THE DARLINS

The Darlins are a country duo with roots in folk, rock -- well, just about everywhere.

Playing on the L.A. "underground" circuit, they've brought their own exciting brand of acoustic music to local clubs such as Raji's, Highland Grounds, and the Roxy.

And from the excitement they've generated, the Darlins landed a recording contract with Sympathy Records -- their first release, the two-sided single "Take Me Dancin'" / "Heart the Size of Texas".

When Jude Toy met Suzanne Sherwin, they "clicked," both in musical tastes and musical abilities.

Their backgrounds were diverse but complimentary.

Jude was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, and moved to L.A. in the early 1990s. She became lead guitarist in the Creamers, a rock band that got a lot of attention locally and seemed destined for big things, but in 1994 she quit to play her own songs on the Los Angeles acoustic music circuit.

L.A. native Suzanne once had a rockabilly band, Gun Shy, and still occasionally sings with the Modesto-based California Zephyr. She has sung backup for Johnny Cash -- and is the singing voice of Trixie the Bear at Disneyland. Also, Suzanne's songs won the Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville, Texas, where she later sat on the judges' panel.

Their matchup was what they call "lucky."

"We both had been looking for a songwriting and singing partner," says Jude, "and fortunately we happened to be at the right place at the right time."

Their typical set consisted of original songs and "obscure" country tunes from Hank Thompson, Ray Price, Hank Williams and others. They alternated lead vocals and harmonize in an exciting and extremely natural way. L.A. music critics were quick to embrace them -- to wit Natalie Nichols of the L.A. Reader, who called them "a sweet-as-pie traditional country duo that you should not miss."

The Darlins are now performing and recording in Nashville. Erinn Bates is now the second part of the duo as Suzanne moved to Austin, Texas. Together Jude and Erinn are preforming/writing and recording in Nashville.