What's In A Name?

It's arguably the catchiest name to grace a folk band since Scruj MacDuhk appeared on the Canadian folk scene. But while The Wailin' Jennys-Nicky Mehta, Ruth Moody, and Cara Luft-admit they'd love to be able to claim credit for their inspired moniker, Mehta confesses that it was bestowed on them by a friend with a penchant for dreaming up evocative band names For The Wailin' Jennys, hopefully a shortcut to the top of the folk scene It's arguably the catchiest name to grace a folk band since Scruj MacDuhk appeared on the Canadian folk scene. But while The Wailin' Jennys-Nicky Mehta, Ruth Moody, and Cara Luft-admit they'd love to be able to claim credit for their inspired moniker, Mehta confesses that it was bestowed on them by a friend with a penchant for dreaming up evocative band names.

"We didn't have a name until after out first show was arranged," she explains. "A mutual friend who booked the show said, 'I think The Wailin' Jennys is a great name', and everyone loved it right off the bat. At the Folk Alliance show in Florida, people came to our showcase based on the name alone." But the large fan base and critical attention they've received since forming in January of 2002 has less to do with the trio's name than it does with its members' instrumental and songwriting prowess, imaginative arrangements and, particularly, their spine-tingling harmonies. "Three-part harmony is very attractive to people," Mehta says. "It's very rooted in time historically and it's just something that people really respond to for some reason."

All three Jennys had gained prior recognition for their own CDs and careers: Mehta and Luft as singer-songwriters and Moody as a member of Scruj MacDuhk. But since its inception, demand for the trio at festivals and other venues is such that the Jennys have been left feeling, as Mehta puts it, "surprised, awed, amazed, and humbled." For this reason, the three musicians have put their individual careers on the backburner for the time being. "The emphasis is on the Jennys right now," says Mehta. "There us almost exclusive interest (from promoters) in the trio. We're willing to go with that right now, especially because we're doing our own original material within the band."

Actually, their eponymous debut EP is a mix of originals and covers, including Daniel Lanois' tune "Deeper Well" and a version of Leadbelly's "Bring Me A L'il Water, Silvy" that would have sounded right at home on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? Soundtrack. But their next CD will feature mainly originals-despite the fact that, according to Mehta, The Wailin' Jennys have not had a lot of time to write, largely because of their constant, often hectic touring schedule. But, she adds, touring with the Jennys is a pleasure. "It's really much nicer than touring alone," she says. "You know, strength in numbers."

Tell me about the Jennys!

You could say that it was like three winding roads merging in the night, coming into the light and becoming a newly laid path The Wailin' Jennys aren't complaining about their busy touring schedule You could say that it was like three winding roads merging in the night, coming into the light and becoming a newly laid path. About a year ago, Ruth Moody, Cara Lyft, and Nicky Mehta came together in Winnipeg and haven't looked back since-and the whirlwind that has taken them through two albums and countless folk festivals in the last year shows no signs of slowing. They've already got a third record planned for a release next spring.

All three women are veteran folk musicians, all of whom were successfully pursuing individual music careers when they were asked to do a one-off show at Winnipeg's Sled Dog Music as a trio called The Wailin Jennys. At the time, they didn't think of the gig as anything more than a one-night stand; the threesome just wanted to have some fun together and gathered their best work as well as their favorite songs to cover-Emmylou Harris's "Deeper Well" was one song all three were enthusiastic about. The number landed not only on the Sled Dog setlist that night, but also on the self-titled debut EP that soon followed. "One thing that I particularly find fascinating," says Mehta, "is how creatively fulfilling it is to arrange even covers. You sort of think only original stuff is really creative, but the actual process of putting together a song and making it your own and adding new instrumentation is an incredibly creative and neat thing."

As three individual and independent artists, the Wailin' Jennys have managed not only to nurture their own talents but to learn and explore their art together. Luft's experience growing up with musician parents helps on the road. Moody brings her Celtic background to the band's sound. Mehta's academic knowledge allows an intuitive perspective of the issues. But at the end of the day, they all share the song. "We have a very easy working relationship, largely because we are such different artists and we all have very different styles," says Mehta. "It's never about who's the best guitar player, because, I mean, Cara is clearly the best guitar player in our group. But everyone has their own style and everyone has their own way of writing and they're all equally valid in very different ways. We enhance each other's weaknesses and play off each other's strengths, so it's really neat that way."

