Spencer and Rains (Focal Point Friends of Old Time Music)

Spencer & Rains play old time music. Tricia Spencer is a Kansas fiddler who grew up learning the tradition of old time music from her Grandparents. At an early age, she was perched up on some stage tapping her foot to the beat of fiddles, banjos, mandolins and guitars. While growing up, her free time was spent traveling to festivals and fiddling contests throughout the Midwest where she learned from the likes of Pete McMahan, Cyril Stinnet, Lymon Enloe, Dwight Lamb, Amos Chase, and Lucy Pierce. Tricia is multi-instrumentalist who has studied with some of the great masters in old time and is highly sought after as a performer, dance fiddler, and instructor.

Howard Rains is a native Texas artist and fiddler from a musical and artistic family whose two obsessions are painting and playing traditional American fiddle music. Howard plays rare, old tunes learned from friends, family, mentors, and old recordings. As much known for his painting as his fiddling, Howard has painted many of the great old time musicians, both living and gone. Together, Spencer & Rains have performed and taught nationally and internationally, playing old time fiddle tunes and singing old songs in the style of their home states while also exploring other American regional styles. Both multi-instrumentalists and known for their twin fiddling, they are steeped in traditional music. Their releases “The Old Texas Fiddle Vols. I & II” reintroduce listeners to the pre-contest styles of Texas fiddling while “The Old Man and the Old Woman” shows off their vocal chops. In their unique and powerful style, Howard and Tricia are dedicated to the preservation, performance, and teaching of old time music.

“(Spencer & Rains) continue to dig deep musically.”

–Rus Bradburd, Fiddler Magazine

“Rains has established himself as an authority on old Texas-style fiddling with his recently released album The Old Texas Fiddle…”

–Michael Hoinski, New York Times

“The Old Man and The Old Woman is an Old Time Music gem”

–Ernie Hill, No Depression

“At times, it doesn’t even seem like old-time string band music, hinting at things older and murkier in the depths of the old-time pool.”

–Devon Leger, Kith Folk