Bullseye with Jessie Thorn is a production of MaximumFun.org and is distributed by NPR.

I'm Linda Holmes, it's Bullseye.

It's a collaboration that's lasted 35 years now and it's still going strong.

Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, The Indigo Girls.

You know that, right?

Closer to fine, Galileo, the power of two.

Chase off the coast from your head.

I'm stronger than a monster beneath your bed.

Smarter than the chicks laid on your hull.

Look at that.

Together than we'll take on the part.

Adding up the total of those.

That's true.

Multiply life by the power of two.

Amy and Emily have been writing, arranging and performing together since high school.

They recorded these quiet beautiful melodies, usually using pretty simple arrangements.

An acoustic guitar, maybe a mandolin or electric guitar for a flourish.

To a lot of people though, the Indigo Girls are more than a band.

Amy and Emily have been out as lesbians for much of their adult lives and they spoke out for LGBTQ rights at a time when that could have major consequences on a performer's career.

They've long been activists with indigenous communities, particularly with regard to environmental issues.

They started the nonprofit, Honor the Earth.

Those themes come up in their music too, but at the heart of a lot of their songs are two people singing together beautifully.

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