The Milk Carton Kids

Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan met at a California songwriting retreat in 2010 and started making music together as The Milk Carton Kids. Their self-titled debut came out the following year, with the song "Michigan" becoming an early favorite for its quiet, melancholic feel. They work with just two voices and acoustic guitars, keeping things simple and direct.

Songs like "Maybe It's Time" and "As The Moon Starts To Rise" show how they build their sound around close harmonies and understated guitar work. They've played places like the Ryman Auditorium and the Newport Folk Festival.

In 2016, Ryan had emergency surgery for a serious health issue, which put things on hold for a while. They've kept making records since then, including "All the Things That I Did and All the Things That I Didn't Do" in 2018 and "The Only Ones" in 2021. Their music stays rooted in that early folk sound, with songs like "Honey, Honey" and "Younger Years" carrying the same thoughtful, stripped-down quality.