The Lost Keys

Tricia Spencer, fiddle
Howard Rains, fiddle, guitar
Isaiah Sibi, fiddle, guitar
Orion Spencer-Speirer, banjo uke
Ru Yother, bass

The Spencer & Rains family of Douglas County, Kansas have been playing music for many generations on both sides of the family. Tricia Spencer comes from at least five generations of old time musicians from Douglas County, having learned to play the fiddle directly from her grandpa and grandma, Vernon and Iona Spencer. Currently, there are four living generations of musicians in the Spencer family, which include 100-year old grandma Iona, Tricia’s dad Rod Spencer, Tricia herself, and her children Orion Spencer-Speirer and Ru Yother.

Howard Rains’ family goes back just as far in his home state of Texas though he often refers to his family’s music as “parlour music.” Howard learned to play the guitar from watching his dad and the fiddle goes back at least four generations. Howard’s son, Isaiah Sibi has quite literally taken up the family fiddle that was made for his great-great grandfather in Dallas, TX in 1913, an instrument handed down for five generations.

Since Howard settled down in Lawrence, KS with Tricia in 2013, the two have dedicated their lives to preserving old fiddle tunes. Howard and Tricia tour as Spencer and Rains but have embraced the music they are making with their kids and now perform together as The Lost Keys. The Spencer & Rains family are also artists and craftspersons, Howard being an internationally renowned watercolorist, Tricia an illustrator and leather worker, Orion a skilled tailor and leatherworker, Isaiah a guitar luthier, and Ru a nationally recognized young ceramicist and painter. Even old Rod rebuilds Ford trucks.