Richie and Rosie New Zealand Tour

Richie and Rosie blend traditional and contemporary sounds, outrageous punk banjo, powerful evocative fiddle with beautiful vocal harmonies. Richie, is an innovator of 5-string banjo much loved for his “mantra-groove spooky-banjo style" Rosie is a ferocious fiddler who’s work spans many musical styles.

Banjo player Richie Stearns and fiddler Rosie Newton grew up 150 miles and a few decades apart, but the fated combination of their unique skill, varied musical influence, and honest storytelling comes together to achieve their common goal: to create music that people can connect with. Before joining forces, Richie earned himself a name with genre-bending band the Horse Flies and collaborations with Natalie Merchant and Donna the Buffalo. Having performed internationally with legends like Bela Fleck, Pete Seeger, David Byrne, Billy Bragg & Wilco, and Joan Baez, his career spans decades.

But when their paths crossed in the Ithaca old-time scene during Rosie’s freshman year, Richie & Rosie began touring together as members of the Evil City String Band, and were eventually drawn to pursue this more intimate duo project. Their music finds itself at a junction of Americana, old-time, and folk, bringing a new sound to traditional music with their signature trance-like, boundary pushing instrumental arrangements and angelic harmonies. As two musicians in two very different parts of life, Richie and Rosie are proof of two things: the power and magic of two people making music, and that the universal messages that lie within their songs remain timeless.