Wailin' Jennys on the way

By Dan Hilborn
Published July 1, 2005


It was back in the summer of 2002 when a Winnipeg guitar shop owner brought together three of the city's top female folk artists for an impromptu concert in his store.

But that one-night show turned into a case of serendipity, and the Wailin' Jennys soon discovered they had a knack for singing beautiful three-part harmonies. On that fateful January night was born one of the most revered new bands in the Canadian folk music scene.

After winning the 2005 Juno award for the best roots and traditional album in Canada for their debut disc 40 Days, the Jennys confirmed that they'll be coming to the Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival as part of a year-long tour around the world.

The Wailin' Jennys - soprano Ruth Moody, mezzo Nicky Mehta and alto Annabelle Chvostek - are already being compared to such vocal luminaries as the Dixie Chicks and Kate and Anna McGarrigle.

"We've got a pretty busy summer lined up," Moody told the Burnaby NOW. "We'll be playing lots of festivals and there's a new record coming out in the fall."

In fact, that hectic schedule is already underway with the band set to travel from Thunder Bay to Vancouver, Calgary, Canmore and the Goderich Celtic Festival before bringing what their hometown newspaper calls their "sun-dappled roots-pop, blues and Celtic pop" to the beautiful surroundings of Deer Lake Park.

Moody, who used to play with the Juno-nominated roots group Scruj MacDuhk, said she had always been drawn to the idea of singing in an all-female trio and, when her former band broke up, she jumped at the opportunity.

"I grew up with two sisters and sang with them all the time, so I was kind of missing that," she said. "There was a guitar shop owner who occasionally put on shows, and he got wind of the idea that we wanted to sing together. He called and said 'Why not do it here?' and that's how it came to be.

"It totally took off beyond our expectations and we've had so much fun, we decided to continue."

Last winter, original member Cara Luft left the Jennys to re- embark on her own solo career and the band went searching for a new alto. Moody said they were fortunate to find Chvostek, a multi-instrument singer/songwriter from Montreal.

"With Annabelle, we continue to the tradition of being a collective of singer/songwriters," Moody said. "We all bring our own material to the band and we all collaborate and focus on the three- part harmonies that people know us for.

"Now we're even stronger," she said.

Moody herself is a classically trained vocalist and pianist who first shone in the field of Celtic music. Prior to joining the Jennys, she released a solo recording, Blue Muse, that ranged from haunting ballads to up-tempo rock music.

Mehta, who sings the midrange parts, is a poet and songwriter who was nominated for a 2002 Canadian Music Award for outstanding roots recording for her solo release Weather Vane. Sing Out magazine has named her one of the most promising up-and-coming singer songwriters on the continent.

Chvostek, the newest Jenny, performed with the Canadian Opera Company at the age of seven and has gone on to share the stage with Dar Williams, Veda Hille, Kinnie Starr and Martha Wainwright.

"We all come from different backgrounds, so we each have a lot to bring to the group individually," Moody said. "That ends up creating a show with a lot of diversity and something for everybody. The three-part harmony in general seems to really enthral people and that's a nice thing to be able to do."

Enthralling barely begins to describe what happens when their voices join together. From the very first track on their new CD, One Voice, it's obvious that these women are playing to their strengths with perfect harmonies and simple lyrics that convey a message of hope, strength and wonder in the world around them.

Not only is each of the Jennys an accomplished singer, each writes music and plays a variety of instruments.

Moody plays guitar, the bodhran (a Celtic drum), banjo, accordion and piano "if needed," she says. Mehta plays guitar, harmonica and percussion, while Chvostek is a virtuoso on the fiddle, mandolin and guitar.

While the songs in the band's current repertoire were typically written or suggested by one specific Jenny, the band members do hope to begin writing songs collaboratively in the future.

"Our usual process is to bring our own songs to the group, or the traditional songs we love, and then we work on them as a group. But, at some point soon, we'll probably start to write together," Moody said.

And with the addition of Chvostek, the band expects to move closer to the realm of roots music.

Currently on a cross-country tour of Canada's many folk, Celtic and roots music festivals (they play the Vancouver Folk Fest on July 15), the Jennys will wind up their summer in the Midwest U.S.A. before heading into the studio to record prior to an international tour in the winter. The Jennys are already booked into the Eastern U.S. states for December, on a return trip to England for January and February, and then off to Australia for March and April 2006.

"It's totally insane," Moody said of their schedule. "I don't think I imagined it would be this busy. As folk musicians, it's something you hope for and work really hard for. But it's pretty cool. We started by playing little house concerts and coffee shops and it's great to see how many people have supported us.

"That's one thing about our fan base. They are so loyal and supportive and for that we also feel very lucky."

Probably the greatest moment for the band was just two months ago when they played in front of a hometown audience of 13,000 after winning the Juno Award for the best roots and traditional album of the year.

The Wailin' Jennys were part of the Junos' tribute to Winnipeg that featured rock icons Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings on stage with the current crop of Manitoba's best musicians - Chantal Kreviazuk, Nathan, Fresh I.E. and the Waking Eyes.

"We were nominated and it was in our hometown and that was exciting enough," Moody said. "But when we won it was totally shocking and exciting."

And as the major media begin to take notice of this musical trio from the Prairies, Moody and her partners are just hoping to keep themselves grounded in the here and now.

"It's very exciting that people are on board and think there is so much potential. But I'd say the key is to keep your feet on the ground and keep your head on straight, because this is a funny business and you don't know what's going to happen next," Moody said. "We'd love to be the Dixie Chicks of folk, but at the same time, we just want to play music and if people want to listen, that's great. We'll just keep working hard as long as people want to hear our music."

With an attitude like that, the Wailin' Jennys will be around for a long time.