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Anchor and Arrow duo are married in real life

Photo courtesy of ANCHOR AND ARROW
Matt Dashem and Jennifer Henry-Dashem form the husband-wife duo of Anchor and Arrow.

LEWISTOWN — From bandmates to soulmates, multi-instrumentalists and singers Jennifer Henry-Dashem and Matt Dashem of the duo Anchor and Arrow aren’t just on stage together, they are also married in real life.

Their unique sound is an upbeat mix of soul, funk, rock and jazz: a culmination of many years of their individual musical styles and experience. The pair has been deemed a funked-Up duo: A two-person band with a whole lot of sound.

“For the most part, it’s a great dynamic being so connected and comfortable with each other,” Henry-Dashem said of the duo which formed in 2016.

“We’re able to read one another really well and can tell where the other is going when improvising within a song,” Henry-Dashem added. “Playing music together is such an intimate connection, it makes it easier when you get to play with someone with whom you’re sharing all the other parts of life as well.”

Anchor and Arrow are scheduled to perform at Shy Bear Brewing, 35 Meadowbrook Lane, Lewistown, from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday.

The duo is known for putting their own twists on familiar tunes, blending styles and swapping genres with ease and originality. While they cover feel-good music from the 1970s to modern day songs that make you want to move, their first love is creating their own music.

“Being married, there are definitely times we shoot dagger looks in each other’s direction and be brutally honest in our music relationship as well,” Henry-Dashem explained.

Henry-Dashem’s moving voice fused with Dashem’s seasoned guitar can be enjoyed by music lovers of all kinds, but especially those fond of having a good time. They combine their decades of experience and styles into these wildly fun musical performances. They never take themselves too seriously, while packing high energy and a banging good time into their live performances.

“Mostly rock, jazz and funk of the ’60s to ’90s,” said Henry-Dashem of their musical influences. “We can appreciate almost anything in those decades. So many incredible songwriters.”

In their multi-faceted projects, the couple also delves into the more ethereal world of music to accompany yoga and movement classes, along with participating in electronic music showcases.

The duo also performs at ceremony, cocktail, and reception music for weddings and other life celebrations.

They are also known for the videos, which are quirky but very entertaining.

“We honestly just aim for everyone to have a great time,” Henry-Dashem said. “We both have extensive backgrounds in music, and that kind of allows us to not take ourselves too seriously.

“We like to play anything that we find interesting and put fresh twists on audience-favorite cover songs,” Henry-Dashem added. “We like to pump up some big bass, a funky spin on any song and make run of the mill tunes more fun and danceable.”

Anchor and Arrow’s all-original 2019 seven-track EP, “Jumble,” can be streamed on Spotify and most other platforms. The duo tries to tailor each performance to the venue and audience while always welcoming space for the unexpected.

“We don’t take ourselves too seriously,” Henry-Dashem said. “We don’t take much of anything too seriously, really. Life is way too short. We’re always on a mission to have fun and escape the grind of the day-to-day hustle through music and we hope our listeners do the same.”

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