At least they didn't call themselves the Engorged Joans

The women didn't even invent the group's name, but they've come to appreciate its pros and cons. "It's a play on Waylon Jennings," says Mehta, "which a lot of people don't get immediately, but it also causes tremendous confusion because people think they're hearing 'Waylon Jennings.' We were booked into a hotel in Ottawa for the Ottawa Folk Festival and they couldn't find us on the register. We were going to through our last names and Jennys and Wailin' and everything. They found us under Waylon Jennings. Someone from the hotel had actually phoned the festival asking if Waylon Jennings was playing."

Mehta makes a further point of saying that they adopted the name about three weeks before the country singer passed away last year. "When we went down to the Folk Alliance (in Florida)," she says, "it was a little dicey because people maybe thought it was disrespectful. We had a few people saying maybe we should learn one of his songs and we certainly intend to when we get a chance. But it's interesting how much interest the name itself has generated and that's something again we just happened upon. We had people coming to our showcase that didn't know who we were but just loved the name. So you can't ask for anything better than that.

It's a great name - but talent helps

Nicky Mehta would like to believe that her band's star-making performance at a music conference in Florida was based on talent alone. But she's guessing that wasn't entirely the case Nicky Mehta would like to believe that her band's star-making performance at a music conference in Florida was based on talent alone. But she's guessing that wasn't entirely the case.

At the Folk Alliance festival last February, the music of The Wailin' Jennys-which Mehta fronts with Ruth Moody and Cara Luft-was rapturously received by the influential radio and festival programmers in attendance. What the three friends ended up with in return was a number of unexpectedly packed showcase concerts at the influential music industry event.

Looking back on it now, the 30-year-old with the rich alto voice believes the immediate response was as much due to the acoustic trio's talent as it was their shrewd marketing.

"We took the worst shot of us that we could find and plastered it everywhere," says Mehta. "This one shot in particular was just brutal. Ruth looked like she had been stung by a wasp, and we had this fan on us so our hair was blowing everywhere. But people loved the name. We had all these people loved the name. We had all these people coming up saying, 'We don't know who you are, but good name!'"

Great name, in fact. And while its likeness to a certain outlaw country star has caused the occasional double-take-"We got booked into a hotel room as Waylon Jennings at the Ottawa Folk Festival," Mehta laughs-the moniker has served a valuable purpose in the short term.

Together just under a year the Winnipeg-based group has already shot to near the top of the folk scene in Canada. Early support from the CBC helped put the band on the fast track, Mehta says, but hitting the road and playing in front of people has been crucial in breaking the band's heartfelt harmonies to folk fans across the country.

Each Wailin' Jennys was a veteran performer before joining forces with the other two, which has been a blessing, she says. "Had we been fresh as performers period, it might be a different story. But I think that our collective experience helps. That extends from everything to booking a solid tour to stage presence. Everyone is a seasoned enough performer that nobody loses it on stage."

The group's run of good fortune began almost immediately. A mutual friend, who also happened to own Sled Dog Music in Winnipeg, had the idea of staging a performance at his guitar shop, and he asked the three performers to assemble a group for it. They agreed.

But never did the quickly formed trio, who had met the year prior at the Winnipeg Folk Festival when Moody was still a member of Scruj MacDuhk, expect their free-wheeling set-which featured originals and Led Zeppelin and Kim Mitchell covers-to warrant the reaction it did.

"The interest in that first show was so good that we booked a second date," says Mehta. "We had such a great time. I think we were all so burned out from pursuing our own stuff that this was just a chance to really have some fun and learn some songs. It was for fun and nothing else. There was always this very relaxed, noncommittal attitude towards it."

Mehta says The Wailin' Jennys maintain the same devil-may-care attitude, but there's no denying the fact that the pressure is mounting for this young band. Its first-ever summer festival date was as a headliner at July's Winnipeg Folk Festival; their eighth gig together was at the massive Harbourfront Center in Toronto.

Mehta says a highlight for the band was during the Comox Valley's Vancouver Island Music festival this summer, when the group was schedules to perform a Sunday morning gospel set. At the time, The Jennys had just enough material for two sets, and precious little of it was gospel.

Still, the trio performed flawlessly.

"We were madly trying to figure out what we could tackle from our existing set that could fit into a gospel thing," Mehta says laughing. "Anything remotely, even possibly connected to God was used. We were really stretching to the limits there."

