The Good Lovelies

Welcome Baby Annabelle!

2012-09-30T13:08:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to announce that Annabelle Love was born on September 28th at 12:30am. Caroline, Colin and Annabelle are happy, healthy and enjoying life at home together.

Sue and I are so proud of Caroline and cannot wait to love and spoil this beautiful baby girl.

xo xo xo

A Few of Our Favourite Toronto Things

2012-09-26T17:27:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since we've been able to spend this much time in Toronto...so we wanted to give a shout out to some of our favourite places. This is the place we call home, so not surprisingly, our homes end up on our lists. :)

Caroline's Toronto

coffee place: Saving Gigi

breakfast joint: Grapefruit Moon
cheap lunch: Cocoalatte on St. Clair
casual but delicious dinner place: Fresh
music venue: Cameron House (front room) & Massey Hall (two very different shows)
park: Sir Winston Churchill Park
place to read: My sunny kitchen
music shop: Capsule Music & The Twelfth Fret
retail/dress shop: Charlie (Queen West) (before I was pregnant!)
gym or work out spot: The Toronto Ravine Network
beer hang out spot: The Gem
patio: My back deck
market: Wychwood Barns on Saturday morning
sunday activity: Fixing up my house and gardening

Sue's Toronto

coffee place: The Common (College Street)

breakfast joint: Lady Marmalade
cheap lunch: Pizza Pizza… just kidding. Burro Burrito on College - that was the cheapest meal I've had, and enjoyed, lately.
casual but delicious dinner place: Banjara
music venue: The Dakota
park: High Park or Trinity Bellwoods
place to read: Dark Horse
record store: Rotate This
retail/dress shop: Anthropologie
gym or work out spot: High Park Trails
beer hang out spot: 3 Speed
patio: Whelan's Gate Pub
specialty shop: The Paper Place
market: Wychwood Barns and Riverdale Farm
sunday activity in Toronto: Board games at Snakes and Lattes, bike ride along the lakeshore, wander through the Distillery District, explore a neighbourhood I don't live in (i.e.. The Beach… though not ALL on the SAME Sunday!)

Kerri's Toronto

coffee place: Ella's Uncle

breakfast joint: Saving Grace (Dundas Street)
cheap lunch: Burro Burrito
casual and delicious dinner place: Enoteca Sociale
music venue: Cameron House
park: Trinity Bellwoods
beer spot: The Local
record store: Soundscapes
art store: Midoco on Bloor
retail/dress shop: Girl Friday
gym or work out spot: Trinity Bellwoods Rec Centre
patio: Sidecar (it's a back patio, and it's peaceful as a result.)
market: Kensington Market
sunday activity in Toronto: I like to walk around the city and/or go for a bike ride during the day. By afternoon I like to have a glass of red wine at home, listen to Rex Murphy while I make dinner and then play a wicked game of Scrabble (in the summer this can all happen on my deck)

Our Farewell to England and Scotland (For Now)

2012-09-26T09:15:00.001-07:00

(Started May 18, 2012 – Driving from Barnsley to Ross on Wye)

If I see one more sign ending in “inghamshire,” I’ll just… I’m gonna… I don’t know what I’ll do.

It’s day eight of our two week jaunt to the United Kingdom, and it’s been a cracking trip so far, if I do say so myself. Last week, we flew into Heathrow airport, had our passports stamped, jumped in a cab with all our gear (we have so much gear) and headed to our night’s lodging for a wee lay down.

After sleeping the better part of the day away (two of us more than the other one) we met up for dinner at a lovely Italian eatery, and ordered a pizza each. Yes, even sleeping all day makes us hungry, and the cheesy doughy goodness of that pizza satisfied all our sleep-deprived cravings.

Upon returning to our hotel (one room with three single beds in it) we decided to watch the remaining three episodes of Downton Abbey (Season 2.) It may not have been our wisest move, as we had yet to adjust to Greenwich Mean Time, but we’re not about being responsible all the time, we just wanted to have a sleepover. So instead we pushed our three beds together and watched TV until we passed out.

I cannot stress how glamorous road life can be.

The first show was the following day, in Elloughton, a cute little hamlet about three hours from London. The room was packed, the weather gorgeous, and the crowd delightfully attentive. When the show was over, we met with the audience and signed CDs. And for the first time in our band’s existence, we were serenaded by a group of four gentlemen – who sang us a lovely rendition of an Everley Brothers song, in four part harmony. It was a performance to see, and included wild gesticulations. It was as if we had been officially welcomed to Britain. Like getting screeched in, in Newfoundland or something.

The next night, in Wakefield, we played in an incredible old pub, Henry Boons, the décor a mix of old and antique materials, signage and taps. Maybe only a handful of times have we experience pin-dropping silence in a bar – this was one of those times.

The next morning we headed north for Edinburgh; (a day off to get adjusted to Greenwich Mean Time) and to enjoy the sheep scenery (sheepnery?) Our house concert hosts for the show the following night, invited us to come a day early and we happily did so. We crashed their dinner plans with friends, and Douglas pulled out the wine, fed us all an incredible (and welcome) home-cooked meal. As the night wore on, out came a variety of whiskeys and great stories. I could spend a week in Edinburgh, and likely much longer in all of Scotland. We slept in a big open loft, the four of us on couches and floors, waking when the first person up tuned into the BBC and made a pot of tea.

I can’t say that sleep is easily come by on tour, and I admit that I need much more than I actually get when we travel. It’s a given that the first few nights of sleep on the road are hard at the best of times, but, when you’re on a floor, air mattress, or couch and there are no curtains, and there are four extra people in the house, with no barriers between them and us… this is a recipe for sleep disaster. And three very tired women – who were already tired to begin with. I can’t imagine why we’ve not gotten sick or thrown up from fatigue.

From Edinburgh we headed to Sheffield, from Sheffield to Garstang, Gargstang to Barnsley – each show lovely in its own right. It’s always amazing (and appreciated) that people show up to our gigs. We’ve not been to most of these places, and to have an audience at all is amazing, let alone a full room! The Guinness has been flowing (for me and Sue) and the cheese and crackers always on the table for Caroline (and for Sue and I, because what goes better with a giant cold glass of stout, than a handful of cheese and crackers?)

In Barnsley, we revisited one of the stops from last year – a great house concert venue called the Wheelhouse. Our hosts Hedley and Lynn put us up for the night, fed us a stunning home cooked dinner and breakfast, filled the room with guests, and served jacket potatoes at half time. The shed is a beautiful little building in the backyard, complete with bar, sound system, charm and an enthusiastic audience. Those shows, where people are basically right under our lips are among our favourites. Those are the shows where you get to freak people out by looking right into their eyes, or as Sue would say, “attach at the eye.” Her version sounds much more surgical than mine, but still intimate, so I’ll let her have it.

