Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear consists of Madisen Ward and Ruth Ward, a modern soulful/folk music duo from Independence, Missouri. The band’s debut album, Skeleton Crew, was produced by Jim Abbiss, known for his award-winning work with Arctic Monkeys and Adele, and captures Ward and the Mama Bear in their most natural setting.

At home, Ruth and Madisen are mother and son. Onstage, they’re a soulful folk band whose sound is anchored by twin guitars and two big, booming voices. The music started in Kansas City, where Madisen grew up watching his mom perform cover songs at local coffee shops. Before long, he was writing his own tunes, mixing the old-world influence of his family’s folk records with the unchained, energetic stomp of modern-day rock ‘n’ roll. The two began playing shows together, ditching the cover songs in favor of Madisen’s original material. Both sang, both played guitar and both watched as their band’s audience slowly grew.