
CommonbonD Biography
CommonbonD is the acclaimed acoustic partnership of female
singer-songwriters Mary
Beth de Pompa and Ashley
Miller. Serving up an eclectic blend of blues-edged folk/rock,
the DC-based duo has been compared to everything from the Queen of
Blues Bonnie Raitt to Indigo Girls to the Barenaked Ladies.
Miller and de Pompa met in 1992 when de Pompa, then part of a
lesser-known duo, passed through Miller's college town in the Blue
Ridge Mountains. After the show, the two claim they found a common
musical bond (hence the name), playing guitar and testing out
harmonies till the break of dawn. Southern-bred Miller first began
studying piano as a child under the tutelage of her mother then went on to study guitar at
Appalachian State University. De Pompa, a DC native, started her
musical career as a rock drummer in the family band. Once her
fingers were long enough, she picked up guitar under the guidance of
her grandfather. The melding of these diverse backgrounds has led to
the development of a uniquely own sound that turns at once from sweet,
lofty and lyrical to bluesy, soulful and raw.
In 1994, Miller and de Pompa formally united and began touring
and recording full-time. Since then, CommonbonD has released 6 CDs
and toured 40 US states and 2 foreign territories. They've twice
appeared live on national television, were spotlighted on FOX
channel news, and have received airplay
on over 150 radio stations across the U.S. Among their many kudos,
CommonbonD has been nominated for Best Contemporary Folk Group and
Best Contemporay Folk Recording by the Washington Area Music
Association, was
selected as a finalist for Indie Band of the Year and the Lilith
Fair Talent Search, and won Pop Song of the Year and Best Folk Album
of the Year for their release, naked
soul dance.
CommonbonD has sold
out some of the most esteemed
venues and performed with some of the hottest
artists on the circuit today, including Woodstock fame Richie
Havens, Lowen & Navarro, Lucy Kaplansky, Sophie B. Hawkins, Jill Sobule, Caroline Aiken, Cheryl
Wheeler, eddie from ohio, Catie Curtis, David Wilcox, Melissa Ferrick, and Pierce
Pettis. And yet, the twosome remains un-jaded, even
"adorable" confides The Philadelphia Au Courant. And their
live show? The Dover Post raves, "CommonbonD jams, period. Take
the two artists individually and you've got different styles in
writing, singing and playing. But man! What gets delivered as the
combo package will blow you away."
On January 21st and 22nd, after a
wonderful 12-year recording and touring career as CommonbonD, Mary
Beth and Ashley performed their final shows as CommonbonD for an
indefinite period. The decision to pursue other interests and
try new avenues was a hard-made one for each. The phenomenal
shows and after-parties - the energy and emotion - from the artists
and all the guests, were a true testimony to the impact CommonbonD
has had on its followers and a community for well over a decade.
CommonbonD will be deeply missed, but we (as staff, friends, family
and fans) are grateful to have shared in their music, laughter,
friendship and support for so many years.