Attending a Milk Carton Kids concert is rewarding on many levels. The first thing you notice are the duo’s gorgeous harmonies. The second thing that stands out is the pair’s deft acoustic guitar playing. The songs are both new and timeless, a fresh take on the music of Simon & Garfunkel. And, as if all that wasn’t enough, the MCK’s between song conversations are simply hilarious… sarcasm as art.

During this Fretboard Journal Live session, the MCK performed two tunes for our cameras, including the title track to their album The Ash & Clay. They have a lively talk to Fretboard Journal publisher Jason Verlinde about their guitars of choice – a 1954 Martin 0-15 for Kenneth Pattengale, a 1951 Gibson J-45 for Joey Ryan – their songwriting process, the comparisons they get to Gillian Welch and David Rawlings and a lot more.

Filmed backstage at Seattle’s Neptune Theater. Edited by Scott Krashan. Cameras: Scott Krashan and David Patterson.

Special thanks to Martin Guitar for sponsoring our live interview series.

Follow The Milk Carton Kids here.