Wishing Chair gives legs to 'folk and roll'

"Folk and roll" is about as close a listener can get to branding the music of Wishing Chair.

The Spartanburg duo is comprised of Kiya Heartwood, a singer-songwriter, and Miriam Davidson, a musician who plays piano, accordion, banjo, guitar, hand drums and other instruments.

"We're too rock 'n' roll to be considered traditional folk, and we're too folky in what we write about to be just pure rock 'n' roll," Heartwood said.

Whatever the label, Wishing Chair's music has garnered praise and several awards.

"Underdog," its sixth album, was named best new folk CD of 2006 by JPFolks, an organization of more than 40,000 music industry professionals, according to Wishing Chair's Web site.

"Underdog" is a collage of sounds and stories told through Heartwood's vivid lyrics. Along with political songs, there are ballads like "Sue Mundy."

Wishing Chair tours nationally and performs in venues as diverse as...