Winters in Buffalo, NY are notoriously long, grey, and blizzardy...and growing up, Barbara Way spent her share of them inside, listening to James Taylor, Carole King and Neil Young again and again. It's no surprise then, that when she began writing songs rather out of the blue, they were reminiscent of the simple soulful works of the early 70's artists. Enter guitarist/producer Matt Pszonak, a high school friend of Way's, who dug her voice if not her early songs, and suggested they try performing together. Before long, the duo became a favorite of the Buffalo folk scene, known for their effortless harmonies, novel song choices and the comfortable, intimate feel of their shows. In the early 90's, they left western NY to drive across the country, playing small clubs along the way and searching for a new hometown with kinder winters. Unable to agree on a mainland metropolis, Barbara & Matt moved to Honolulu to replace two members of a popular country band. There for 18 months, they developed an affection for country music and decided to check out Nashville. Over the next few years, Way adopted the Nashville alt-country crowd as family, and with their help & influence, developed her uniquely flavored writing voice. Working with close friend and producer/ session musician Rick Plant, she recorded a distinctive catalogue of songs resulting in two samplers, Ticket to Somewhere (1995), and The Finger Tape(1996), as well as an unreleased full length album featuring Plant and members of Wilco. During the summer, she and Pszonak would resurrect their duo and entertain vacationers in Hilton Head SC, gaining fans from around the country and a small but loyal following in the southeast. Now a Los Angeles resident, Barbara spent 2001 recording Mouthful of Rain. Produced by Matt Pszonak and featuring folks who grace the bands of gentle-rock legends Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, and Sting, it promises to be an indie pleasure.