Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis to Debut First Duo Album CHEATERS GAME at Freight & Salvage, 4/20

Bruce Robison is the writer of such No. 1 country hits as "Wrapped" for George Strait, "Angry All the Time" for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, and "Travelin' Solider" for the Dixie Chicks. Kelly Willis is a sensational singer with ten albums to her credit, the first few in the classic country style of Nashville, and the later ones in the alt-country style of Austin. Bruce and Kelly have been married since 1996, and they've been collaborating on raising their four children, ages seven to 12, for the past many years, but their new album, Cheater's Game, is their first as a duo.

"We didn't want to get lost in a duo because we're so different," Kelly says, "and we've each worked so hard to establish our own careers."

In the past their own musical tendencies have been distinct enough that finding the combined sonic sweet spot that could work for them as a musical duo took some experimentation.

Ms. Willis's focus has evolved since the late 1980s from rockabilly to mainstream country and then to alternative country rock; "Translated From Love," her most recent release, in 2007, featured songs she co-wrote with maverick indie rocker Chuck Prophet and a cover of David Bowie and Iggy Pop's "Success." Mr. Robison's songs have most often been in the Texas singer-songwriter personal-storytelling mode. But with his ability to deliver catchy songs with strong hooks, he's also the writer of such No. 1 country hits as "Wrapped" for George Strait, "Angry All the Time" for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, and "Travelin' Solider" for the Dixie Chicks.

Sometimes, though, chemistry can't be denied. Bruce and Kelly just sound so good together, they had to collaborate - and the result is an album featuring seven originals and six covers of classic and contemporary country songs, from Don Williams's "We're All the Way" to Robert Earl Keen's "No Kinda Dancer." The album has won praise from just about every reviewer. The Wall Street Journal calls it "a masterful collection" and the New York Times calls it "a labor of love." Bruce Robison states "We did lots of shows once we got back out traveling," "That's where we came up with this sound for the record and even found the songs from our past that fit into it-acoustic, with a focus on real duo harmonies. I don't usually even have a metric to be striving for; this time I knew I had to find songs that worked for us." The result-with seven new songs by Mr. Robison and six from generation-crossing songwriters ranging from the veteran "gentle giant" Don Williams to Robert Earl Keen and Hayes Carll-is a masterly collection, produced by Brad Jones, that is occasionally keyed to poignant storytelling but more often to rolling along with acoustic fiddle and banjo-driven grooves. It is all unabashedly country.

Country music is known for its famous couples - Johnny Cash and June Carter, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, George Jones and Tammy Wynette. It's time to add Bruce and Kelly to the conversation. "Kelly's voice is our silver bullet," Bruce says. "When she sings a song, it turns it into a country song." Bruce could have gone further. When Kelly and Bruce sing a song, it turns into something you don't want to miss!

The concert is set for Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse, 2020 Addison Street, Berkeley, Calif. on Saturday, April 20, 2013 at 8:00 p.m.. Tickets: $20.50-$28.50. Call 510-644-2020 or visit www.thefreight.org for more informations. Click HERE for tickets.

For more about the artists, go to www.bruceandkellyshow.com.

Pictured: Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis. Photo Credit: Getty Images.