Earlier that morning, we had our first in-house BBC session – an hour-long interview with The Drift. The BBC building bears a striking resemblance to the CBC buildings we’ve visited (go figure) and its similarities comfort us. I feel like it’s been years since I’ve spent anytime in Canada, so it was nice to cozy up in a familiar looking place and have a chat with kind radio hosts.

May 19, 2012 – Arrived in Ross on Wye

This is a cute town, looks like something out of a British drama a la Pride and Prejudice. We played in St. Mary’s church and two of us stayed at the neighbouring rectory, while the other two stayed in a quaint nearby B&B – that looked like something out of the 1700s. We had an amazing night at the church, ate the most nutritious and filling meal of the entire trip and LOVED our hosts. Such funny people, such great women – I swear they should be their own TV show. I would tune in every week to be a fly on the wall in that place!

May 21, 2012 – In the van (again)

Outside, today, the sun in shining and we’re driving to Mylor in Cornwall. It finally feels like summer and as the Vitamin D seeps into my skin, I can feel the surge of energy it offers, coming out in hyperactivity and weird car games: like for five minutes, whenever someone speaks, they have to sing speak, and answer the same way. Or, sing 99 bottles of beer on the wall, in a different musical genre with every drop of a bottle. It’s weird, I know.

The drives have been full of fields of sheep – it’s lambing season too – so we’ve seen no less than ten thousand sheep in the past 10 days – rough estimate.

Last night we played to a kick-ass audience in London. The room reminded us of something you’d find in the Dundas and Ossington neighbourhood in Toronto – sort of like the Dakota Tavern – and we had a great time. Last year, the Green Note presented our show, and this year, the same two women from the Green Note, found us a bigger venue (the Underbelly) and presented our show again. Check out both places if you’re ever in London. They are charming, filled with good people, and are great places to catch live music and yummy food. Plus, the Underbelly has a rather prominent David Bowie motif, which has me rooting for it all the more. Also, I like saying, “The Good Lovelies, tonight at the Underbelly.” Sounds positively seedy, but is nothing of the sort.

This was also the last night we got to hang out with our friend Nick, who attended six of our UK gigs. This is no small feat, as none of the shows were that close together which meant, Nick made day trips out of joining us again and again. If we had a Good Lovelies Loyalty Card, he would have already received a free show out of it (or a free 6 inch sandwich…) Thanks to Nick. We’ll see you next year we hope (with a heck of a lot of new material to boot!)

May 23rd (just catching up so I can finally post this!)

From London we dashed to Mylor in Cornwall (not at all en route, but definitely worth the massive detour.) Our hosts Steve and Cherry made an amazing dinner for us, and put on a hell of a show, inviting what felt like the entire county. The room was rammed, and you could feel the energy in the room, that these folks were ready for a good time. They sang along, sassed us, allowed us to sass them… frankly, there are no words to capture the magic of that night.

In Truro the next morning, we hit up BBC Cornwall, and hung out with David White – who had us play four songs, and tell a “radio-friendly” stage story. Oh, but which story to share. There are so, so, so many now.

In a few hours, we were wandering the streets of Bristol, we came across the Christmas Steps, an area filled with neat little shops and we puttered around a pottery shop (our suitcases just a little bit heavier now than a day earlier) and the weather was killer.

Turns out we were there the same night the Olympic torch was passing through town and I started thinking about when I watched the torch go through Port Hope and Cobourg (my home town area.) It was pretty special seeing the whole town come out to the streets to watch them pass. In light of this fact, people were able to do both, watch the torch pass, and then come to our show, because we had a great crowd out. Also, Sue has been sitting on stage for the past three nights due to a recently acquired foot injury. The mystery of her hobbling on stage, and not mentioning it was too much for me to resist coming out with the true story – which is that she stepped out of the van one day and something just snapped. And now she’s walking the beautiful streets of Lewes on crutches, trying to snap photos. It’s a sight to see, and she’s rather positive about the whole thing… much more than I would be. That being said, she doesn’t have to lift the amps anymore, so maybe that alone is bringing a smile to her face.

Tonight we’re in Lewes, at the Elephant and Castle, and we’ve just performed an acoustic set at the Union Music Store (a great record shop in town!) This is our last night in the UK, and we couldn’t ask for nicer hosts (Jamie and Stevie) a more beautiful setting and incredible weather. We will miss this place and are eager to return, to see more of it, to meet more people, and dip our toes in the ocean next time. Thanks for having us England and Scotland. We won’t forget you.

Out and About in the USA

2012-02-23T06:13:00.000-08:00

It would be easy to let these days pass by without taking time to write it all down, but I’ve been re-inspired lately to stop and smell the roses (if you will) and to remember the good and the bad times.

I would hate to wake up one day, having zoomed in and out of so many interesting places, and not remember any one thing that happened, but just that it happened. So, while I’m here and while it’s happening, I’d like to dwell on the incredible moments, and laugh about the things that went wrong, and hope to glean some insight into myself and my friends and maybe even make the trips ahead, even easier.

This is my account of our February 2012 tour to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Indiana; the highlights, the bruises, the microbreweries, the late nights, the weird sound checks, the great food, the beige food, the audiences, the hotels and whatever else I can think of…

We flew into Spokane, WA on February 2nd, slept in Ritzville, WA that night and headed to Fox Island the next day. My first morning started at 6am, jet-lagged in the best way, as I watched the sun rise while swimming 60 lengths in a very short pool. We stopped in Seattle for lunch, and the weather was so warm and sunny that we ditched our winter jackets and walked through Pike Place Market absorbing every last drop of vitamin D we could. Our dear friend, travel companion, upright bassist, (and beer & coffee enthusiast), Paul Mathew, started what we can now call “the beer experiment tour” with a few delicious bottles of local beer he picked up in Seattle, with the help of an equally enthusiastic clerk in the market.

The drive was picturesque, with mountains on one side, and forests surrounding us. The smell of spring (in February…) gave us an extra kick of energy as we approached the beautiful, little chapel on the water, where we were to play our first show.

Our host Deborah, was a wonderful woman, who had filled our lodging with food and drink (wine, pasta, tortilla chips that lasted the length of the ENTIRE 3-week tour, salsa, bacon, eggs, croissants… my god, there was enough food to feed an army … of musicians.) The chapel was full of people and the crowd was responsive and energetic as we insisted they join us on a few songs.

In the morning we headed to a ranch owned by Michael O’Neill, who is also a radio host, and a musician. Earlier in the week, Caroline had had a Skype interview with him, and he asked if we would play live in his studio while we were in town. He was awesome, and said “dang” in response to us finishing a song. The ranch was gorgeous, and full of horses. Sue was in heaven.

