Annie and Rod Capps w/ John Gilmore

Over the years, Annie and Rod have done it all; from hard rock to musical theater.  The 80’s and 90’s found them dividing their time between original projects and cover bands. “Foolish Mortals” (their longest-running and hardest-working cover band with a set list that included everything from The Pretenders and Sheryl Crow to Led Zepplin & Aerosmith) performed nearly every weekend in bars and pubs around the Detroit area. In the later 90’s, Annie picked up the guitar again and started writing.

The transition to “folk” was gradual but eventually they shifted to acoustic instruments, away from the bars and into the coffee shops. It was through the open mic scene they found a new community and discovered a world of listening rooms. At this point they were already seasoned performers and before long they developed a new fan base of people who WANTED to hear their original songs.

Their first album (no you can’t buy it) was recorded in a small bedroom at their home in Ann Arbor on a second-hand version of ProTools™. Just the two of them playing a mix of electric and acoustic instruments but no drums save for the sampled drums on two tracks. For their second attempt at making an album they went into a professional recording studio with a full band and a slew of guest back up singers and players. It’s fair to say they went overboard on the overdubs. Another album no longer in print. By 2003, they found a home at Big Sky Recording in Ann Arbor where they would record 6 of their next 7 albums. (2009’s My Blue Garden was recorded and co-produced by Glenn Brown in East Lansing.)

As with many singer/songwriters whose instrumentation is primarily acoustic the word “folk” covers a broad sonic range of genres and influences – what comes out is a hybrid sound all their own.  Genuine and playful; effortless and endearing; this duo has been delighting audiences in quality music venues, house concerts, coffeehouses, and festivals throughout their home state of Michigan and beyond.

John is an accomplished and award-winning singer-songwriter hailing from Central Indiana. With a passion for creating original music, he has successfully released two projects comprising a diverse blend of Bluegrass, blues, country, and folk genres, with a third project currently in development.

Boasting over three decades of guitar-playing experience, John’s musical journey began with fingerstyle/Travis style picking, and later transitioned into Bluegrass flatpicking. His performances are characterized by captivating melodies infused with delightful twists that leave a lasting impression on the listener.