Woah baby, the Junos! What a trip. What a joy to play on a stage for 13000 people. What a treat to get to know Nathan, The Waking Eyes and Fresh I.E., and to play with such gracious legends as Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings, riding on the incredible energy of rock and roll.K.D. Lang sang so beautifully, so powerfully, she had our emotions all churning. It was a wonderful blast of soul food that will keep me going for a while.And that was just the telecast. It's been a mad week of festivities, performances and media. On friday before our show at the West End we stuffed ourselves at a dinner provided by the wonderful SOCAN. Ron Sexsmith was there but I was too starstruck to say hi.I did have a nice non-verbal moment with the lovely Sarah Harmer at the party after the Gala event, as she gestured me towards the abundance of the free-flowing bar. I wasn't ready to indulge yet though, had to have my head together for the telecast the following night! So I just smiled. I could have said hello, u rock, but didn't. She seems very human and down to earth though. That was good for me to see. The hype machine of T.V. pumps the glamour of it all, makes people into momentary super-heroes, but really, we're all so gosh dern human.After the telecast we went to a party hosted by one of the big five record companys. I had a blast grooving with the kids from MARIA, and Nicky and I shared a nice dance with the charming Kieth Urban. At that point I was a bit less shy, in part thanks to some very fine single malt scotch provided by the company. I regretted the abundance on monday however. All those misdirected artist royalties contributed to one very nasty hang-over. Never again I say. And I've only ever said that maybe two or three times before.Anyway, the Junos were a blast, Winnipeg was awesome and the celebration was welcome. My band-mates have worked hard, and I am so happy and proud of them, so glad to be able to jump in to help keep the ball rolling. When the win was announced my heart pounded so hard, the oxygen gushed through and every beat made me dizzy. I got all choked up.
We are very excited to report that the Jennys have won the Juno for Best Roots and Traditional Album - Group for their album 40 Days at this years Juno Awards Gala! Please check back soon for further details and reaction from the girls.
The Webmaster
Now We Are Three (Again)
Owing to a breakdown in communication, the planned interview with the Wailin’ Jennies had to be shoehorned ... Owing to a breakdown in communication, the planned interview with the Wailin’ Jennies had to be shoehorned in to the interval between their two sets at Sheffield’s Highcliffe Hotel. So here we are, halfway through the penultimate night of a first UK tour (in fact their first tour outside Canada and North America) that has already seen them do ten shows in twelve days, plus record a Radio 2 session for Bob Harris. It’s all a bit rushed and pleasantly ramshackle, this last brought about by the fact that the only place we can talk is in a corridor, where we sit on the floor, with the microphone balanced precariously on my jacket. Well done Sony for making a bit of kit that coped real well with the poor placement and odd acoustics. I’m conscious that the three of them are probably still stoked by the adrenaline of the first set, so to get things rolling I opt for the obvious "why the Wailin’ Jennys, rather than the Bawlin’ Marys, or the Howlin’ Annies?" Laughter from all of them, as precious they ain’t.
Ruth Moody: "It’s just a joke really. The Jennys first started back in January 2002, when it was intended to be nothing more than a one-off collaboration between the three of us. John Sharples, who is a friend of ours in Winnipeg, got to hear of it and said he would put on a show in his music store. That sold out, so we added a second and it sold out too. At which point we thought we should do more of thisǃ_. We needed a name for the band, something that wasn’t simply our surnames, but struggled to find one that that might work. None of them did until John came up with Wailin’ Jennys, which we thought was a riot. It seemed to fit us - and even though we’re not a country band, it’s a nice play on Waylon Jennings."
As puns go, it’s both good and appropriate. Like Waylon, the Jennys bring virtuosity, flair, honesty and directness to the music, as well as a good lashing of humour. Their first CD, 40 Days, was released in April 2004 to a slew of positive reviews and a fair bit of radio play that all helped to draw in the crowds - who if the Highcliffe is typical, are bloody glad they came. Like (I suspect) most people, I was expecting a heavy dose of material from the album, though only two of the eight songs they played in the first half came from it. And that wasn’t the only thing that surprised, as their harmonies seemed different, with a subtly edgier and noticeably grittier feel to it all.
