The Flat Mountain Girls
An old-time string band playing in Portland, Oregon
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About the Band
The Flat Mountain Girls are a high-energy old-time string band based in Portland, Oregon.
The Flats are known for tight, raw three-part harmonies, powerful fiddling, and performances that explode with irrepressible glee and bawdy humor.
Their repertoire includes arrangements of Carter Family classics, traditional songs from the Southern mountains, cowboy yodels, romping fiddle tunes, and the occasional original, combining tremendous enthusiasm with great respect for the old-time tradition.
With Lisa Marsicek playing fiddle, Rachel Gold on banjo, Nann Alleman on guitar and Laura Quigley on bass, the Flat Mountain Girls bring foot-stomping fun to every performance.
Lisa Marsicek - fiddle, vocals
Lisa Marsicek's love for old-time music began with an obsession with 78 RPM records and the gems those old records contained.
Lisa started playing fiddle in Chicago in the early 1990's, and with a solid foundation in Midwestern tunes, she moved to Georgia to learn Southern fiddle styles.
Lisa performed with the Sugar Beats, and recorded with Freakwater on "Feels Like the Third Time". A twist of fate brought her to Portland where she co-founded the Flat Mountain Girls, as well as Miz Kitty's Parlour, a 1920's style vaudeville show. She also plays fiddle with the Sassparilla Jug Band.
Lisa's fiddle playing has an unmistakable drive that takes over your feet!
Rachel Gold - banjo, vocals
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Rachel Gold has been playing old-time and bluegrass music since falling in love with the Carter Family ten years ago.
She performed with The Potbelly Boys and The Bristol Sisters before seeing the light and moving to Portland, where she co-founded the Flat Mountain Girls in 2001.
Rachel also plays guitar and sings in Whiskey Puppy. Her energy, humor, and love for old string band music are reflected in her powerful performances, old-style no-holds-barred lead and harmony singing, and maniacal obsession with both gingham and old-time song lyrics.
Nann Alleman - guitar, spoons, vocals
Nann Allemann got hornswaggled into joining the Flat Mountain Girls in the Summer of 2003.
Nann has been playing music since she was in diapers. Nann played with her first band, Mad Hattie, for two years, which she co-founded in 1997. She currently heads her own crazy roots band, Spigot.
She brings a driving guitar, masterful songwriting, heartbreaking harmonies, powerful lead singing, and an unmatchable stage presence to the Flat Mountain Girls.
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Laura Quigley - bass
Laura Quigley has been singing all her life, informally harmonizing with her mom, Carol, and, for years, training and singing in jazz and classical choirs in high school and college in Eugene, OR.
She also studied theater and music at Portland State University. Laura began teaching herself the upright acoustic bass in 1998, and in 2001 became the Washington State Champion Bass Player and has been called upon by artists such as Laurie Lewis and Jim Page.
She is the bass player for several Portland bands including Misty River and Midnight Serenaders.
The Flat Mountain Girls are thrilled to have her aboard!
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Last updated: October 7, 2007