Silk and Steel celebrates the powerful legacies of women singers (and a few men) of the past seventy-five years. Drawing from multiple genres and crafting fresh arrangements true to the originals, the band is powered by the outstanding lead vocals of Nikki Walter and tight harmonies from Leah Hinchcliff and Heidi Hodge. Adding the spices of Leah’s telecaster and Robin Suskind’s pedal steel, the band is driven hard by creative drummer Ward Griffiths. Including Classic Country, R&B, Americana, and Pop tunes in the repertoire, the band features covers of Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Linda Ronstadt, Emmy Lou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, K D Lang, Karla Bonoff, Nicolette Larson, Dawn Sears, The Forrester Sisters, LeAnn Rimes, Roseann Cash, Sarah Evans, Mary Chapin Carpenter and so many more.  Nikki Walter: Lead Vocals Nikki Walter is a truly gifted vocalist hailing from Ridgefield, WA. With her powerful, distinctive voice and heartfelt delivery she is the primary singer in Silk and Steel.  Her musical journey began at the age of three when she first performed with her parents' country band. Growing up surrounded by the rich strains of classic country, Nikki was influenced by artists like Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and Linda Ronstadt. Nikki toured and performed with The Pearls, appears on their album and recorded an EP of her own titled Nicolette Divine. Currently, she performs with Darling Radio and Silk and Steel.     Leah Hinchcliff: Electric and acoustic guitars, harmony vocals   Since she was tall enough to reach the fretboard, Leah has been a musician. In her hometown of Portland, Oregon, she is widely known and respected as an upright and electric bassist, laying it down for funk, blues, Americana, and jazz groups. A lifelong lover of country music and aspiring tele slinger, she deftly covered the iconic lead guitar in the all-woman band Gerle Haggard: tribute to the great Merle Haggard. As lead guitarist for Silk and Steel, she is diving head first into the challenging guitar repertoire created by such telecaster icons as James Burton and Buck Owens.  Leah performs extensively in the bustling music mecca of Portland Oregon with several music collaborations including, The Bylines, LaRhonda Steel, NW Women in rhythm and blues, Darling Radio, Mosaique, Ashleigh Flynn and the Riveters, Pocket Funk  and Silk and Steel.   Heidi Hodge: electric bass and harmony vocals Heidi’s instrumental journey began in fourth grade with the violin. She played it until  picking up guitar in college. Some 35 years later she added upright bass, and most recently, electric bass guitar. She plays multiple genres including: blues, bluegrass, folk, country, funk and jazz. Heidi is also a great vocalist especially harmony. She currently plays in Silk & Steel, Uncle Mary and the Juke Joint Revival with an occasional sit-in with the Pagan Jug Band. In the past she played with the Washington-based Toutle River Pickers and Armand’s Gospel Country Band   Ward Griffiths: drums Unassuming bicycle nerd by day, funky drummer by night, Ward Griffiths has been called “Portland’s secret weapon” by Oregon Music News. (So true!) Over the past two decades in PDX, she has laid down the rhythm for numerous jazz, blues, Latin and R&B bands. Fueled by a mad desire to groove hard, Ward enjoys bringing her "passion for the pocket" to every performance, from train beats to shuffles to salsa. Current bands include Silk and Steel, Darling Radio, LaRhonda Steel, Pocket Funk.   Robin Suskind: pedal steel, electric guitar Robin grew up in a home overflowing with music: jazz, folk, classical, Broadway musicals, big band, bluegrass, blues, gospel. In 1970 he was a founding member of The Pure Prairie League (bass and mandolin). In 1980, he began playing pedal steel guitar, first in a “family band” and then with numerous country bands in Portland Oregon including: Sundance, The Electric Range, Amarillo, The McKenzie River Band (14 years touring), Kindling, and The Pearls. Currently he plays with The Oregon Trailers, Tom Armstrong’s Honky Tonk Habit, Evangeliners and Silk and Steel. He is one of the premier steel guitarists in the Northwest, performing, teaching and recording tracks on numerous regional albums. His playing style is traditional drawing from the greats: Buddy Emmons (with whom he studied), Lloyd Green, Ralph Mooney, Jay Dee Maness, Buddy Charlton, Hal Rugg, and so many more.