It didn't appear to be a stretch for the audience, which responded to the band's endearing treatment of songs, some of which appear on the group's new self-titled EP.

But as for doing it again, Mehta isn't so sure that her band would get the same crowd reaction. "I think people have heard our stage patter too much since then. It's not so devotional."

Wailin' Jennys in town

It was just their luck the Winnipeg female folk trio The Wailin' Jennys happened to be at a music conference in Florida last February when country superstar outlaw Waylon Jennings breathed his last It was just their luck the Winnipeg female folk trio The Wailin' Jennys happened to be at a music conference in Florida last February when country superstar outlaw Waylon Jennings breathed his last.

They had only been together a matter of weeks and had really only joined forces for a one-off show but the response was so good they figured they'd keep it going for a while, see where it led. A friend from a local guitar shop had come up with the name and it turned out to be a great little calling card.

Except the folks at the Florida music conference thought they were making fun of their country icon and reportedly were quite annoyed about it.

In their short career together that's probably the only negative review Cara Luft, Ruth Moody and Nicky Mehta have received. Each enjoyed her own career in the rich Winnipeg roots/folk world before they got together early this year to play that gig at Winnipeg's Sled Dog Music Store and Cafe.

Playing the guitar, mandolin, flute, keys and drums and deploying amazing harmonies they pulled out some obscure roots songs, a handful of originals and a few interesting covers such as the Waterboys' Mike Scott's "Bring 'Em All In" and Emmylou Harris' "Deeper Well."

The response was immediate. Offers for work poured in, more than any of them could fetch on their own, and they spent the summer playing folk festivals from Winnipeg to Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver Island.

You can see The Wailin' Jennys tonight at the Railway Club, 579 Dunsmuir at Seymour (tickets $8 guests, $6 members). Get there early, it'll be packed.

Former resident wails with new trio

A familiar voice will once again echo in valley A familiar voice will once again echo in valley.

Cara Luft, who was a regular on the acoustic music scene here in the mid- to late-90's, is coming back to the north Okanagan and this time will be singing with her new group, The Wailin' Jennys.

The Winnipeg-based trio, also featuring Nicky Mehta and Ruth Moody, is about to tour the Okanagan, Kootneys and Vancouver Island.

Not to be confused as a Waylon Jennings tribute band, The Wailin' Jennys will combine harmonies and instruments at Lorenzo's Cafe in Ashton Creek Tues Nov 19.

"Every time I come back to the mountains, I wonder why I left," said Luft, a singer who also plays guitar and mandolin. "I love the environment and the accessibility to everything. I'm looking forward to coming back and sharing what I have been working on."

Luft, who orginally moved to Vernon from Calgary in '95 and attended Okanagan University College, frequently took the stage at the now closed Pandora's Bistro in Vernon and other local hang-outs for folk/acoustic music players. She also played the now defunct Restoration Music Festival and Salmon Arm's internationally-renowned Roots and Blues Festival.

"I applied to the Lilith Fair while I was living in Vernon and played the show when it went to Calgary."

After deciding that school wasn't for her, Luft made the choice to follow music as a full-time profession and moved to Canada's folk music capital, breeding ground for the likes of Neil Young, The Guess Who and newer artists such as The Wyrd Sisters and Chantal Kreviazuk.

"I knew if I wanted to make it, I would have to go back to the city," said Luft. "I feel like I belong in Winnipeg... We can afford rent here and there is government backing for the arts."

Last year was a successful year for Luft, who saw her first full-length solo CD, Tempting the Storm, nominated for best roots recording at the Prairie Music Awards. She also hooked up with the other women from The Wailin' Jennys.

After performing two sold-out gigs in Winnipeg, the trio went down to Florida to attend the Folk Alliance Conference and success has followed them since.

"It's been fun performing with each other. We get good feedback," said Luft. "The Winnipeg Folk Festival booked us to open the festival last year."

Joining Luft in the group is Moody, who plays guitar, keyboards and percussion and was a member with the popular Celtic band Scruj MacDuhk. Mehta, playing guitar and percussion, has had a successful solo career. Her debut CD, Weather Vane, was nominated for a Canadian Independent Music Award.

The Wailin' Jennys, who have so far recorded an EP and plan to record a full-length CD in the spring, will perform both original and cover music at Lorenzo's Tuesday.

