Tensions were very high at that time…It was difficult. My husband had been my main [musical] partner for 17 years or so.

So he played a large role in this album?

He was the engineer, he played on it, we recorded it in our house….

It’s amazing to me that the two of you had the strength to put the album together.

I had to do it. I felt this record had to be finished. And once he starts something, he’s the kind of person who sees it through to completion. I felt pretty lost for a while, though. A lot of people tried to help me, encourage me, tell me I could make it….I didn’t believe it myself, so it took a while to gain that self confidence back.

Has it gotten easier to move ahead since the album was recorded?

I still feel a little lost with the recording stuff. In the meantime, I’ve met a lot of nice people. Robert knows a lot of people; he knows how to record stuff. We are trying to pick up and continue.

Musically, we hit it off. The guitar player I had in the band had a very stressful job and wasn’t interested in traveling or playing original music. He likes fiddle tunes. He just said this wasn’t his cup of tea.

That all came to a head at the time when Robert was looking for something himself. Rather than being a sideman for a lot of famous acts (including B.B. King), he wanted to do this. He has a lot of music in him, a lot of original music. The duo is the perfect outlet for us.

People often define your music as bluegrass. How do you define it?

It is not bluegrass. We use bluegrass instruments (including the stand up bass), but I would say it is folk pop or country pop.

Do I understand that you’re moving more toward Celtic music?

I wouldn’t say I am moving toward Celtic but it is part of my influences. I listened to a lot of it growing up. My music has a little bit of Celticness in it without my trying. I connect to the way melodies move around (in that genre), how the chord structures move.

What’s next for you?

We are getting gigs, promoting this record. The next natural thing would be for us to record an album together. People who come to our shows like The Calling but they want music that reminds them of the duos we perform.

Hear Maring's music at www.wilmaring.com