The next night, in Forest Grove, was a real highlight show for me. The theatre had a natural ambiance, a gifted sound engineer, an amazing audience, and the promoters even brought out a grand piano for me to play. We couldn’t have felt more taken care of. And boy, do I ever miss playing the piano. I wish I could fold a Steinway grand into my carry-on, but alas.

Paul’s birthday was the next day, so we opted to get a couple of rooms in Portland, Oregon and spend the day there. We drank Stumptown coffee (holy crap, if I wasn’t a coffee snob before Stumptown entered my life, I certainly am now.)

We visited Powell Books, second hand shops, print shops, art stores, music stores, all selling us tax free goods (!) And we ended the night in Deschutes Brewery for a birthday dinner, and some scrumptious meals, beers, and one decadent dessert with four spoons. It was all too good to be true. *Note to self: finish tours in Portland, Oregon, don’t start them there.*

And how can I forget “Whole Foods”, our food saviour, when restaurants just don’t cut it. I maintain that if there was a “Whole Foods” in every town, touring would be as easy as putting on velcro shoes… but I digress. I could write an entire blog just about the food options we enjoy (and the ones we could live without.)

Sandpoint, Idaho was our next stop. A few things stick out about Sandpoint. 1) We found out we were nominated for a Juno there; 2) We performed for an audience of 450 school-aged children who cheered like mad when they heard about the nomination, and 3) we stayed in Sleeps Cabins – two beautiful cabins with a mountain backdrop and a gorgeous lakefront view. Pretty amazing, really. We ate massive sandwiches from Spuds restaurant, we did two in studio interviews in town, and then we played in the lovely Panida Theatre.

The next night, we were in Salmon, Idaho, a beautiful little town nestled between two impressive mountain ranges. Salmon, Idaho is located right next to Montana and is home to a pretty great group of arts supporters. Our show was at an Elk’s Lodge. Never before had we played in a room with four elk heads staring at us. Also, it is rare that we have a dancing crowd at our shows… we witnessed older couples dancing in a style I only see at weddings, we watched young couples slow dance to our ballads. It’s been awhile since we played to a rowdy bunch, and it definitely got us laughing on stage. The next morning, three of us took off to a nearby hot springs to bask in a natural hot tub and bathe in the hot, hot February sun (?) There we met a large, chatty fellow, covered in tattoos, drinking can after can of beer while enjoying the same comforts we were enjoying from the neighbouring pool. It was truly decadent. And he was friendly, informative and invited us back anytime.

On our first day in Montana, we woke up at 5am to perform on “Montana This Morning” the local morning TV show. Back at our hotel, after the show, two ladies came by to say they had seen us on TV. The next two nights we played Helena and Bozeman. I cannot stress enough how kind people were on this trip. Not just the crowds, but the stage techs, the promoters, our backstage handlers, the people we met on the streets. Not one grumpy person (that I can recall.) Everyone was so cheerful, helpful and professional. This especially felt true in Bozeman, Montana – an artsy town with some pretty amazing people. We went to dinner with our host John and enjoyed some Montana beef and some local ale… (again.)

We had extra time off on this trip, which is rare for us. We tend to keep busy every night, so as not to go spend all the money we are supposed to be earning. But in Bozeman, we went into a great cowboy shop, and Caroline’s eyes fell upon some beautiful, worn-in vintage boots at a price she couldn’t refuse. So now, in her collection, she proudly owns a pair of boots acquired in Montana. I think she is winning the boot race in our band.

We drove by the edge of Yellowstone Park the next day, so Sue could see some grizzly bears and wolves (she did and was delighted.) We were pulled over for going 35 mph, in a 25 mph zone (by the nicest cop on the planet.) The state trooper gave us a light reprimand, and told us to have a nice day and to get safely to our next destination. We landed back in Idaho on a Sunday after 8pm and found that it was very difficult to get dinner after 8pm. Back at our hotel, we opened Sue’s growler of stout beer, that she acquired in Salmon, and partook in the better part of it. (For those of you who don’t know – I just learned this tidbit of information – a growler is basically a jug of beer. Enough for three thirsty people. Maybe four, if you’re a sharing group.

We drank, watched Parks and Recreation, restrung our instruments. The next night, we commandeered a conference room at the Holiday Inn in Nampa, ID and played new songs for each other. We stayed up late, celebrated pre-Valentine’s Day (with each other by the way, not our man-friends.) This was probably my favourite night off on tour, as far as hang outs go. To sit around and collaborate on new music together is one of the greatest joys I have experienced in my life. To trust the musicians around you to be kind and thoughtful with your new creations is an incredible feeling. It’s a beautiful thing. And everyone’s songs are so beautiful in different ways, it was a treat to hear one each from Sue, from Caroline, from Paul and an old one I wrote. It was a special night.

Next it was Nampa, ID then to Idaho Falls, where we played to a great crowd of 100 folks in an art gallery. Another memorable night with great people, great art, and a sound man who knew how to make us shine.

From here the tour became a blur. We drove 9 hours from Idaho back to Spokane Washington. We slept for a few hours, woke up at 4:30 am to catch a 6:30 am flight to Indiana. After a long haul, very little to eat, and the worst traffic jam I’ve been in, in years, we had a rushed sound check, no dinner, and played an hour long set. I’ve been discombobulated on stage before, and man, is it ever a weird feeling to entertain people on an empty stomach (and an empty head.) This is what makes our job very different than say, a desk job, where if one day you’re having a bad day at your desk job at least there aren’t 500 sets of eyes watching your every move, and commenting on how tired your eyes look. The crowd was gracious and we even came back out for an encore. I wish I had videotaped that night!

After that show, we had an awful time checking into our hotel – they offered smoking rooms, which we can’t take – and there were no extra rooms available at the hotel (or in the city) as there was a farm machinery convention happening that weekend… We still hadn’t eaten dinner at midnight, and drove around like crazy-eyed hawks, looking for something that wasn’t made in a grease-tank. We found one restaurant, open and hopping at midnight, but walked in to find a room full of smokers blowing noxious air into our tired, hungry faces. Across the street, Wendy’s beckoned us, and so, to Wendy’s we went. I ate a “veggie sandwich” – made up of two white bun halves, two slices of processed cheese and a two layers of iceberg lettuce. I wanted to cry as I bit into in, but could only laugh at this pathetic excuse for a sandwich. (I ordered a frosty too, but watched it melt at my bedside, as my stomach urged me not to eat it.

Back at the hotel, Caroline and I were “hit on” (I guess) by two men standing outside the hotel. They said hello, and I growled a short “hi” back. One of them looked a little startled and told me I sounded angry. I stopped and said to him, “You know, I am angry. I had a terrible day, and I was just ranting about it.” And he answered, his arms outstretched “Wanna make it a whole lot better?” I laughed, thinking about how the oddest things could cheer me up after a tough day.

