Weary Ramblers: Engaging Audiences with Outstanding Music.
Winners of the 21st Annual International Acoustic Awards in "Best Group/Duo" category
Talented singers and songwriters Kathryn Severing Fox and Chad Elliot are the Weary Ramblers. Their multi-instrumental performances, tight harmonies, and captivating storytelling have entertained audiences in Iowa and beyond.
The duo has performed together since June 2021, when they played their first show in the Goldfinch Room Series at Stephens Auditorium in Ames, Iowa. In December 2022, they officially started calling themselves the Weary Ramblers.
“Our name was inspired by the Asleep at the Wheel tune 'Weary Rambler,' written by Katie Shore. The lyrics felt as if they frighteningly described each of us,” the pair explained.
Fox grew up with a mother who is an opera singer and retired high school director. Her father is a jazz guitarist, pianist, composer, conductor, and retired high school director.
“My entire family is full of classical musicians and an aunt and uncle who played with John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. I also grew up listening to 30s and 40s jazz standards, memorizing them at an early age,” Fox said.
Fox advanced her musical career through private piano and viola lessons throughout high school. She then majored in classical viola performance for her Bachelor's and Master's degrees at the University of Miami in Florida. She auditioned for a group called Barrage 8 and toured with them nationally and internationally for two years. According to Fox, Barrage 8 was “similar to Celtic Woman," performing with a fully choreographed show.
“I moved to Iowa shortly after finishing my tour and had only played written music,” said Fox. “About five years ago, I walked into my first blues jam at Carl’s Place in Des Moines and fell in love with playing improvised music. Just before the pandemic hit, I regularly performed four shows a week. I began looking for a new career outlet when all shows were canceled. Songwriting became that and is now such a vital part of my life,” she said.
Elliot was introduced to music early at age five, taking violin lessons for two years. “I later joined the band to play trombone. I also participated in many vocal choirs and musical theater. When I went to college, I taught myself finger-style guitar and eventually began writing and performing my original songs,” he said.
Becoming Weary Ramblers
Weary Ramblers began with mutual admiration.
“We were both admiring each other’s artistry via social media during the pandemic,” the musicians explained.
Elliot then asked Fox to record some music to provide background for one of his painting videos. As the pandemic began to ease, Fox asked Elliot if he would be interested in doing a show together. The rest is history.
“After the first show, we knew there was a partnership that would be long-lasting. When we found that songwriting together was as fluid as it is for us, it was much more apparent that officially announcing our duo was the next step,” said the Weary Ramblers.
The pair are both songwriters and are constantly writing separately and together. With abundant originals to fill up a show, the duo relish the opportunity to tell their life stories through song and connect with others.
Although they each do their respective writing, they also do a lot of co-writing.
“This is particularly true when we’re on the road. Kathryn picks up a mandolin or guitar in the passenger seat, and we exchange ideas while driving to develop a musical concept that matches the lyrics,” Elliot stated. “It's common for us to write a song on the way to a show and perform it that night.”
A talented instrumentalist, Fox plays piano, viola, violin, Lucy (her electric five-string), and guitar. She started playing the piano at five and learning the viola at seven. Picking up the guitar around the time the pandemic hit, largely to change her approach to songwriting, she fell in love with the instrument. The mandolin felt like an easy transition from the violin since it had the same strings. Now, the duo uses it frequently in their writing and performances.
They have performed extensively throughout the Midwest. Since their debut album, "Weary Ramblers," in August 2024, the pair have toured through Tennessee, North Carolina, and Kentucky.
“We performed on the WoodSongs Radio Hour PBS in October and on the WDVX Blue Plate Special, a live radio show held at noon from Tuesday to Thursday at the Knoxville Visitors Center,” said Fox.
The musicians recently announced that they won the 21st Annual International Acoustic Music Awards (IAMA) in the “Best Group/Duo" category.
“The IAMA are the only awards geared toward performing musicians under the radar who are ready to be discovered. Winners have received recording contracts, hit the Billboard Hot 100 Charts and Billboard 200 Charts, and won Grammy Awards. Judges are artists and repertoire representatives of all major record labels, including Sony/BMG, EMI, Warner, and Universal Music. We are so excited to have won the twenty-first Annual IAMA Award for Best Group/Duo,” Fox said.
According to the Roots Music Report, their album achieved the number-one spot on the Contemporary Folk Album chart within seven weeks. The track ‘Pretty Lights of Denver’ from the album also reached number one on both the Contemporary Folk Song Chart and the Iowa Song Chart. Additionally, the duo’s album ranks twenty-second out of one hundred sixty Top Contemporary Folk Albums and fifty-fourth out of two hundred Top Folk Albums. The Roots Music Report indicates that the songs ‘Sweet Hazel Green,’ ‘Medicine Creek,’ and ‘Pretty Lights of Denver’ are all in the top ten of the Contemporary Folk Song Chart.
Elliot is an Iowa native who grew up in Guthrie Center and Lamoni and resides in Jefferson, Fox is originally from Janesville, Wisconsin, and currently calls Creston, Iowa home.
As singers and songwriters, each has won their share if awards for their talent.
Elliot was a Woody Guthrie Songwriting Contest Winner, Kerrville New Folk Finalist, Iowa Blues Challenge winner, and third place winner in an International Songwriting contest. Fox, a Downbeat Award Winner, played on Grammy-nominated track “All My Tomorrows” with Kate McGarry, has played shows, recorded PBS specials with and recorded with George Benson, The Beach Boys, Gloria Estefan, Kenny Loggins, Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin and many more.
“We always look forward to sharing new music with our audiences, co-written and written by each of us, respectively. We love improvising and playing off of one another, so you’ll hear a lot of trading between us. Since we write in various styles, we believe there’s always something for everyone,” said both musicians.
Each month brings new experiences for the Weary Ramblers. This month, they will perform nine shows, including a sold-out performance at the Elkader Opera House and appearances at the Galena Center for the Arts, CSPS Hall, and the Washington Area Performing Arts Center, along with several house concerts on their schedule.
The duo's website, www.wearyramblers.com, has a complete schedule of upcoming performances. Those interested in booking a performance can also contact the duo through their website, Facebook, or Instagram at Weary Ramblers.
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Thank you, Vicki! ☺️🙏🏻
Hi Kathryn, You are welcome. It was my pleasure to share your story. I hope readers will check your performance schedule and fill your audiences. :)