Jackson Free Press

You wouldn't necessarily call Tallulah, La., a "tourist trap." The town itself is small and has fewer attractions than some cities along the Mississippi River. But what Tallulah does have in abundance is history and nature, and that's the rich spring from which female folk duo Silo chose to drink with its first album, "Tall Tales."

"It's our EP—our first album—and it's a compilation of eight songs we wrote together while living in the Louisiana Delta," Jenn Jeffers says. "'Tall Tales' is basically a representation of how enamored we are with the history and the beauty of the area."

Jeffers, 24, mainly focuses on banjo during live performances. The instrument of choice for her band mate, Renee Arozqueta, 29, is the accordion. They both also employ acoustic guitar, percussion and the occasional glockenspiel. "I think that keeps our sound interesting because we're two girls playing instruments traditionally played by men," Jeffers says.

This pairing of old-soul singers came about through an educational program, as both women are teachers by trade. They soon learned that they shared a mutual love for folk music and bluegrass. Arozqueta, a Pensacola, Fla., native, grew up in a home where folk reigned supreme. Her mother was also a folk musician when she was younger, and that passion passed on to Arozqueta.

"Renee is definitely the more seasoned musician. She's been in numerous bands, done solo stuff, and been on three or four tours with other projects," Jeffers says of her friend and writing partner. "I'm fairly a 'noob' to the game. I was just happy to have someone to sing with since I was new." A Little Rock native, Jeffers had recently moved from St. Louis, Mo., at the time that she and Arozqueta met and began playing together. "We thought we sounded interesting together and discovered we had great chemistry, and we just decided to pursue it."

For Jeffers, that chemistry is the lifeblood of Silo. Every song from the duo makes use of her and Arozqueta's harmonic abilities, which the instrumentation weaves expertly around. Jeffers says that they place a considerable amount of importance on harmonies when writing, and it's that attention that separates them from many of their musical peers.

"Our 'velvety center' is what we call it," Jeffers says with a laugh. "Once you hear a harmony, that's kind of what hooks you."

By emphasizing their vocal assets, Jeffers and Renee have developed a close relationship that benefits their performances. "We can read each other on stage really well, which I think would be harder to do with a full band," Jeffers says. "The limitation is that we have to learn how to play every instrument we bring on the stage and learn to play it well. We have to be on top of everything all the time."

Perhaps the biggest contributors to Silo's creative career, though, are the city of Tallulah and the south in general. "I think folk music is just about great storytelling, especially here in the south. Having an oral history is really important where I come from," Jeffers says. "We'll probably always be influenced by southern culture and history no matter where we find ourselves."

Silo is currently booking its first southeastern regional tour for the months of July and August, already planning to make stops in Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana and Arkansas. The duo performs at 9 p.m. May 9 at Andrew's Tavern (325 Main St., Natchez, 601-445-0702). For the latest information, check out Facebook.com/silolouisiana. To listen to "Tall Tales," visit SiloLA.bandcamp.com. Email [email protected] for booking and other inquiries.