Notable Exceptions by Rodney Harwood staff writer
J
ennifer Epps was already here in Washington. Her playing partner Judy Coder was in Kansas. Even before the pandemic, the distance made it difficult to get anything done musically. “We decided it would work better if we were both in the same state, so we picked Ellensburg. I told her, if I’m going to relocate, it has to be somewhere with more sunshine than here,” Coder said in a telephone interview somewhere on the road in Mississippi. The wind was just an added bonus. Coder made her way to the Pacific Northwest, and Ellensburg has been the home base since 2014, even though they’re on the road more than sitting on the front porch at home. Coder and Epps, who first played together in the Horse Crazy Cowgirl Band, are known in the world of western music for their finely crafted vocal harmony. Their original music is lighthearted and conversational. Coder’s rhythm guitar is the foundation the music is built on. Epps sweetens the sound with bits of harmonica, rhythm instruments, Native flutes and whistles. The end result is a
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Notable Exceptions Western Folk duo Judy Coder, sitting, and Jennifer Epps are out there somewhere on the road on their Coast-to-Coast Quarantine Tour. singing the harmony,” she said. bold, fresh taste of Americana. “Sometimes we change up who But it is the two-part harmony sings which part. Our songs are that brings it all together, Epps about places we’ve been or about said. our travels being out there on the “We harmonize. One is singing road.” the melody and the other is