Cue a delve in to their musical backgrounds, where it turns out that all three made their way as singer-songwriters, working solo and with others. Going further back, Ruth was brought up on a strict diet of classical music, later adding that she was "classically trained from an early age on piano and voice." Nicky Mehta said her grounding was "Brit-pop and lots of different stuff that wasn’t folk." For Annabelle Chvostek it was "violin - and as a kid I sang in a Canadian children’s opera chorus, then studied classical voice, jazz and weird contemporary electronic music." Looking to probe a bit further, I mentioned the seeming difference between their sound on record and on stage, also asking if they drew on other musical forms and traditions. A slightly surprised Ruth responded with "well, we’re all interested in that, though Annabelle has probably done more of thisǃ_she only took over in December from Cara Luft...." Oops! Poor preparation and a total lack of observation on my part. I try to stammer an apology, but to giggles from the others, Annabelle interjects with "so obviously, I’m adding all the gritǃ_." And Ruth comes in with "I think our live performances have always had a little more of a raw feel to them, because we don’t have a band that can use drums, guitar swells, organ pads and those things that make for an atmospheric effect."
Well, whilst my blushes subside, let me say that it’s a mark of their respective abilities and the chemistry between them that there has been a quick, almost seamless transition from the original to the present line-up. For sure, Annabelle’s eastern European roots and knowledge of its musical forms are a factor, but so too is what Nicky and Ruth bring to the brew. This is nicely showcased when each of them does a solo spot, or when they take turns with the lead vocal. And their harmonies are simply fabulous, as is the interplay between guitars, fiddle, accordion, percussion, harmonica and bodhran. In other words, they are all somewhat versatile.
Demand for the Jennys is such that they continue to have a pretty hectic touring schedule, including appearances at the North American Folk Alliance in Montreal and the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. They will also be going to the Juno Awards (Canada’s equivalent of The Brits), as 40 Days has been nominated for best roots & traditional album. On top of that, they plan to be in the studio some time in the autumn, news that had me wondering about the direction that the next album might take. I didn’t know it at the time of course, but only four of the ten songs that would comprise their second set at the Highfield would come from 40 Days. It wasn’t necessarily a pointer to the forthcoming CD, but it showed that the band have no intention of standing still. And it’s going to be interesting to see how the new collaboration works.
For 40 Days Cara, Ruth and Nicky each separately wrote three songs, but next time looks to be different, with Ruth saying "we’re talking about doing some writing together. We’ve never tried it, so it should be fun." Given their respective abilities and the evidence of their past work, it has to be a given that the results are going to be spectacular. All of them have distinctive styles, somehow each managing to achieve real depth without floundering for meaning. So how does it all come together? "In many different ways," says Ruth. "For me personally sometimes it’s words first, then music, But it could as easily be the other way around." To keep the thread flowing, I observe that their music has a warmth and freshness to it, akin to a sunny morning in a Canadian cornfield, only for my lyrical leak to be properly stopped by Nicky saying "the next record will be much more cynical!" Well, maybe so, but whatever it’s about, it’s likely to be worth the wait. In the meantime, check out http://www.thewailinjennys.com which in addition to the usual mix of news, biographies, tour schedules, merchandise, sound clips and so on, has a growing list of recommended places to eat. So much with simply having to be content with a feast for the earǃ_
SXSW Report
Hey all,We're back from SXSW and happy to report that we had a fabulous time and a successful showcase. The Austin Chronicle chose us as a pick of the festival so we actually had a lineup down the block for our showcase! It was surprising to say the least. There are just so many bands there - this year I think they reached the 1400 mark.We also had a chance to see some great bands - I was thrilled to see that Son Volt was playing (looooove Jay Farrar) and I was also treated to sets by Robyn Hitchcock, Spoon, Calexico and Hot Hot Heat. And of course, I was happy as always to catch my partner's band Novillero. It was certainly a wonderful thing to hang out with Grant in Austin and after all the performing we took in some art galleries and lots of Mexican and Cuban food (check for upcoming food entries for Austin, Fernie, and other locations from our last tour). Austin is an impressive city and everyone we met there was incredibly friendly and had an interesting story to tell.So now we're back in the Peg and we're gearing up for the Juno festivities. We hope everyone can tune in to the telecast and catch us rocking out with fellow Winnipeggers - should be amusing.We've also added some new dates so check out the On Stage page for tour dates in BC and Ontario. We expect to be adding more summer festivals very shortly as well as a few more US dates for May.Hope everyone has a good spring and here's crossing our fingers for a hot summer in Canada (with no forest fires).See you all soon!
