Photo courtesy of PURE CANE SUGAR
Natalie Race (left) and Kate Twoey are the female front of Pure Cane Sugar.

PETERSBURG — There’s just something about being on the beach that brings out the musical best in Kate Twoey and Natalie Race.

The duo known as Pure Cane Sugar is a female-front Americana band, based out of State College. Since 2007, Pure Cane Sugar’s sultry voices, soulful harmonies and powerful lyrics have evoked exquisite vocals.

Saturday, Pure Cane Sugar is featured at Whipple Dam State Park’s Music on the Beach Summer Concert Series with a performance from 7 to 9 p.m.

“This is the third or fourth time we’re performed there,” Twoey said. “The setting is just unmatched to any other place that we play.

“We’re set up on the beach with the water behind us, and kids playing and people in the water,” Twoey added. “Playing in that setting is a unique experience and not one that we get to do often.”

The duo will also bring drummer Daryl Branford, from their band lineup, too.

Twoey and Race have delivered an eclectic mix of original mix and artful cover arrangements for nearly two decades. Known for its fusion of acoustic, roots rock, blues and country, Pure Cane Sugar is repeatedly selected as the Best Local Band in State College.

The two came together by chance as they both happened to be at the same venue when the band that was scheduled to perform cancelled at the last minute.

“We were musicians in other bands,” Two recalled. “They were looking for people to come and fill in, so we sung together for the first time on the spot. I was like this needs to be thing … forever.”

Twoey and Race clicked, and Pure Cane Sugar was born in 2007.

“Actually, originally we were called Shoe Fly Pie, but we found another band in the south with that name so we changed it,” Twoey added. “One of our original member’s spouse thought of Pure cane Sugar while having their morning coffee and we thought it was perfect!

Despite their long careers in the industry, they seemed pleasantly pleased that the band is still going strong after all this time.

“I’ve been playing music for a little over 30 years in State College,” Twoey said. “I never thought I’d be playing with a band like this with this longevity.”

Each show remains as special as the last one.

“We still love it as much as we did 20 years ago,” Twoey added. “We love every performance.”

Their musical inspirations are as diverse as their songbooks. Twoey favors folk rock supergroups like the Indigo Girls and Crosby, Stills, Young and Nash as well as British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac.

“They’re all bands with a lot of harmonies,” she said.

Race gravitates more toward American singer-songwriters like Patty Griffin, who is known for her stripped-down songwriting style in the folk music genre.

“It’s great that our influences come from different places, so we are able to bring different things to the table,” Twoey added. “Whether it’s for performing or writing.”

Follow them on Facebook under “Pure Cane Sugar Band.”