Hundred Pound Housecat

Just before the pandemic started, Bevin Foley of Trout Steak Revival invited Melly Frances and Keenan Leigh to her house to share music and original songs. Both of the latter two had recently left their previous bands and had songs with the same obscure pre-World War II blues sound. Neither of them had ever met anyone else, let alone another female, interested in the same style of music, and the two clicked immediately.

Frances plays bass, washboard, and percussion and she sings, and Leigh plays various forms of guitar. Leigh is primarily an instrumentalist and Frances is primarily known for her singing, so the two combined can complement each other perfectly. The two both knew and loved musicians such as Tampa Red, Memphis Minnie, Robert Johnson, Jessie May Hemphill, and Bessie Smith who heavily influenced their individual (and now collective) sound.

Leigh often performed with her dad and his friends in her hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska, but since her husband had passed away, she had essentially had no close connection to play blues music with. When she and Frances started playing together for two and a half years after the pandemic, they were able to find that connection with each other, especially after having left their previous musical groups. At the beginning of 2023, they decided they were finally able to start playing together and started booking gigs together after playing at the backcountry ski festival Boot Tan Fest.

The two love to share the music they’re proud of with an audience, even though Frances is more of the performer of the group. They love being able to express themselves through their obscure music taste, and they hope that the people that come have a great time listening to that music and are inspired to be themselves through it. - The Mountain Ear