RIDIN' THE FAULT LINE is a bluegrass group featuring Mike Akin (banjo and
lead vocals), Larry Swift (mandolin and harmony vocals), Richard Schmeling
(guitar and harmony vocals) and Janna Lauer (bass).
The group's contagious traditional sound has earned them opening
slots for Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, Steve Kaufman, Don
Williams, Alison Brown Quartet and Mountain Heart. You can catch them
most Friday evenings from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at Joe Morley's BBQ 7720 S 100 West in Midvale, Utah. (Call (801) 255-8928 to confirm)

Mike Akin
Mike 's music began at age 7 when his mom taught him piano. In the folk era,
Mike played finger-style guitar. Later, he would play his way through college
with such bands as - The Country Gentlemen, The Nashville Freeway, and The
Elkwater Flea & Tick Band. In the seventies, Mike picked up the banjo and hasn't put it down. In California, he played with group Niles Stalnaker and the Bluegrass Dreamers. Since returning to Utah, he has been the cornerstone of RIDIN' THE FAULT LINE. (Mike won first place in Utah State Banjo Championship at the Sandy Bluegrass Festival July, 2000)

Richard Schmeling
Brooklyn born, and California raised, Richard Schmeling is a multi-talented musician - playing piano, mandolin and guitar. In 1966 Richard founded California folk group Greensleeves. For RIDIN' THE FAULT LINE, he handles the guitar and takes the high harmonies.

Larry Swift
Raised in the Ozark's of Missouri, Larry was weened on Bluegrass. Larry is a
fan of many musical styles - and is a top blues guitarist in his own right - but
he always come back to his roots. Master of the mandolin, Larry's favorites
include Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers and J.D. Crowe.

Janna Lauer
Rock solid on the upright bass, Janna played with well known Utah bands Somewhat Faithful and Cactus Swing. She founded and directs Heart & Soul, a non-profit organization in Salt Lake City that takes music (300+ shows/ year) to people isolated in institutions.


Some of the band's recent performances include:
Utah Arts Festival, Gallivan Folk and Bluegrass Festival, Capitol Theatre, Logandale Bluegrass Festival Founders’ Title Company Folk & Bluegrass Festival, Deer Valley, Utah, Ogden City Festival, Sandy City Folk and Blugrass Festival, and the Birch Creek Bluegrass Festival.
For booking information call:
Janna Lauer (801) 467-0663 Larry Swift (801) 583-1147
Mike Akin (801) 755-3449 Rich Schmeling (801) 572-3806

Mailing address:
Ridin' The Fault Line
Janna Lauer
542 East 1300 South
Salt Lake City UT 84105

Sample Song List
You’ll enjoy old favorites like Blue Ridge Mountain Home, Make me a Pallet, Earl’s Breakdown, Fox on the Run, Man of Constant Sorrow, Nine pound Hammer, Roll in my Sweet Baby’s Arms, and Old Home Place along with:
Alabama Jubilee, Amazing Grace, Another Night, Big Spike Hammer, Black Mountain Rag, Cabin In the Pines, Clinch Mountain Backstep, Dear Old Dixie, Don’t Fall in Love With Me Darlin’, Doug’s Tune,Far Side Bank of Jordan, A Few Old Memories, Foggy Mountain Special, Gonna Paint the Town, Gravel Yard, Greenville Trestle, Holy Unto the Lord, Hot Corn Cold Corn, How Mountain Girls Can Love, I Ain’t Broke But I’m Badly Bent, I am a Pilgrim, I Never Once Stopped Lovin’ You, In the Gravel Yard, It’s mighty dark to Travel, Katy Daly, Kentucky Girl, Keep Walkin’, Lamplighting Time in the Valley, Little Georgia Rose, Little Mountain Church, Little Whitewashed Chimney, Lonesome Road Blues, Long Black Limousine, Long Journey Home ($2 dollar bill), Love Me Darlin’ Just Tonight, Love Please Come Home,Money to Burn,Natural Thing to Do, Old Time Way, Paul and Silas, Precious Memories, Rawhide, Salty Dog Blues, Scissors Paper and Stone, She’s Walkin’ Through My Memory, Shoutin’ on The Hills, Shuckin’ the Corn, Sing Me Back Home, Sittin’ on Top of the World, Smokey Mtn. Smoke. Some Old Day, Standin’ in the Need of Prayer, Talk it Over With Him, Tear My Stillhouse Down, Tenderly Calling Me Home, There’s a Bluebird Singin’, Think of What You’ve Done, ‘Til the End of the World Rolls Round, Traveling the Highway Home, Walkin’ After Midnight, Walkin’ the Dog, Where No One Stands Alone, Wicked Path of Sin, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, White Dove, White Freightliner, Whitewater and Wicked Path of Sin.