River Tramps

It fits that Rio Martine and Adam Cohen, the married pair who call themselves River Tramps, are, in offstage-life, a couple of born tramps. They live on the road, their wanderlust fueling a search for pure harmony. The traveling lifestyle seeps into their sound, conjuring up wayward troubadours of old — John Prine, Bruce Springsteen, Loretta Lynn — as well as more modern folk torchbearers like Margo Price, the Avett Brothers, and Cass McCombs.

River Tramps are now set to release Mare and the Maiden, their first official EP. It’s a hugely diverse collection — if the record is a single town, each track visits a different street. The kickoff title track mixes Johnny & June with Bonnie & Clyde, following a troubled couple through a hellish midnight romp. While each song has its own domain, the mood is consistently intense. Niko’s voice soars, and Adam’s is an anchor; the back-and-forth generates a dynamism only a couple of true tramps could produce.

Their debut single Mare and the Maiden is available now.