Music Makers

I f you take one guitar, a bunch of drums, two amazing voices, a dash of humor, a touch of love and some outrageously strong musicianship, mix

’em all together and stir well, you’ve got the recipe for a great time.”

That’s how singer-songwriters Ashland Miller and Laura Cerulli explain the “musical collision” that, in 2008, became Mama’s Black Sheep — a product that was years in the making but came about at just the right time.

“Ashland and I have been performing together sporadically since 2003. We were both in other projects when we met, and after a long series of events in both of our musical lives we decided in ’08 that working together was going to be our main focus,” said Cerulli, who also plays drums. “We named the band Mama’s Black Sheep because we both consider ourselves the black sheep of our respective families. We were initially going to call the band Black Sheep,’ but several bands already had the name, or something similar, so we figured adding ‘Mama’s’ in front would help us stand out, and it also adds a feminine element.”

With just Miller’s guitar and Cerulli’s drums, the duo produces music so engaging it’s hard to believe there are only two people on stage. The lyrics are relatable, the melodies are delightful and the women’s voices are almost entrancing. Add to that their easy-going and often-comical stage presence, and you’ve got yourself a show worth talking about for days.

“We definitely got lucky,” Miller said of the pair’s chemistry. “However, I do believe that sometimes people and opportunities are put in our paths for a reason. We both feel very blessed to work together. It’s a great fit.”

Miller and Cerulli share time as “lead vocalist” (We each have different styles and we try to offer our audiences the chance to hear a little bit of them all, Cerulli said), but what makes this partnership unique is that Cerulli sings flawlessly from behind a full drum set. “Most of the time, I kind of feel like a freak of nature,” she said, laughing. “People just look at me sometimes with their mouths hanging open. It’s funny, but also a little unnerving.

“Many, many, people say, ‘How can you move all of your limbs at once and sing?’ My answer is always the same: practice,” she said. “I don’t think it’s any more difficult, really, than playing any other instrument and singing. It’s all about muscle memory — once you develop independence, it’s just about putting it all together and doing it … a lot.”

And she has been practicing for years. Before Mama’s Black Sheep, Cerulli fronted her own band, Cerulean Groove, and since 2005, she has been touring nationally and internationally as a member of SONiA and Disappear Fear. Neither is Miller a stranger to the stage. She toured for 12 years as part of the award-winning acoustic duo CommonbonD, releasing six CDs and performing on The Nashville Network (TNN) and in more than 40 states and overseas.

As a duo, Miller and Cerulli, both full-time musicians, have performed as far east as St. Croix USVI, and as far west as Milwaukee, Wis. They generally play several shows each week, concentrating specifically on the Mid-Atlantic region.

On April 1, they released their first CD as Mama’s Black Sheep, “Unmarked Highway.” “The album was a long time in the making, but we are very happy with how it turned out,” Cerulli said. “It features 10 tracks, five that I wrote, and five that Ashland wrote. We worked between four different recording studios because our musicians were spread out a bit. It was cool, though, because that gave us the opportunity to work with some amazing (and very different) engineers and musicians. Through all of our combined creativity and talent, the songs really came to life.”

The music featured on the album, according to the duo’s biography, effortlessly erases boundaries between the genres of country, pop, R&B and acoustic rock music. “‘Unmarked Highway’ is a journey about love and life, featuring rich vocal arrangements, poignant lyrics and an underlying groove between the musicians.”

“We want to make music that we’re proud of, be respected by our peers, fans and the venues that book us, and pretty simply, just make a living doing what we love to do,” said Miller, who adds that widespread fame and fortune is not really on their agenda. “So far, it’s working out pretty well.”

n SEE ’EM: June 25 and 26, at The Frogg Pond in Rehoboth Beach, Del. n CHECK ’EM: www.mamasblacksheep.com