One last show to go: we were burnt out, hungry for some of that green food we’d been taking for granted a few days earlier, missing the hot springs of Montana, picturing our own beds covered in clean, smoke-free blankets. At our final destination, we were greeted by the kindest, most loving embrace, a woman named Lisa took us into the room and just radiated a motherly warmth that we all needed. We played with the energy we had left, packed up, drove 2 hours to Indianapolis, where our plane would take us home the next morning at the crack of dawn.

We met the first unkind person on that trip at the check-in counter at 6am on Sunday morning. He insisted on charging us top dollar for a bag that we never get charged for. Our layover in Charlotte, NC, was so short, we narrowly missed the plane that would deliver us to Toronto. And upon arrival to Toronto, Paul’s bag was nowhere to be seen and there was no agent at the desk to help us out. With Caroline fighting illness, and the rest of us just trying to keep sane, it was good the tour ended there.

I was happy to walk through my door that day. Happy that the majority of the tour was a hit, and happy that only three days were as discombobulating as they were. I am happy still that there are more tours to come, and happy that we made it through rough times. Some of our worst experiences have ended up being our best learning experiences (and some of our best stage stories.)

I would not trade in our show at the strip club in Kenora in the summer of 2008 for a perfect night at a premiere venue. Nope, that story is as much a part of our band’s legacy as the songs we write and the albums we make.

As is this tour of the US.

And I can’t wait to go back.

xo/ko

U.S.A. bound!

2011-09-28T07:35:00.001-07:00

Hello fall, there you are creeping in. One minute it's summer, and then everything is tinged orange and red. Time to hit the road, sweaters packed and shorts stowed away for another year.

We are about to head out on our first driving tour in a long time. We're excited about packing the car from home, bringing along all of the things we miss when flying - pillows and coffee grinder, lap desk (no kidding) and cereal, skipping ropes and extra boots. Tomorrow we head south for the first ever Good Lovelies tour of North and South Carolina. And on the way home we'll also be playing The Festy (www.thefesty.com) in Virginia, and shows in Washington, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.

Here's a picture of the flag in the staircase of the Old Louisiana State Capitol building in Baton Rouge. We were there for under 24 hours. But in that short time, we played three short sets, ate some fried green tomatoes and gumbo and danced along to a Zydeco band. (Footage to follow!) Hope to see you out there on the road this month.

xo C for GL's

Goodnight, Summer Festivals

2011-08-30T08:14:00.000-07:00

It’s that time of year, when our festival season draws to a close.

The 2011 summer festival season has been an interesting and varied one. We headed as far North as Iqaluit, and as South as California’s World Music Festival. We braved our first tornado in Salina, Kansas at the Smoky Hill River Festival. We played in Ontario – a soggy but spirited weekend at Summerfolk in Owen Sound and a beautiful opening night at Peterborough Folk Festival. We sang amidst the mountains of Canmore, Alberta and landed (after much delay!) in foggy St. John’s for the Newfoundland Folk Festival. And in between: a beautiful sunny weekend in Michigan at Blissfest.

Here's a caricature of the GLs on the mainstage of Blissfest:

One of my favourite experiences this summer was driving from San Diego to Grass Valley, CA (just north of Sacramento) to play the California World Music festival. The drive itself, about 10 hours, was spectacular. We moved through the lush green of the South, stood still in L.A. gridlock, climbed through desert mountains up into the B.C. reminiscent landscape of Northern California.

Along the way, we passed giant trucks filled with tomatoes and onions. Sue’s Dad joked with us later that a catastrophic pile-up must have been the birth of salsa. You could literally taste the tomatoes as we overtook the trucks.

On that drive up hwy 5, we also passed the largest cattle farms I have ever seen - AND SMELLED. The fields of cows were endless, about 2 kilometres wide, and absolutely devastating. There were thousands of cattle lined up and squished together on dusty fields. I am not vegetarian, but the sight of those cattle farms put me off meat for awhile. This is modern farming, and it’s very scary.

The California World Music Fest had us on the main stage right before Saturday night’s headliner, India Arie. I remember when India’s hit “Video” came out in the early 2000’s. It is an anthem for women – untraditional and independent. I loved that song then, but love it so much more after seeing her play live.

India gave one of the most honest and heartfelt performances I’ve seen in a long time. She sang beautifully and danced around the stage in a flowing traditional African dress. Kerri, Sue and I stood side stage for the whole show, eating it up. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor several times. This is a woman you want your daughters looking up to - she takes her role as peace maker and goodness purveyor very seriously. If you don’t know her, you should. Check her out at: www.indiaarie.com

One of the best parts of playing festivals is collaborating. In Canmore, we had Oliver Craven from the Steel Wheels (check them out: www.thesteelwheels.com) join us on the main stage at Canmore Folk Festival on fiddle. He played Old Highway with us, strings bouncing off mountains and back again. In the bright sunlight of that stage we also had Steve Pitkin of Elliott Brood (our musical brothers - check out www.elliottbrood.com) join us on drums for Crabbuckit and Lie Down. It felt like magic in a bowl of mountains!

September feels more like the start of a new year than January. I think it’s all of those years starting school – fall, for me, is about new beginnings. We have a very busy year ahead indeed. It starts this month with the Fall Showcases in Seattle, Minneapolis and Baton Rouge. 20 minutes to strut our stuff for music presenters and festival bookers. If all goes well, we’ll be playing a lot more in the U.S. over the next couple of years.

This fall will have us on tour in the United States (we have a bunch of shows in North & South Carolina this October), Northern Ontario, Alberta. Dates are posted on our website. We hope to see you at a show!

Thanks always, for the support. It’s been a great summer.

xo Caroline for Good Lovelies

Just rehearsin' in Canmore...

2011-08-04T13:41:00.000-07:00

Canmore Folk Fest: be still our hearts. What a perfect setting to play and sing. Our friend Ryan Mathew Fields shot this photo of us while we readied for our first workshop with Melissa McLelland and Luke Doucet on Sunday.

Just before this, we hopped up on stage with Elliott Brood and sang Neil Young's tune "Comes a Time" with them. We hadn't slept much between performing with the Vinyl Cafe the night before in Orillia in Ontario, but we didn't care with all the fun going on there.

Alberta will always have a special place in our hearts, and Canmore especially.

xo/ko

A Day Off in Lakeside, Ohio

2011-07-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

Canada Day Weekend in Iqaluit, Nunavut

2011-07-07T21:01:00.000-07:00

Iqaluit - "place of many fish."

If you've never experienced the midnight sun in Canada's Arctic - I strongly urge you to book a ticket north for next summer and see it first hand.

The decision to spend Canada Day in Iqaluit excited me more than usual. I think it made me feel *extra* Canadian (if that's even possible) to experience a new part of our beautiful country on such a patriotic occasion. And, with the temperature rising to 15 degrees at its warmest and dipping to five degrees (or lower) at its chilliest on July 1st -- I felt proud (and hearty) to be Canadian.

