For print
photos by Gary Alter
Bio
Short:
Gene and Gayla Mills play new roots music--folk tinged with bluegrass, country, and more. With "some of the best organic music you could hope to come across" (Chris Spector, Midwest Record), the duo features impressive lead guitar, solid bass fiddle, smooth harmonies, and Gene’s award winning songs.
Medium:
Gene and Gayla Mills, based in central Virginia, play new roots music--folk tinged with bluegrass, country, and more. With "some of the best organic music you could hope to come across" (Chris Spector, Midwest Record), the duo features impressive lead guitar, solid bass fiddle, smooth harmonies, and Gene’s award winning songs.
They've been performing since 2004 at clubs, festivals, and house concerts. Two of their three CDs have been in the folk top 10, and Gene has won numerous songwriting awards. Gayla’s bass playing—solid, rhythmic, and melodic—is accompanied by her tender harmonies. Her book Making Music for Life recounts their musical journey, then provides readers with hundreds of ideas for doing more with music.
Their latest album, Walk on Solid Ground, reached #10 on the Folk DJ Chart, and their first duo album, If Stones Could Talk, reached #5 on the Roots Music Folk Chart.
www.GeneAndGayla.com
Long:
“Take the cornerstones of acoustic Americana, add a touch of bluegrass, country and folk, mix together with dedication, superb musicianship and then add precise harmonies. If these songs don’t move you, then your soul is made of stone.” – Tim Carroll, folkwords.com
Gene and Gayla Mills play acoustic Americana—modern folk tinged with bluegrass and country, featuring Gene’s award-winning original songs. In their latest album, Walk on Solid Ground, Gene and Gayla appeal to the head and heart with original songs exploring the breadth and nuance of life. Gene’s songs tell rich stories, many based on real people from Virginia—miners, farmers, lovers, and soldiers. The song "Another Day" has already won two songwriting awards, and "No Dominion Over Me" has become a rallying cry for those fighting the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. Gene and Gayla's debut album, If Stones Could Talk, reached #5 on the Roots Music Report Folk Chart and #11 on the Folk DJ chart.
Gene has won over twenty country, folk, and instrumental songwriting awards, with several award-winners appearing on his debut album Waiting for Rain. He is also an accomplished flatpicking guitarist and lead singer. Gayla’s bass playing—solid, rhythmic, and melodic—is accompanied by her tender harmonies. Her book Making Music for Life recounts their musical journey, then provides readers with hundreds of ideas for them to do more with music.
Gene and Gayla have played at the Oak Grove Music Festival, Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (official showcase), Crozet Music Festival, Richmond Irish Festival, Nashville Songwriter’s Festival, and Fredericksburg Songwriters’ Showcase. They have played in listening rooms and bars, at house concerts, weddings, and funerals, and with musicians of all stripes.
Their influences include Townes Van Zandt, Claire Lynch, Crooked Still, Alison Kraus, Nickel Creek, Si Kahn, and Robin and Linda Williams.
Gene and Gayla Mills play new roots music--folk tinged with bluegrass, country, and more. With "some of the best organic music you could hope to come across" (Chris Spector, Midwest Record), the duo features impressive lead guitar, solid bass fiddle, smooth harmonies, and Gene’s award winning songs.
Medium:
Gene and Gayla Mills, based in central Virginia, play new roots music--folk tinged with bluegrass, country, and more. With "some of the best organic music you could hope to come across" (Chris Spector, Midwest Record), the duo features impressive lead guitar, solid bass fiddle, smooth harmonies, and Gene’s award winning songs.
They've been performing since 2004 at clubs, festivals, and house concerts. Two of their three CDs have been in the folk top 10, and Gene has won numerous songwriting awards. Gayla’s bass playing—solid, rhythmic, and melodic—is accompanied by her tender harmonies. Her book Making Music for Life recounts their musical journey, then provides readers with hundreds of ideas for doing more with music.
Their latest album, Walk on Solid Ground, reached #10 on the Folk DJ Chart, and their first duo album, If Stones Could Talk, reached #5 on the Roots Music Folk Chart.
www.GeneAndGayla.com
Long:
“Take the cornerstones of acoustic Americana, add a touch of bluegrass, country and folk, mix together with dedication, superb musicianship and then add precise harmonies. If these songs don’t move you, then your soul is made of stone.” – Tim Carroll, folkwords.com
Gene and Gayla Mills play acoustic Americana—modern folk tinged with bluegrass and country, featuring Gene’s award-winning original songs. In their latest album, Walk on Solid Ground, Gene and Gayla appeal to the head and heart with original songs exploring the breadth and nuance of life. Gene’s songs tell rich stories, many based on real people from Virginia—miners, farmers, lovers, and soldiers. The song "Another Day" has already won two songwriting awards, and "No Dominion Over Me" has become a rallying cry for those fighting the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. Gene and Gayla's debut album, If Stones Could Talk, reached #5 on the Roots Music Report Folk Chart and #11 on the Folk DJ chart.
