About BumpKin Pie
Popular married Americana duo BumpKin Pie were recently honored by the Washington Area Music Association when they were invited to perform at the WAMA music awards in February; but they have been performing their "slice of American with a side of suburban twang" together for over a decade. It is no surprise that their musical lives began long before.
Michael Dunkley began his musical career as a folksinger turned rock-and-roller, but was always in love with the bluegrass and mountain music of his ancestral North Carolina. He shared his warm voice and steady guitar playing as lead singer and rhythm guitarist with ground-breaking "rhythm and bluegrass" band "Coup de Grass" well into the 1980s.
Suzanne Ives has been writing songs and playing guitar since before she was 14 and got an acoustic Silvertone for Christmas, but resisted performing in public until the late 1990s. After attending the debut years of the SummerSongs songwriter camps in Ashokan, New York, her stage fears were quieted and she later worked there as a harmony vocal instructor. The teaching staff at SummerSongs consists of talented and successful singer-songwriters, including Tom Prasada-Rao, Severin Browne, Sloan Wainwright, Penny Nichols, and Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsen, and the support and insight they gave helped engender the formation of BumpKin Pie. Her initial recording, "Faraway Girl", was produced at the camp by Freebo, who also played guitar on the track.
Michael now handles the guitar work while Suzanne does most of the singing and songwriting, although Michael often sings lead and helps out with harmonies. When a larger band is needed, BumpKin Pie expands to include a host of eminent D.C. area musicians to accompany them on stage, including Scott McKnight, David Kitchen, Larry Benade, Ron Goad, Maria "Pete" Durgan, Robert Spates, "Kentucky" Jim Faris, Eric Rose and many more. Performance venues include The Birchmere, Iota, Galaxy Hut, Jammin' Java, Bangkok Blues, Brewers Alley, The Athenaeum, St. Elmo's, Potter's House, Borders, Focus Music Concerts, Songwriter's Association of Washington showcase events, local festivals and house concerts, and numerous Hungry For Music benefit concerts.
Though their own CD is in production, there are a number of recordings on which they have appeared. Suzanne's original Christmas songs are on four Hungry For Music "Holiday Feast" compilations, including the greatest hits "Crème de la Crème" CD. The inspiring comfort of "Pilgrim's Lullaby" closes out "Focus Presents: Capital Acoustics Vol. III." Featured on Holiday Feast 9, the rollicking "Party in the Stable" was reviewed as "...one of the best original seasonal songs to appear this year" by Charlie Backfish, host of Sunday Street on WUSB 90.1 FM, Stony Brook, NY. The Vegas-themed "Dollar Moon" was released as a video by DC-based Blues Condition and is on their Wammie-nominated CD, "Swingin' Blues & Rockin' Roots Music."
Suzanne's and Michael's vocals appear on the "Papa Nez: Tribute To Michael Nesmith" CD, and members of Michael's other band "The Del Swarthmores" appear on several tracks of "Americana Motel", a locally-produced project that was listed as one of The Wall Street Journal's Top 10 Albums of 2001.
Their music is self-described as "A slice of Americana with a side of suburban twang."
The recording of their debut CD remains underway.
"BumpKin Pie combines two of the best voices in the area, harmonizing beautifully. Add in brilliant songwriting and a charming stage presence, with a pinch of sass, and you've got the recipe. Highly recommended!"
Dan Grove, Entertainment Chair - Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival