An invitation to sing harmony for a Vernon country/rock band turned into a decade-long musical partnership for the singing and song-writing duo Saskia Overbeek and Darrel Delaronde.

Known as The Great Plains, Overbeek and Delaronde bring their mix of country, folk and bluegrass to Kamloops on March 16 for a performance at the North Shore Community Centre.

The duo should be familiar to fans of country and folk music, as The Great Plains toured extensively with genre legends Valdy and Gary Fjellgaard off and on during the last 10 years.

“We’re a little touch of Valdy, a little touch of Gary,” Overbeek said during a phone interview from Revelstoke. “But we have a real special feel of our own.”

The two discovered each other’s unique musical talents — he on guitar, she on harmony — when Overbeek was invited to sing on an album for Delaronde’s band The Verge.

“They were doing an album called Family Tree and I came in to do harmony,” said Overbeek.

She was part of an all-woman Celtic/folk act called Mozaik. Gradually, the women of Mozaik had babies and found careers, she said. And the men of The Verge moved on to other things. When the dust settled, Overbeek and Delaronde were the only two left standing.

“We were the only two crazy enough to continue with music. That’s what we did,” she said.

Overbeek and Delaronde have produced almost an album a year since, with the most recent, Song Birds, released in the fall of 2011. They’ve also toured extensively in Canada and Europe, with an overseas tour planned for later this year.

Although Overbeek and Delaronde like to keep each show fresh, the audience at the North Shore Community Centre will likely hear past hits like Porch Light, about boys going off to war, and Louis Riel.

Delaronde recently picked up the mandolin and will likely break it out, she said. There’s a good chance there will be some yodeling too.

“People who know us know the music is consistently good and we change it around, said Overbeek.

Advance tickets are $10 and available at the community centre, 452-730 Cottonwood Ave. For more on Overbeek and Delaronde visit www.thegreatplains.ca.