had separately attended Victor Wooten’s camp in Tennessee in 2012 and 2013; it merges the study of the natural world with the study of music. Later, they serendipitously met at a Pagosa Springs fundraiser where Wooten was performing.

“When we got there, people who knew both of us said we had to meet and play together,” Plotkin said. Since both had their instruments with them, they jammed a bit and knew instantly they had a lot in common. Plotkin invited Spears to play with Free the Honey – which she did – and they officially began playing as a duo in 2016.

After three years of playing and touring together, they recorded “Just over the Ridge” in December 2019. While the 2020 coronavirus pandemic brought a long pause from juggling performances and a

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chaotic touring schedule, it allowed precious time to mix and master the album. “We sat on it because of the pandemic and rearranged our release plans,” Plotkin said. “Musicians’ lives are fast paced, and we oftentimes don’t have the time to release our art in the way we want to.”

Since Plotkin lives in the Gunnison Valley and Spears in the Roaring Fork Valley, they were somewhat accustomed to traveling to one another’s homes to practice and perform. But like any other long-distance relationship, the musical duo suffered through the challenges of separation prompted by social distancing guidelines.

“Just like everyone else, we stayed out of each other’s lives during quarantine,” Plotkin said. They primarily texted song ideas back and forth, and took a forced break from their normal weekend songwriting retreats. “When it was finally warm enough to be outside and play together, it was pretty darn special. It was a very joyful time.”

“Just over the Ridge” stands as a testament to the healing power of music in trying times, and proves the possibilities of coming together spiritually and emotionally – even during times of physical distancing.

“This time of stillness and time to be home gets us a little closer to the heart of the music that inspires us,” Spears said. “This is music that’s played on a porch, and meant for our home life. That’s the venue in which it thrives.”

Once the timing was appropriate, the duo hosted a few socially distanced yard shows in Carbondale to fundraise for their album release, along with creating a Gofundme campaign. With more time at home, they also were able to launch a self-directed radio campaign to promote the album.

“For us, 2020 was a good opportunity to reassess how we want to move forward in the world and cultivate sustainability in our lives as musicians,” Plotkin said. The two women foresee staying a little closer to home and cultivating the folk communities in their hometowns.

While specifics depend on COVID-19 restrictions, the ladies are poised for a busy summer performance schedule. Their roster is filled mostly with appearances at outdoor venues and weddings, but it also includes a festival in Durango and a show at the I-Bar Ranch in Gunnison. “There’s a lot of optimism about the possibility of music this summer,” Spears said. “It’s going to be a really wonderful time for playing and celebrating.” b

For a schedule of upcoming performances, visit lizzyandnatalie.com.