I think what struck us most upon first glance was the treeless landscape. When the plane descended from the clouds, we spotted ice in the water, bright-coloured houses on the water's edge, and nary a tree blocking our view of town. No matter how many episodes of Planet Earth I had watched depicting Canada's Arctic landscape, I was still unprepared to see it up close and personal. Here's a photo of Iqaluit from the hill we climbed the day we arrived.

On the way to lunch, we walked past the Iqaluit Post Office, which had the word Iqaluit written in both English and Inuktitut.

At the top of the hill we climbed, we came across the sign to the Road to Nowhere - obviously a road we decided to hike at midnight the following night. As we posed for this photo, we noticed written on the back of the sign someone had scrawled "Stealing this sign will give you instant bad karma." It got me to thinking how many times that sign has had to be replaced... and also, if some silly traveler came and took it, how on earth they got it through airport security when they left.

The next day, after playing a show, we took a 5km hike to the nearby town Apex - noted on Wikipedia as a suburb of Iqaluit. Sue stepped onto the beach and started playing with the snow, remarking that this was her first time handling snow on Canada Day... She picked up this snowball and tried to shot-put it at me. (She didn't quite make it, but I applauded her efforts.)

As we left the Apex trail, we saw some people on the coast line and we were curious as to what they were fishing for. When we passed by a family of three locals headed toward the shore, they answered that they were digging for clams. Sue learned later that night that digging for clams is no easy feat as they burrow into the ground with great force once they feel someone threatening to unearth them. Down by the beach we walked by this dogsled, one of many we saw throughout the weekend. Now we're eager to return in the winter to see them in action.

We climbed the rocks on the beach and took a rest and a drink of water. It was so peaceful and serene up there, that we stopped to sing our national anthem in three part harmony for an audience of two (two of our partners joined us that weekend and were witness to our spontaneous outpouring of national pride. It was private, and lovely, and another reminder why I love spending all my time with my two best friends.

The purpose for the trip of course was the beautiful Alianait Festival . We caught up with old friends from the April Verch Band, we finally met the ladies of Annie Lou (check them out!) and met the folks in a great electronic band from New Zealand - The Mamaku Project. The music was top notch, and the crowd was eager and out in full force.

The last day of the festival we played our main performance to a receptive and attentive crowd, and were followed by local favourites, Simeonie Keenainak - who took the night home with a big dance party in the school gym. It was a night to remember, a weekend to remember, and truly a Canada Day we won't ever forget.

/ko

The First 150 Days of Twenty Eleven

2011-05-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

Monday, May 30th
8:37 pm
Writing from my basement apartment

I've been staring at the 2011 calendar on my wall for the last five minutes. It's one of the Farmer's Almanac calendars that has all sorts of useful gardening tips in it and quirky names for the different full moons - in May, it was called the Full Flower Moon for some unexplained reason - and my calendar is marked up with the names of cities and towns I've visited.

I've been counting the days of the year that have passed so far: 150 days. And I haven't regretted a single one.

Of those days, 66 were spent playing shows; 88 were spent away from home either on tour in four different countries -- or visiting Thompson, Manitoba; and 62 days were spent in Toronto, at home, sleeping in my own bed, making my own food.

In the past 150 days, we've been to six states in the United States , all over Ontario - north, south, west and east - we've been to four Australian states and we just finished touring Wales, England and Scotland.

I am not wearied by this, I am ecstatic. I do not dread the next trip that is right around the corner, that will take us to a festival in Kansas. I live for this. I am inspired by this. I smile at my computer screen as I write this, ticking off the days in between shows with chores, moving apartments, 5k runs, and homemade meals (sort of.)

And it makes me feel lucky.

When I was little, I had a notion that I wanted to be a performer of some sort. I always liked music; playing it, listening to it, singing or inventing songs. But my eleven year old self had no idea what it would actually entail to make performing work as a living. I think if I knew then, what I know now, it wouldn't have been this lifestyle I was after. After all, my view of performing came from Ed McMahon's Star Search, or listening to the Mini-Pops with my sisters or watching Beatles movies - where throngs of wild and crazy fans would chase them all over town. I thought it meant I'd get up every night in front of packed houses, who would cheer me on and fill my life with glamour and strange meaning. I likely thought that someone else would take care of figuring this out for me, and I'd just be the recipient of being in the right place at the right time.

But it's not like that and it's never been like - ever since the first show the Good Lovelies performed. What we do, wouldn't have been fathomable to an eleven-year-old me. What we do isn't stadium shows with people screaming our names and passing out because it's too much for them to handle. No, what we do is we set ourselves up in peoples' homes, or in intimate venues, bars, cafes, listening rooms or town halls and play for attentive audiences. What we do is be ourselves, and sing and play our hearts out, and bask in the warm glow of the people we are entertaining. What we do is not complicated, or mind-altering or heart-attack inducing. What we do is laugh, and sing, and go to sleep and then do it all again the next day with a new group of people.

I feel so lucky.

I feel lucky because in 30 years of life, at the heart of me still, is an idealistic kid who is hopeful, who sees potential, and who is ready and willing to try.

And trying has lead us to Australia, the UK and to the US. And it's lead us across and back this dear and supportive native country of ours, Canada, time and again.

And if Canada doesn't know this already, the people we're meeting all over the world have nothing but glowing words to say about the quality of musicians, bands and people coming out of our beautiful country.

And to be standing on foreign soil, hearing the voices around you compliment the very place that helped us get our start in this business, I stand beaming with pride. Pride for my fellow musicians, pride for my country and the landscape that inspires us all so much. And I am proud to be representing Canada every night I take the stage and put on a show.

No, I wouldn't trade this for anything.

On the Streets of Bristol...

2011-05-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

Kangaroos, Koalas, Bluff Climbs Oh My!: Australia Part Three

2011-04-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting in Seaford Rise, looking at the photos from the last four days in South Australia. It's late Sunday night, and back home it's 10:25 on Sunday morning. I love being one step ahead of my loved ones :)

I should start by telling you that we fulfilled one item on our To-Do list and saw our first (and eventually our twentieth) kangaroo yesterday. We visited The Urimbirra Wildlife Park in Victor Harbour and spent nearly two hours hanging out with the kangaroos and other beautiful Australian wildlife. Here's a picture of the first kangaroo we met. He was cute, and didn't hop at us, but instead approached very slowly, almost like he was sneaking up on us.

A few minutes later, we spotted this sleeping koala. We had just missed feeding time (the only four hours a day when they are actually awake according to the guide) so we enjoyed them from afar. But because we stayed so long at the park, feeding time came around again and I got to see the little guys moving around, and I even got to pet them while they dined on eucalyptus leaves. So far, all of my Australian expectations are being met, and then some.

