Acoustic rock duo Gypsy Soul has family roots that stretch across the globe, and their musical influences are equally far-flung.

Vocalist Cilette Swann and guitarist/bassist Roman Morykit are based in Jacksonville, Ore., located in the southern part of the state. They spend much of their time touring the western United States, and find Jacksonville to be a centrally located base, about a 10-hour drive to Los Angeles and Vancouver, B.C. The surrounding countryside of orchards, farms and wineries offers a sense of serenity. “When we are on tour it is so hectic, go go go,” Swann said. “Coming home is so tranquil.”

They have not always lived in Oregon. Morykit grew up in England, the son of Ukrainian and Italian parents. Swann’s parents were of Irish descent, grew up in South Africa and immigrated to Canada, where she was raised. “Hence the name Gypsy Soul,” she noted. “It reflects our mix of backgrounds.”

Morykit began piano lessons at age 5. While he no longer plays piano, “it really gave me a foundation for structure and musical composition and orchestration,” he said. “That was the biggest influence I got from classical music.”

He taught himself to play acoustic guitar. He started his first band at 16. The group needed a bass player, so he learned to play fretless bass. He put guitar down for 10 years. After meeting Swann, “I picked it back up and rediscovered my love for guitar.”

Swann had no formal training, but grew up in a musical family. Her parents were semi-professional singers in South Africa, and her mother sang in church in Canada. Swann and her siblings were always singing as children.

Being the youngest child “was a great experience, because my older brothers and sisters had such great taste in music.” She grew up listening to their albums, by artists such as Supertramp, Fleetwood Mac, Bonnie Raitt and Elton John, who she cites as a major influence.

She sang in school choirs, and her teachers told her she would be a professional vocalist when she grew up. “I wasn’t sure what it meant,” she said with a laugh.

In the late 1980s Swann was in Scotland playing in a band with Morykit’s brother. He told Morykit to come hear his female vocalist. He did, and realized why his brother raved about her ability. The brother’s tastes leaned toward classical music, so Swann split his group and started Gypsy Soul with Morykit.

Morykit describes their style as Americana/Celtic, reflecting his interest in blues and roots music and her interest in Celtic music. “We had an affinity for each other’s tastes in music,” he remarked.

They have released eight albums. Their latest, “Beneath The Covers: A Rediscovery,” was released earlier this year.

Their focus is on their original material, but on this album they offer interpretations of songs such as “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder, “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” by U2 and “Nights In White Satin” by Moody Blues. “We wanted to pay homage to bands we loved” Swann said.

They put much thought into song selection. As they grew up on different continents with different musical backgrounds, they had to pick material carefully. “The criteria was they had to mean something to both of us,” Swann commented. So her suggestions of songs by Rickie Lee Jones and Joni Mitchell were tossed out. “These songs were truly important to our lives,” Swann said of the songs on the album. The album is in the nomination pool for a Grammy Award in the contemporary folk category.

Swann and Morykit earn their living from music. “There wasn’t any plan B for either of us, which is what attracted us to each other,” she said.

“I have never had a real job,” Morykit added. “I have been incredibly fortunate.”

He once worked as a session player in London, but it was not what he really wanted to do. After he met Swann, he found the musical direction he wanted to go in.

They have a recording studio in their home. In addition to recording their own material there, Morykit also records and produces other artists. Swann noted that owning a studio means they can record at their own pace, as opposed to watching the clock while paying for time in someone else’s facility. “We can relax a bit, and let the tracks evolve.”

Swann said they can take time between recording and mixing to let things sink in. Morykit said this allows them to hear the tracks with a fresh approach. “You get so involved when recording that you are not hearing what you recorded, but what you think you recorded.”

Gypsy Soul’s songwriting process begins with Morykit coming up with some music and a theme. Many ideas come from warming up on guitar. Swann will sing along and decide where to take the melody line. Sometimes the lyrical ideas hit her first, then she structures the vocal melody. Other times it is the reverse.

“We are very organic writers,” Swann observed. “I don’t go out of my way to always pick the obvious rhyme.”

“It takes us longer, but it feels more authentic to us,” Morykit added.

Swann once worked as an office manager for a film company in L.A. It taught her a bit about the entertainment industry, useful for when she is cold calling venues to get gigs.

While they have a publicist and a music publisher who handles some management duties, Swann and Morykit handle the majority of their business dealings, such as booking, promotions and selling albums.

“That is really tough for musicians to put on the business hat,” Swann observed. “An independent artist really has to build up their career.”

When Morykit was younger, the music industry was based on bands writing and recording material in hopes of signing with a record label. “It is just not that way anymore,” he noted. “You have to do so much more on your own.”

One example is the quality of recording equipment now widely available. In the past a band like Gypsy Soul would not have been able to record albums with good sound quality in a home studio, Morykit said.

The Internet allows independent artists to have a global reach for distribution, Swann added. They get e-mails from people around the world who want to order an album after finding their website.

A science teacher at a high school in England got the musicians’ permission to use some of their music in a short film done as a class project. The teacher brought them to England to do a concert at the school.

“That is the magic that can happen while you are sleeping,” Swann said. “People elsewhere are surfing the Internet.”

This weekend they will do two shows in Seattle, billed as a Celtic Christmas with Gypsy Soul. They will be backed by a full band. The musicians are Jeff Pevar, who has played with Raitt, Ray Charles and David Crosby; T.J. Morris of Seattle on percussion; and Jeffrey McCormick, who will switch off on guitar and bass with Morykit.

Gypsy Soul did two shows last weekend on Bainbridge Island that were sold out weeks in advance. Swann finds people in the Puget Sound area are very receptive to their music. “The fans up here are among the most supportive.”

Gypsy Soul plays Triple Door in Seattle on Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. (all ages) and 9:30 p.m. (21+). Cover is $18-$20.