Truckstop Honeymoon

The husband-and-wife team form one of the most entertaining quasi-counter-culture acoustic duos in North America. He plays acoustic guitar, banjo, and mandolin; she plays an upright stringed bass. Both sing and perform original material that ranges from zany and laugh-out-loud funny to poignant and revealing. They are not beyond banging on pots and pans, either. Since 2003, the couple has released five CDs and a DVD on the Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based Binky/Squirrel Records. They're amazingly popular in their adopted Sunflower State -- don't be surprised if you're the only one not singing along at a gig -- and are known throughout the Midwest as well as in their former New Orleans habitat and across the Gulf Coast. Additionally, they frequently tour the United Kingdom, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia.

While this may seem typical for the lives of two highly successful musicians, they're also part of a family of five, recently expanded to six. Their four children range in age from newborn to eight. "Ever since I've met Mike, the schedule has been like record, baby, record, baby, record, baby," Euliss said with a laugh. "For now, let's just do a few records. We can get pets if we need small, cuddly things in the future."

And in their own rebellious nature, levelled against the impersonal music industry, they tour as a family, taking time to ensure lessons and violin practices get done. "The only thing I ever ask for in a rider is a babysitter," West said about what goes in their contracts these days. "We definitely put in the work to make it happen," Euliss explained about their unusual but rewarding lifestyle. "We probably work more hours in a week than a whole office of employees somewhere, just because we have to be so efficient."

West and Euliss met in New Orleans as working musicians. Neither was born there, and each took a circuitous route to land in "the city that time forgot." Especially West, who was born in Australia and emigrated to England with his family at age seven. When he was 21, he moved from the suburbs of London to the northern post-industrial city of Manchester, intrigued by the landscapes of centuries-old brick fortresses, as seen in New Order Story, a documentary on the early days of post-punkers/synth poppers New Order and Factory Records. Because Manchester's economy was depressed, many opted to play music and start bands, thereby fueling a healthy arts scene. Soon West found himself the chief songwriter and guitarist in a jangly guitar pop band that became known as Man From Delmonte (MFD). Eventually, MFD developed a loyal fan base and recorded singles and EPs, but it never reached its intended stardom. Nonetheless, it remained a solid club draw and even toured England and Spain.

A couple of years after MFD fizzled out, West had an epiphany of sorts. "I was approaching 30 and realized I still liked playing music," he explained. "At the time in England, the kind of music that I was playing, 30 was far too old. Then I saw Guy Clark [from America] play. What really struck me was that he was this middle-aged dude playing this beautiful music and communicating with all this power. He didn't have a band; he had gray hair and was playing all these songs on a guitar.