Just down the road, in Victor Harbour, our host Pete took us over to the bluffs where we climbed to the top of the rock for a stunning view of the water, the coast line and the town. I love hiking, and climbing - we all do, and when we got to the top, Pete snapped a photo of us catching our breath. If you're wondering why our hair looks like that, it's because the wind was whipping at a pretty good pace.

I think this next photo speaks for itself. This one rather *fresh* kangaroo followed us around the park for awhile, and eventually just sort of hugged Sue. I'm glad I turned around to capture the moment... Thanks Sue, for letting me post this photo. :)

It's a rare experience for us to actually get to settle into one place while we're touring, so these past four days in South Australia have been amazing. We hunkered down in Seaford Rise with two of the nicest people we've ever met. We've been sleeping on various pull-out couches and beds in their home, and they keep feeding us and letting us take over their home with our stuff. Pete's been taking us around town and the countryside showing us kangaroos and koalas, and Annie has been entertaining us with stories and songs, and keeping us caffeinated and fed. It's going to be hard not to bring them back to Canada with us, but I suppose it's a good thing to have such wonderful people in Australia so the next time we visit, we can meet up with them again!

This is a candid shot of Pete and Annie that I took today during our concert at the Peacock Farm. Pete ran our sound and helped put this show together (and our show the first night we arrived in Port Noarlunga.)

I should stop typing and go to bed. It's getting late, and we have an early morning ahead of us. I have to go write my mom another letter to assure her that we're safe and sound, and that all is going well down under. She's particularly interested in our kangaroo sightings, so I'm off to embellish some stories for dramatic effect. (Just kidding, I never embellish.)

Have a lovely Sunday in Canada - and in Australia - happy Monday, folks!

xo/kerri o

From Apollo Bay to Bendigo: Australia Tour Part Two

2011-04-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

It's always a bit sad when a festival ends, it doesn't matter where or what festival. But because this was our Australian debut, it's doubly hard to leave it behind. Add to that the fact that we also left behind a beachfront view and audiences that made us feel at home ... It was an incredible start to this month of travel. Each crowd was bigger than the last, and while the folks were quiet and attentive during the sets, they were wild and boisterous when each set finished.

During our last set in the "Mechanics Institute" (a beautiful little theatre where we played two of our three shows) Caroline ran backstage to grab her camera to videotape our audience. We, Lovelies, quick to learn that the common greeting in Australia is: "How are you going?" and not "How are you doing?" asked our audience how they were going with the camera rolling - and the hooting and hollering that ensued was hilarious! They screamed and shouted and said hello to our parents back home! And now we have proof to show our moms that people did in fact come to our concerts down under.

Monday morning, after saying goodbye to the beach, and to the amazing coffee shop "Wickens" (that we visited every day to use the internet and drink "flat whites" and "long darks") we headed further across the Great Ocean Road and took in some incredible vistas and stunning rock formations along the coast line.

This photo above is a rare one of the three of us taken at the 12 Apostles (now apparently there are only six apostles as the sea has battered the other six down to wee nubs.) The photo below is a shot of two of the apostles that remain. In person they look like pottery standing still while the waves whip them day and night. Truly they are a sight to see.

During our drive to Bendigo we counted at least a thousand sheep (I'm sure there were more, I just couldn't keep up.) We passed alpacas and cows, and horses and ponies. In fact - in one town there was a horse in his own private fenced-in area, where passers-by like us could get out and pet him. Sue pulled over and immediately made friends with him. A little further down the road in a town called Beeac, we spotted five children - all under the age of 12- riding two ponies in their front yard. There were no adults around - just these five kids and two ponies. Everything looked perfectly normal... the kids were great with the animals and the ponies looked to be having a delightful time as the kids climbed on them and rode them around.

What is this magical place? (Below is a photo of some newly shorn alpacas...I love alpacas and llamas and can't get enough of them.)

We learned that peppers are called 'capsicum' here. When we asked our pizza girl what this word was she looked at us like we had three heads. We're learning something new every day and making friends while we do it.

The sun set while we meandered along the highways to Bendigo and we couldn't resist snapping a shot of the three of us in the romantic hue of sunset while storm clouds gathered behind us. When we stopped, we could hear the noisy chatter of what looked like a dozen bright red parrots. What I wish I could convey through this blog are the noises and aromas that are leaving an indellible impression on the three of us. These parrots are so loud from such a far distance, I can't imagine what they sound like close up.

I'm delighted to tell you that this morning while having a sip of coffee before heading out to our ABC Radio interview, I spotted a spider the size of my fist. In an effort to keep my cool, I grabbed Caroline's arm with the strength of ten men, and dragged her to my discovery. We determined this fuzzy creature was not harmful and we let him be - but I may regret that decision later if I find him inside my suitcase. :)

Our first band tarantula.

We're here in Bendigo now, and our hosts Prue and Keith have been amazing. Prue made us coffee this morning and escorted us to our interview. She gave us a tour of the town, and let us know what the must-see attractions are. We've wandered around today and are excited about playing our show with the folk club tonight under the grandstand just down the street.

It's Tuesday afternoon here, and back in Ontario it's just after 1:15am. I hope you're enjoying the beginning of spring time.. I hope it keeps up.

xo/ko

We're Here! - Australia Tour Part One

2011-04-08T20:20:00.000-07:00

April 9, 2011 – We're in the future. At home it’s 5:53 pm on April 8th, but where I am, it’s April 9, 7:53 am…

I’m here to tell you, the future rocks.

I wanted to start writing the minute we landed in Sydney but I couldn’t really see straight. Although I was emotionally unphased by the 20+ hour flight(s) to get here, my body was tired and my eyes were bright red from being open for way too long. On the plane I started and finished the novel “Dry” by Augusten Burroughs, I watched “Barney’s Version,” most of "Cider House Rules" and a few episodes of "Bored to Death". I slept for awhile and stared into space for awhile. All in all, it was a neat way to spend 24 hours of my life, and I’ll do it again to get home at the beginning of May...

Leading up to this trip, people kept asking me if I was excited about coming here. And though on a cerebral level, I knew I was going to a new place for a long-ish stretch of time, I never did get “excited” about it -- that is, until we landed in 24 degree heat and smelled the perfect, fragrant, rainforest-y air.

After landing in Sydney, we gathered our belongings (that were first sniffed by airport police dogs) and the proceeded to our next gate (we had to board one last flight from Sydney to Melbourne before actually getting to go outside and see Australia.) And what a wonderful surprise to see two other Canadian bands touring down under: "Hey Rosetta" and "City and Colour." After such a long flight, it’s incredibly comforting to see people from home.

The flight to Melbourne was uneventful, but for a funny steward on the plane who started joking with us about how much better Canadians are than Americans… ha. He spoke just loud enough to irritate the people in our cabin and to make us some new *friends*.

