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Elisabeth Hunstad and Matt Hastad will perform at Paramount Studio Cocktails & Foods on Saturday, March 25, starting at 8 p.m. Here’s more on this husband-and-wife duo.

Tell us about your music.

While both Elisabeth and Matt are songwriters, they find that performing a variety of covers allows them to relate to larger audiences.  They perform favorites with their unique styles; Elisabeth’s sound has been described as “old-school soul” while Matt’s sound has an edgy rock feel, and together they create an upbeat, balanced sound that shows off their versatility vocally as well as musically in the styles they play.

Who is your musical inspiration?

Elisabeth’s list of musical influences extends to everything that she hears, and her style is best represented as a combination of Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin.

Matt’s list of musical influences ranges from the Beatles to Alice in Chains, Boston to Foreigner, and so many others.

What’s your car radio typically set to?

Elisabeth switches between Hot 104.7 and 98.7 KISD.  She likes to know the new hits while maintaining a foundation of the old hits to keep ideas fresh for “songs to learn.”

Matt keeps his radio set to 103.7 KRRO.

What kind of crowd do you typically see at an Elisabeth Hunstad & Matt Hastad show?

Elisabeth and Matt hope to make all feel included, but their main audience spans from baby-boomers to millennials, with those older or younger less commonly seen.

What’s the best part about performing live music?

Elisabeth and Matt both state that the coolest part about what they do is the people they get to meet and the way that music connects them with people of all backgrounds.

For those joining you at Paramount, what kind of cocktail goes best with an Elisabeth Hunstad & Matt Hastad show?

Elisabeth says that everybody is welcome, and if they want an adult beverage, she likes to see people ordering their favorite drinks and treating themselves to a special time out.

Matt says a Maker’s Old-Fashioned is a perfect cocktail because it is strong, sweet, well-rounded and packs a punch!

Fun Fact:  Both Elisabeth and Matt love the opportunity to work with many musicians.  This pairing just happens to have the added perk of being a husband-and-wife duo. Elisabeth has kept her maiden name of Hunstad for stage, and she is otherwise known as Elisabeth Hastad. Confusing? It gets more interesting: Matt lived in the Hunstad area of Norway while he was earning his master’s degrees, long before he met Elisabeth. Elisabeth hopes to someday visit this part of Norway.