Q&A: Acoustic Musician Recounts Playing South Pas as a Child

Luke Halpin can remember his first performance in South Pas like it was yesterday. It was at the 4^th of July picnic with his family band, The Phancy Clan, in 1986.

“I had no idea that they were there to see me because I was a cute kid,” he recalls. “I thought I was hot stuff.”

Halpin played in various bands around town before meeting his wife, Stephanie Bettman, and together they formed Bettman & Halpin. The duo is fast earning a reputation in folk and bluegrass circles for hypnotizing performances filled with irresistible lyrics and transcendent harmonies. They have a performance at 7 p.m. Sunday at McCabe’s in Santa Monica.

Patch caught up with the duo to talk about South Pas and their recent debut on KCET.

Patch: When did y'all start playing together? You’re married now, so we’re assuming you knew it was a good fit from the start?                  

Luke: We started playing together in early 2007 and started seriously touring a year later in 2008. Stephanie got my number from her guitar player at the time. Danny now likes to claim that it was all part of his plan to set us up as a couple.

When we started rehearsing every day for 3 hours, it became pretty clear pretty fast that we were a good fit. Stephanie's writing style fit real well with my playing style—and the harmonies were pretty sweet from the get go.

Patch: You live in Denver now, but what are y’all most excited for when you come back in town? 

Luke: It’s all about getting to Buster’s! I know everyone there, and I love the coffee. They are like family.  

Patch: Your first performance was at a Fourth of July picnic in South Pas. What memories do you have from it?

Luke: Man, I thought I had arrived! This was the big time. I remember people coming up and telling me it was great and little old ladies pinching my cheeks. I had no idea I was getting all this attention because I was 10, I thought it was because I was a musical genius! I wasn't. And I have the video to prove it!        

It was when I was 15 or 16 years old, the cute factor had gone away and I realized it was time to really start practicing because the cute factor was gone. Ha!

Patch: Your lyrics cover some pretty tough issues like anorexia and suicide. How did you decide to incorporate these lyrics into your music? Has your audience been receptive?

Stephanie: Not EVERY song is about a heavy subject.  But I don't shy away from them, because I think those things that we all share—difficult experiences—allow us to understand each other on a much deeper level.  

We all deal with loss, with heartbreak. We all go through difficult experiences. And when we share those with each other, we find compassion for each other.  

Patch: Bettman & Halpin was recently featured on a KCET doc. Does this mean you've made it?

Luke: It definitely feels significant. Your average garage band doesn't have a film made about them. And to have it actually get play on TV three times?! I don't know that it means we've made it, but something is definitely happening.

Read more about the acoustic duo here. 

Watch them perform: Check out the You Tube video attached to this article.

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