We landed and waited a long time for our bags, but they all came. We grabbed a taxi downtown to fetch our rental car. We got our car, packed it tight with our stuff and hit the highway for Apollo Bay. Caroline took the first stab at driving and did very well.

It’s strange to be seated in a car on the *wrong* side and watch your friend drive in the left lane. This was made stranger by the fact that by the time we started to drive, we had been traveling/awake for more than 30 hours.

We drove into Geelong for dinner on our way south, and I found a sushi place that was cheap. I ate vegetarian rolls and they were AMAZING - probably the best sushi I've ever eaten. This might sound like hyperbole to you, and maybe I was a bit over-excited by the sushi considering I’d been eating airplane and airport food for the last day and a half, but seriously, the avocados were fresh, the rice perfect and the seaweed not too seaweedy. I was full (and it was cheap… something we’ve learned is a rarity here.)

Mostly, it’s the fragrant air that I can’t get over. Everything here smells incredible. The air is thick with the fresh and natural aroma of plants and vegetation and I find myself breathing it in like it’s the last time I’ll ever smell anything like it. When a guy sat down next to us yesterday while we were having lunch on a patio and started smoking, it took all of my strength not to spit at him. Why, oh why, would he even want to fill the air with any other smell than fresh, natural awesomeness that was surrounding us?

On the note about prices here, when Sue went to buy two bananas the other day, the price came out to $6.00. And the following morning when she and Caroline went into town for breakfast, one restaurant boasted a $16 breakfast sandwich. The prices here are high and it's taking some getting used to... The good news is we're being very picky about what we're eating and making incredibly healthy choices... the downside: fewer presents for our siblings and parents. :)

I am eager to explore more. There are mountains to climb, animals to see, beaches on which to linger and many shows to perform... This is going to be a great month.

And I cannot believe the view from our motel this weekend…

Our reception here has been amazing. Our shows have been packed and the people have been singing along with us.

I may not have been excited leading up to the trip, but I'm here now, and seeing the water, the trees, the people and the possibilities of fun and adventure in front of me, I am bubbling over with excitement.

xo/ko

Playing for the Home Town Crowd

2011-03-29T21:02:00.001-07:00

Photo by the incredible: Ali Eisner
Venue: Capitol Theatre, Port Hope, Ontario
Date: March 26, 2011
From left to right: Kerri Ough, Paul Mathew, Sue Passmore, Christine Bougie, Caroline Brooks

It was the best of times...

2011-02-27T21:01:00.001-08:00

We've just returned home after a trip south to Massachusetts and Maine, north to Montreal and then west today toward home. Right now, I'm sitting in my apartment, having a snack while I collect my thoughts about the last six days...

On Tuesday, the day our CD was released in Canada, we woke up before the sun so we could sing a tune on Canada AM . The day also had us at BRAVO for a wee interview, and then over to Explorenet.com for a live performance and interview. All of this was a blast except for one rather important detail - Caroline had the flu. She's all better now, we are happy to report, and somehow Sue and I never got sick (knock wood.) But because of this sudden illness we never made it to New York City and had to cancel our show at the Rockwood. We are looking forward to setting up another show there as soon as we can.

The next day, after a good day of recovering, we started our trek south and landed in New York state that night to sleep. The next day as we headed for Massachusetts, I discovered I was without my winter jacket, and had ZERO recollection of where it might have ended up. (After listening to my phone messages tonight, I now know it's at the Days Inn where we slept.

But I digress...

I want to tell you about how the show in Massachusetts came together. Last October during our Harbourfront outdoor shows in Toronto, we met Henrietta (aka Hank) her husband Chris and their son while they were vacationing in Canada. About a month ago Hank came to see our show at Club Passim in Boston and after the show she offered to put on a house concert for us sometime in the future. We asked, quite earnestly, if she thought we could pull off a show in just a month (as we knew we had a spare day on this tour) and because she's amazing, she said yes, and pulled together a place to play, a place to sleep and an audience to witness the whole thing. The kindness of people never ceases to amaze me. She deserves high praise.
Below is a shot of us in the glow of our microphone Christmas lights.

The next day we woke up to a wicked-downpour (yes, I said wicked-downpour) and went for breakfast at a great diner with Hank and her *awesome* son. It was a great greasy spoon, and we ate eggs, veggies, toast and homefries - it was exactly what we wanted.

Imagine our surprise when, an hour later during our drive east, the pouring rain turned into buckets of snow. And, I was, of course, without a winter jacket and my thin sweater really wasn't cutting the mustard. Luckily my friends didn't make me pump gas in the snow (they are so nice) and we made it to our destination... eventually. Because of this sudden snowfall, we were worried the show might get canceled, but they are tough in Maine, so as they say - the show went on, and we had a great night in a beautiful house that our host, Bill, is in the midst of building. It's going to be stunning, he has quite a gift for creating beautiful homes and barns.

In the morning, after a cup of coffee and homemade blueberry pancakes, we headed north to Quebec for our last show in this whirlwind tour and arrived in good time. We met a lot of new people, had a great time with the gals we were playing with, and we had a blast opening the show. Little did we know Nuit Blanche was happening in Montreal that night, so the streets were alive with action as we packed to leave. After a futile search for pizza I realized I had no idea where my phone was. After frantically searching all the normal bags and pockets, I was baffled - so we headed back to the venue (and Nuit Blanche) to look there.

It wasn't there, so I grabbed my suitcase and took it to a well-lit area and searched high and low for my silly phone. I wish you could have seen me frantically unpacking my suitcase in a room filled with tipsy-Nuit Blanche goers... there was underwear flying, makeup bags emptied and cowboy boots being turned upside down... I don't know why I even went to my boot, but I turned it over and out came my phone... I felt absolutely nuts after this, but Caroline and Sue, like other similar times before when I have completely lost my marbles, were so nice about it.

This delayed our departure from Montreal, but we did eventually leave and landed in Ontario for a quick sleep before coming home today.

We won't be in Toronto long, but while we're here we're going to make sure to see the people we love, walk around this lovely town, do our chores and catch a few Zs before embarking on our official CD Release tour that starts in Sudbury this Thursday.

xo/ko

New Album "Let the Rain Fall" is released today!

2011-02-22T11:01:00.000-08:00

We are delighted to announce that we have a brand new album out on this sunny February day.

"Let the Rain Fall" is now available in stores and online at your favourite music hot spots!

Thank you for your support over that last four years! We hope you dig the new tunes...

xo xo xo
The Good Lovelies
Kerri, Sue & Caroline

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Hanging out in Penticton, BC

2011-02-15T15:27:00.000-08:00

We had the rare opportunity of being photographed by a local photographer while we visited Penticton, BC at the end of the month. Here is one of her photos of us hugging to keep warm on the water. Check out Tara Morris' photos HERE!

