Contact Information

Booking inquiries, please contact:
redtailring@gmail.com

Red Tail Ring is the musical brainchild of two old-time-minded Michiganders – Michael Beauchamp and Laurel Premo. The collaboration blends the loving attention of revivalist fervor with the playful creativity of starting from scratch. Whether rendering a traditional tune or one of their many original compositions, the duo infuses each song with musical imagination, haunting harmonies and instrumental artistry. "We love pushing the boundaries of what a traditional song can be," says Beauchamp. "It informs how we write our original songs. There's a real energy exchange between the old and the new." This two-way connection between old and new takes center stage in Red Tail Ring's latest studio recordings, released in April 2011. This two part project features Premo and Beauchamp's original songs as well as their interpretations of Appalachian and folk tunes. As Premo explains, "We want to show references of the traditional forms that have inspired us in our new writing."

For Beauchamp and Premo, the duality of Red Tail Ring makes perfect sense. As performers, they balance an enduring regard for the ballads and refrains of times past with a restless desire to create melodies and narratives that resonate with listeners. In Red Tail Ring the duo also taps into each musician's distinct roots. Beauchamp, an Earthwork Music artist who holds a joint degree in Ethnomusicology and English Literature from the University of Michigan (2005), melded his whimsical lyricism with Breathe Owl Breathe for his solo debut My Northern Voices (2008). Premo, who was raised on traditional music in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, pursued art and music at U of M earning a degree in Performing Arts Technology (2010). She also studied traditional Finnish music at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland (2008). Premo has lent her talents to more than a dozen recordings in addition to her own albums, Innertwine (2008) and Stung by the Nettle (2009). On stage together Premo and Beauchamp create something rare as they use every facet of their voices and instruments – including guitar, fiddle, banjo, octave mandolin, mandolin and jaw harp – to connect with audiences.

"The first time I saw Red Tail Ring, I was spellbound. Having been a fan of Michael Beauchamp and Laurel Premo, both as solo artists and as key members of several fantastic Michigan bands, I had high expectations for the fruits of their union. With that first show, they set the bar even higher for me and continue to every single time I have the true pleasure of seeing them in concert."
Seth Bernard Earthwork Music Collective