Wailin' Jennys back for an encore

Recently Selected as performers to induct Neil Young into the Prairie Music Hall of Fame, The Wailin' Jennys are a soul stirring Winnipeg based musical trio made up of some of the hottest young musicians in the Canadian folk scene They thrilled audience with their angelic voices, dynamic stories and songs and rich harmonies at MusicFest 2002, now The Wailin' Jennys are returning for a special concert, Thursday Nov. 28 at the Edge Pub in Comox.

Recently Selected as performers to induct Neil Young into the Prairie Music Hall of Fame, The Wailin' Jennys are a soul stirring Winnipeg based musical trio made up of some of the hottest young musicians in the Canadian folk scene. Their success comes in combining their shining solo abilities with original material, passion and confidence, unexpected cover songs, and a love of performing that belies their newness.

The Wailin' Jennys inspire, entertain and bring a wonderful new and fresh energy to the stage every time they play. Their playful characters leave fans grinning and humming and renewed in their love of voices coming together in song. Tickets are limited for this special event and are only $15 at the Edge Pub.

Wailin' Jennys overcome name confusion

It was an unwanted lesson in bad timing that hit Winnipeg three-piece folk act the Wailin' Jennys after its members settled on its cutesy and seemingly inoffensive name in February It was an unwanted lesson in bad timing that hit Winnipeg three-piece folk act the Wailin' Jennys after its members settled on its cutesy and seemingly inoffensive name in February.

Hastily named by a Winnipeg promoter after country superstar Waylon Jennings, the group wasn't exactly looking to pay tribute to the aging country star. But they didn't mean to offend either. Yet shortly afterwards, Jennings expired at the age of 64 just as the "Jennys" were schmoozing at a music conference in Florida.

"It was bad timing," said Cara Luft, one of the vocalists of the all-female folk act. "We were at this huge conference and people were actually angry at us. They thought we were making fun of him or something."

Of course, part of the confusion may have been that the Wailin' Jennys, while including the odd Emmylou Harris cover in their repertoire, are a far cry from the road-weary outlaw music of Jennings.

Boasting three-part harmonies, a love of Celtic music and an acoustic-based sound, the Wailin' Jennys has gone beyond a part-time pursuit for Luft, Nicky Mehta and Ruth Moody and eclipsed their individual solo careers.

Launched six months ago, the act was put together for a few odd shows in Winnipeg when the band's infectious sound caught on in that city's healthy folk circles.

"The word just kind of spread and it exploded a little bit," said Luft. "Three of us had our little followings and people thought the idea of three of us together would work really well."

So, after quickly recording a demo tape of six songs, the trio put together a repertoire and embarked on a tour of southern Ontario. This summer they have become a popular attraction at various folk festivals, including the Ottawa Folk Festival and Blue Skies near Kingston.

"At first we brought in songs that were fun to sing, that was the whole purpose," Luft said. "For those first two shows in Winnipeg we brought Emmylou Harris, Julie Miller -- I brought a Kim Mitchell song to the group as a joke. Now that we are playing more and more we've cut back on the covers and brought in more originals."

Writing individually, Luft, Moody and Mehta cover a lot of bases as songwriters. Luft brings more upbeat rock songs to the fold. Moody, who once played with Juno-nominated Celtic act Scruj MacDuhk, brings a love of Celtic while Mehta covers traditional ballads with her writing.

But Luft suggests it's the band's sound, and its reliance on harmony vocals, that sets them apart.

"There is a resurgence in harmony singing and everything that sounds somewhat traditional," she said. "I don't know how else to explain the sudden interest in our stuff."

But the trio tend to take advantage of it. They will be recording a debut album in the fall and Luft said she hopes to be able to co-write with her co-Jennys for the release.

In its six months of existence, the band has really only played together three months because of other responsibilities as solo performers.

"The dilemma is that we need to get all this new material and we haven't had time to write it," she said. "People keep asking us and we tell them we've only been together for three months. We haven't had time."

Wailin' in Winnipeg

Three of Winnipeg’s finest folk performers, Cara Luft, Nicky Mehta and Ruth Moody, have banded together in a folksinging trio called The Wailin’ Jennys Three of Winnipeg’s finest folk performers, Cara Luft, Nicky Mehta and Ruth Moody, have banded together in a folksinging trio called The Wailin’ Jennys. Singing original compositions and rootsy covers, The Wailin’ Jennys got together for what was supposed to be a one off gig at Winnipeg’s Sled Dog Music and caf_