Local singer-songwriters Seth Bernard and May Earlewine share a lot of things. Not only did they both come home from February's WYCE Jammies victorious (Bernard in the best pop/rock record category for his album Is This You? and Earlewine under best Americana Record for her album Golden), but they also help manage a collaborative organization of around a dozen local musicians called Earthwork Collective.

"For May and I, it's kind of our baby," Bernard said of the organization, which has been in existence for a better portion of the last decade. "But a lot of people do a lot of things as far as projects go. It's shared leadership - we work on projects together, organize events, work with kids, stuff like that."

Both Is This You? and Golden were released through Earthwork. Each musician contributed to the other's album, proving just how successful Earthwork's collaborations can be.

For Bernard and Erlewine, it's more than just the bonds of musical creation that bring them together - it's also something far deeper. The two have been an "item" for seven years now and are set to marry in July. With everything the couple has in common, some may say it was meant to be.

"We grew up in the same area," Bernard said. "Our paths probably crossed when we were kids at music festivals like Wheatland. But we officially met at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival in 2003, and since then we've been sharing work and making music together."

Planning a wedding hasn't stopped Bernard and Erlewine from creating music together. In January, they travelled to Ethiopia to support the Run Across Ethiopia, a 400km "ultramarathon" to benefit Ethiopian education. During that time, they had what Bernard called a "songwriting spree," during which the pair wrote around 20 songs for an upcoming collaborative album. Bernard said the environment fueled the songwriting.

"The best part was being part of the cultural exchange," he said. "Ethiopia is just an amazing country with a deep culture."

Bernard said he expects the album to be released sometime next fall. He will be appearing at Wealthy Theater to perform a tribute to Cat Stevens on May 7.