An unlikely musical duo started with a friendship made at a coffee shop and bar in Wichita, Kansas called The Vagabond. A transplant from Appalachia, fiddler Shawn Craver hung out with Wichita, Kansas ocarina player Lucas Anderson for several weeks before realizing they shared a strong musical connection. They became fast friends, but Shawn didn't want to jam with Lucas at first because he was "skeptical of the ocarina." But when the friends finally jammed Shawn found that Lucas learned the Appalachian fiddle tunes, "Phenomenally quickly." Shortly after, the duo began playing gigs and later found they had a West Virginia connection with both their grandfathers hailing from central West Virginia.

​The duo began playing gigs in Wichita back in December as The New Time Bards and feature pre-bluegrass Appalachian songs and fiddle tune duets on the fiddle and ocarina. Within a couple months The Bards recorded their version of Gid Tanner and the Skillet Licker's, "Soldier, Won't You Marry Me." The duo performs some of Shawn's original songs as well.

​Now the New Time Bards play every Friday in Wichita at a local juice bar aptly called Songbird and at a watering hole called Peerless in downtown Wichita for happy hour. The duo have a strong local fan base developing and joke that they are "the hottest fiddle and ocarina duet in the country." Last year Shawn had to cancel gigs at The Appalachian Festival at Frostburg State University in Maryland and other festivals and says that the new duo just booked its first festival gig at The Kansas State Picking and Fiddling Championships in Lawrence, Kansas. For more information see the links below...