Hello everyone,
Exciting news abounds these days - we just got word that CMT is now playing our video for "Beautiful Dawn"! But as you may or may not know, CMT decides how often an independent video will run based on audience response. We know we've asked for your support in this regard before (and the response was fabulous!), but we are humbly asking again that people write in to CMT to request the video.
The link to the CMT Canada comments webform is : CMT Canada
Just click on "Connect", choose "CMT Programming", select "Show or Video Request" or "CMT Programs" and then write your email. You can mention that you know we have a video out and would like to see it or you can say that you saw it, loved and it and have to see it again! Just a suggestion...
Thank you so much for your interest and please know that all of your support helps the Jennys immeasurably. Cheers!
Hello from Alberta
Hi everyone,Sorry for the gap in journal entries - we are now in Calgary taking a bit of a breather with our friends Jon and Jodi Ouellette. We just enjoyed three great shows in Kamloops, McBride and Spruce Grove. Thank you to everyone who came out to those. And thank you to Katherine, John, Robin and Lauren Sutherland in Kamloops, Christine Richardson, Wes and Ashley in Edmonton, Kjell Valestrand, Herb and Greg and the gang from CMH Heli-Skiing and the North Country Lodge in McBride for your generosity and pampering. We are so lucky to know you all and we never cease to be amazed by the wonderful people we meet and the great care we receive on the road. Thanks to all of you for making us feel at home. We'll definitely have some new food entries up after this tour!We have a couple of days off which is a welcome break as Annabelle is just getting over a rather nasty cold. She's been a trooper through the shows, though and is looking forward to having her voice back. Soon we'll be heading off to Fernie, Red Deer, Hinton and Grande Prairie and then to Austin for SXSW. Woohoo!As many of you know, the Jennys have been asked to perform as part of a Winnipeg tribute on the Juno telecast and we are getting excited about that. The whole Juno week is going to be a blast and I hope to have the details of those shows on the website very soon.Check back soon for more website additions and thanks to everyone for sending congratulations!~ Nicky
Hello everyone,
You can catch the Jennys live on the Vinyl Cafe tomorrow (March 6th) on Vinyl Cafe Canada, Canada CBC Radio 1, 12:00 p.m. National time (which means 12:00 pm everywhere in Canada). The Jennys will be singing 'Swallow' and formally introducing Annabelle to the CBC audience.
The Webmaster
Hi all,
This is just a quick message to let you know that we will be updating the site in the next few days with some new shows (Juno-related and otherwise), news, photos (some are already up) and journal entries. We should have some new videos up soon and we'll keep you posted on that. Please check back soon.
Greetings to everyone who attended our shows in Kamloops and McBride!
The Jennys
P.S. If you didn't hear the news, we won the Canadian Independent Music Award for favourite roots group of the year. Yeeha! We couldn't have done it without you, so thank you for your incredible support. All of you consistently go out of your way to help us and we appreciate it very much! You rock!