‘Keeping Company’ captures the essence of more than 20 years of close collaboration between two kindred spirits – pianist Bill Laurance and Michael League on oud and fretless bass. And it’s kind of the antithesis of the multi-GRAMMY winning band Snarky Puppy, who brought them both to worldwide fame. As a duo, Laurance and League prove to be masters of atmosphere and darkly shimmering timbres, refined songwriters with a fine sense for clear, memorable melodies and improvisers who are so familiar with each other that it only takes a few notes to tell stories together. The album continues the concept of its highly acclaimed predecessor ‘Where You Wish You Were’, released in 2023: influences from all around the Mediterranean between North Africa to Southern Europe, American folk and jazz come together in an atmospheric chamber music without borders. Bill Laurance and Michael League developed the ideas for ‘Keeping Company’ during hours and hours of driving while on tour throughout Europe, playing some of the continent’s most beautiful concert halls. The songs are a direct result of living music nightly in this environment. Their development as a duo continues to grow out of their respect, understanding and trust in one another, both in the studio and on stage. Their second album demonstrates a more mature quality of writing, this time fully committing to a live approach with little to no overdubs, whilst embracing a stronger sense of freedom and personality in the performance. ‘Keeping Company’ is a representation of the duo in a naked state, pure and unclouded by the usual perfectionism that tends to dominate the recording process. Under the counsel of fellow producer Nic Hard, the duo opted to keep overdubs to an absolute minimum and effectively make a live album, letting chemistry dominate over production. These songs were crafted to be played by two sets of hands. ‘Keeping Company’ captures that, and nothing more.