Photo courtesy of the MALPASS BROTHERS
The Malpass Brothers, Taylor (left) and Chris, are scheduled to perform at Ragamuffin Hall in Mifflin on Aug 3-4.

MIFFLIN — Chris and Taylor Malpass called it a transformative moment when the two young brothers discovered their grandfather’s record collection.

Drawn like a moth to a flame, the classic-filled treasure trove from the golden era of traditional country music certainly gathered little dust with the Malpass Brothers’ fascination.

The two studied the brother-harmony bluegrass duos of Jim and Jesse McReynolds, the Louvin Brothers and Wilburn Brothers then soaked in the sounds of legends like Hank Williams, Lefty Frizzell, Charlie Pride and Merle Haggard.

It was musical Manna to the brothers – there was nothing else in the marketplace that fed the Malpass Brothers’ soul more than the music of this bygone era – and they would stay true to it.

Typically, they perform more than 150 dates per year to packed houses.

Now, the Malpass Brothers are preparing to make their second appearance in the Juniata Valley. They’ll be coming back by popular demand to Ragamuffin Hall, located at 2584 McCoysville Road, Mifflin, this time with two show dates on Saturday, Aug. 3, and Sunday, Aug. 4. Times for both shows are 6:30 p.m.

“We’re expecting a country shindig one night,” said singer-songwriter Conrad Fisher of the August 3 show, which is titled, “Saturday Night with the Malpass Brothers. Fisher is the owner of the venerable Ragamuffin Hall.

“And the other night will be more gospel,” Fisher added of “Sunday Evening with the Malpass Brothers.”

Haggard produced the Malpass Brothers’ debut album, “Memory That Bad” in 2011. The title track hit No. 6 on the CMT Pure Country 12-Pack Countdown and remained in the charts for several weeks.

In 2015, Bluegrass Hall of Fame inductee, Doyle Lawson picked up the gauntlet and produced their sophomore, self-titled album, and in 2017, they released a live album, “Live at the Paramount,” which captured the energy of their highly polished, traditional country music show.

Their latest album, “Lonely Street” — released in 2023 and also produced by Lawson — featured 12 songs that sound as if it were curated from a 1950s, ’60s and ’70s smoke-filled, classic country jukebox.

Chris Malpass wrote the majority of the songs, including co-writes by Fisher, Dickey Lee, Shawn Camp and Taylor Dunn. The album also includes cover nods like “Love Slips Away” by Merle Haggard and Jeannie Seely’s “We Don’t.”

It drew rave reviews from critics, including Trigger Coroneos of Saving Country Music, who wrote, “As if a rip in the space/time continuum appeared…and Chris and Taylor Malpass stumbled straight out of 1968, they actualize the most unvarnished version of country music one can consume from anyone under the age of 40.”

And Dan MacIntosh, of Roothog Radio, who said, “These guys don’t just sound retro. They are retro!”

The Malpass Brothers are anything but a throwback cover group. Instead, they are the real deal. Mentored and credentialed by the biggest legends of bluegrass and country music, the brother duo continues to deliver new, yet traditional music in modern times — complete with pearl-snap shirts, Manuel/Nudie suits, over-shaped cowboy hats and pompadour coiffure, just to drive home the point.

For more information, visit www.theragamuffinhall.com.