Gene has won over twenty country, folk, and instrumental songwriting awards, with several award-winners appearing on his debut album Waiting for Rain. He is also an accomplished flatpicking guitarist and lead singer. Gayla’s bass playing—solid, rhythmic, and melodic—is accompanied by her tender harmonies. Her book Making Music for Life recounts their musical journey, then provides readers with hundreds of ideas for them to do more with music.
Gene and Gayla have played at the Oak Grove Music Festival, Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (official showcase), Crozet Music Festival, Richmond Irish Festival, Nashville Songwriter’s Festival, and Fredericksburg Songwriters’ Showcase. They have played in listening rooms and bars, at house concerts, weddings, and funerals, and with musicians of all stripes.
Their influences include Townes Van Zandt, Claire Lynch, Crooked Still, Alison Kraus, Nickel Creek, Si Kahn, and Robin and Linda Williams.
Reviews
Walk on Solid Ground:
How do you top an impressive debut album? How about with coming in with some of the best singer/songwriter material since Kristofferson's first two albums. Working Americana rather than Kris' progressive country, there might be 45 years of time and tide between these two poles but the wow factor is undiminished and right on the money throughout. A deceptively gentle album where the duo carries the weight with some coloration here and there, this is a classic example of real music for real music fans who find themselves still playing this years from now. Hot stuff.
Chris Spector, Midwest Record
If Stones Could Talk:
"For those that love fables of experience, tragedy, love and endeavour both happy and sad plus the indefinable human essence that comes in spades with Americana, this is an album you must have. If these songs don’t move you, then your soul is made of stone."
Tim Carroll, FolkWords
“Master Craftsman of American song forms, Gene Mills, along with his wife Gayla, have created another gem of original music with "If Stones Could Talk." Stories revealed from modern times to past along with his stellar guitar work show why Gene continues to be one of my favorite writers and musicians.”
Steve Smith, Steve Smith and Hard Road
“Skillful and witty writing, clean and tasteful guitar picking, heartfelt lyrics. Very enjoyable!”
Pete Marshall, WTJU
Waiting for Rain:
“A charismatic acoustic collection of beautiful, rural story songs…a compelling and seasoned effort”
Maverick Magazine
"[The] songwriting, singing and picking are top notch."
Bruce Bergethon, WGLT, Normal IL
Performance:
“The dynamic between the both of them is just beautiful. It’s a sweet thing to watch.”
Karen Atkinson, WHAN radio
“"Gene's rich vocals and poignantly moving songwriting combined with Gayla's harmony and bass make this duo one of the best (and also one of the best-kept secrets) in the central Virginia music scene."
Sara Taylor, Rapunzel's
"Gene and Gayla… enjoy a wide regional audience in the folk and bluegrass tradition of character-driven storytelling."
Dennis DaLuiso, Cville Coffee
How do you top an impressive debut album? How about with coming in with some of the best singer/songwriter material since Kristofferson's first two albums. Working Americana rather than Kris' progressive country, there might be 45 years of time and tide between these two poles but the wow factor is undiminished and right on the money throughout. A deceptively gentle album where the duo carries the weight with some coloration here and there, this is a classic example of real music for real music fans who find themselves still playing this years from now. Hot stuff.
Chris Spector, Midwest Record
If Stones Could Talk:
"For those that love fables of experience, tragedy, love and endeavour both happy and sad plus the indefinable human essence that comes in spades with Americana, this is an album you must have. If these songs don’t move you, then your soul is made of stone."
Tim Carroll, FolkWords
“Master Craftsman of American song forms, Gene Mills, along with his wife Gayla, have created another gem of original music with "If Stones Could Talk." Stories revealed from modern times to past along with his stellar guitar work show why Gene continues to be one of my favorite writers and musicians.”
Steve Smith, Steve Smith and Hard Road
“Skillful and witty writing, clean and tasteful guitar picking, heartfelt lyrics. Very enjoyable!”
Pete Marshall, WTJU
Waiting for Rain:
“A charismatic acoustic collection of beautiful, rural story songs…a compelling and seasoned effort”
Maverick Magazine
"[The] songwriting, singing and picking are top notch."
Bruce Bergethon, WGLT, Normal IL
Performance:
“The dynamic between the both of them is just beautiful. It’s a sweet thing to watch.”
Karen Atkinson, WHAN radio
“"Gene's rich vocals and poignantly moving songwriting combined with Gayla's harmony and bass make this duo one of the best (and also one of the best-kept secrets) in the central Virginia music scene."
Sara Taylor, Rapunzel's
"Gene and Gayla… enjoy a wide regional audience in the folk and bluegrass tradition of character-driven storytelling."
Dennis DaLuiso, Cville Coffee