Red Barn Radio Live Performance Taping March 31, 2010

Red Barn Radio

3/31/2010 7:00 PM at Common Strings
Arts Place - 161 N. Mill Street, Lexington, Lexington, Kentucky 40506
Cost: $5.00
March 31, 2010 - Common Strings http://www.myspace.com/commonstringsbluegrass The acoustic vocal group, Common Strings, (a true love story for all times), was formed in 2003, when Darron and Vanessa Nichols first met. Darron was invited to jam with some local bands, one of which included Vanessa. After a few fiddle tunes, Vanessa sang, Erase the Miles, a Carl Jackson song. Darron joined her on harmony. They both knew there was something there. “It was one of those magical moments that you wait your whole life for, and at that point, the whole universe was in perfect harmony,” says Darron. They wed in 2004. Vanessa is a natural-born singer from the mountains of Kentucky. Darron is a picker from the mountains of Georgia. The two found that their “common strings” were the mountains and the love of the music – hence the name of the band. The band is currently on the Rural Rhythm Christian label, and their newest project, “Somewhere in Glory,” will be released in June of 2010. After moving to Kentucky, they joined forces with a father-son duo. Ben and Ed Jenkins joined Common Strings in the fall of 2009, and bring a wealth of experience to the band. They are often joined by Kathryn Boggess on fiddle to round out the band. Currently the band consists of: Vanessa Nichols – Vocals, Guitar Vanessa, with the voice of an angel, sings lead and harmony for the band. She has been singing ever since she could talk. Some of her earliest memories are of sitting in the floor in front of an old cabinet-type stereo, with her ear pressed against the speaker, listening to old 8-Track tapes of Bluegrass and Gospel music. “I just couldn’t get close enough, as I imagined that it was me in there singing.” Picking and singing just comes natural to Vanessa’s family. Those after-church Sunday “pickin’s were a big part of her life as she grew up in East Tennessee. She later moved to Kentucky where she continued to sing in her family’s band as well as some local bands. Her hard work paid off. In 2009, Vanessa was nominated to be a candidate for IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year. Darron Nichols – Vocals, Mandolin, Guitar Darron started playing music around the age of eight. “I don’t remember a time when music was not a part of my life.” Darron grew up in the mountains of North Georgia. Seven Generations ago, his ancestors brought the music of Ireland and stories from across the sea, to the land where he lives today. We now call it Appalachian or Mountain Music. Darron was always around Bluegrass, but never took an active role in it until the early nineties, when he and his friends formed a band called, Low Gap Quartet. “I love harmony singing and Bluegrass music, but learning the mandolin was something new for me. I spent hours listening to Doyle Lawson and John Duffy.” Darron writes many of the songs performed by Common Strings, as they mostly perform original material.