Here's the Skinny; the Scoop; the News...

2011-01-31T20:21:00.000-08:00

If someone were to ask us today, what's new? We'd have a few perfect answers:

What's New?

For one, this new website design is new. It was designed by our good friend and musician extraordinaire, Janine Stoll. Janine took time from her own incredibly busy touring and recording life (with her band The Donefors) and revamped our website! Hope you like it, we sure do!

What Else is New?

In 22 days our new album "Let the Rain Fall" is being released and you can order your copy today in Canada through Maple Music! The first 100 are signed by all three Lovelies...

Anything Else New?

Well, let's see. We're touring all over Ontario to celebrate the release of this new album in March 2011; then we're hopping a plane and doing the same in Australia FOR THE FIRST TIME, and then a mere two weeks after arriving back in Canada, we're hopping on another flight to the UK also for the first time, to release the album there...

We may explode with all this excitement. For now, let us just say, thank you for reading, for writing to us, for attending our shows and making this dream come true over and over again.

We will try our best to get to your city, I sure hope we see you there!

xo
The Lovelies
Caroline, Kerri & Sue

PS: Join our Facebook Page for daily updates while we're on the road...

Album We Love - Entry #3

2011-01-25T18:37:00.000-08:00

Sue has offered us up a list of her all-time favourite albums...

SUE'S LIST

A list of favourites is no easy task - there are just too many to list. I could go on and on, and almost did, but have whittled my list down to a baker's dozen of favourites. Between the three of us, there are not suprisingly duplicates of bands, so suffice to say that a number of Caroline's and Kerri's choices are also on my bigger list, and here I will add some new names in alphabetical order.

Andrew Bird - Most of Andrew's records appear regularly on the turntable at home, but I'm going to single out Armchair Apochrypha. It's a great example of Andrew's talents - interesting lyrics, melodies, production, and a healthy amount variation throughout the songs, his smooth voice the icing on the cake. Oh, and did I mention he plays just about everything? This is a brilliant man.

The Beatles - I am 100% confident that I am not alone in the world with this pick, and though it seems like too obvious a selection, I must include them. Sunday morning coffee, breakfast, Abbey Road and Revolver - nothing beats it!

Carsie Blanton - Carsie was one of my favourite discoveries of 2010, at a venue in New York City. The production on the album is quite different from the live show, which is a very effective guitar and upright bass duo. Her lyrics on the album Buoy are wonderful and what caught my ear most. Carsie herself is absolutely charming, and I hope she tours north of the border soon.

Califone - I have been listening to this band for the last ten years, and the album I enjoy most is Roomsound. I love the guitar style, the gritty vocals, the production and the use of found objects for percussion.

Corb Lund - Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! Fantastic album! Personally, I enjoy a really well executed album with a specific theme. Corb is so much fun to see live, and this is a favourite album listen to at home and on the road.

Death Cab For Cutie/The Postal Service - This entry is mainly a nod to Ben Gibbard, who I think is a great lyricist and has influenced my own writing. I will admit that I haven't listened to much lately, but love to listen to songs like Passenger Seat now and then.

Django Reinhardt - I picked up Django's Anthology about a year ago and I LOVE disc one. I have been a fan of Django's style for a number of years now, and still hope to learn it soon. It's so playful, and naturally, I think it works really well on his version of "Sweet Sue" ;)

Edith Piaf - Last June I found a colection of Edith Piaf's records in a used vinyl bin. After a cleaning, they play fairly nicely, and when I need some soothing music while working at home, these are up at the top of my list.

Fleet Foxes - The self-titled album is great, and as a lover of harmony, I can't get enough of their arrangements. White Winter Hymnal in particular gets heavy play on my iPod.

Idaho - I fell in love with this band when they appeared on a mixed tape given to me in 2001. Various songs from the albums Alas, Hearts of Palm, Levitate and Three Sheets To The Wind have been played many times, and made it on to many "mixed tapes" I have made since. The music is dreamy/ethereal and moody, and we used this band as a model for the song Detroit on my solo album, 87 Miles - it remains one of my favourite tracks we recorded.

Old Man Luedecke - Few things make me instantly happier than listening to Luedecke's albums. The song "Proof Of Love" off the album of the same name is delightful, and proof of Luedecke's proficiency as a lyricist. I will happily dance a little jiggle to this tune any day of the week.

Royal Wood - I was introduced to Royal's music five or six years ago and quickly fell head over heels for his album A Good Enough Day. Great songwriting, and always gets play at home and on the road.

Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - There was a time when I listened mostly to indie and punk, and The Tyranny Of Distance remains on my playlists as my favourite of Ted Leo's albums (Timorous Me, my favourite track).

Albums We Love - Entry #2

2011-01-23T11:06:00.001-08:00

KERRI'S LIST

What's on my iPod?

When I'm in the car, on a plane, or just chilling, I'm listening to:
Luluc (amazing, relaxing, rejuvenating),
Bon Iver (For Emma, Forever Ago) (music to swoon over),
Elliot Brood - Mountain Meadows (irresistible, original music)
Yo-Yo Ma's Bach Cello Suites
Joel Plaskett (Ashtray Rock) and (Three) and many more...
John Lennon (Plastic Ono Band)

When I'm working out, I've got a playlist with these tracks (and many more odd selections...whatever gets me through)
Jay-Z (Empire State of Mind)
Lily Allen (The Fear)
Kanye West (Gold Digger)
Okkervil River (Lost Coastlines)
Beyonce (Halo) in my headphones.

When I Just Want to Listen to Music I Love I Listen To:
Jolie Holland
Timber Timbre
Bon Iver
M. Ward
Coldplay
Creaking Tree String Quartet

This is a difficult thing to write, as I want to listen the dozens of singer songwriter type music I constantly have rotating on my iPod or stereo. But this is a fairly accurate representation of what I've been listening to for the past couple of weeks...

The most recent CD I purchased was The Wooden Sky album "If I Don't Come Home, You'll Know I'm Gone" and it's amazing. The songs are well crafted, their voices are stunning together and the instrumentation is beautiful and fresh. I recommend it.

xo/Kerri O

Albums We Love - Entry #1

2011-01-13T11:27:00.000-08:00

We spend so much time driving around while on tour, that we wanted to share some of our favourite albums with you.
Here's a look at what's on in Caroline's ears:

CAROLINE'S LIST

Bahamas - "Pink Strat"
I discovered Bahamas at the 2010 Junos, and have had his album on repeat since You'll be transported to warm place, with the sound of that Pink Strat.

Nathan - "Key Principles"
Keri Latimer is hands down one of my favourite lyricists, and combined with the catchy melodies on this album it's no wonder it won a Juno in 2008 for Roots Album of the Year.

Joel Plaskett - "Three"
Excellent driving music. I love all three of the discs that make up this album.

Deep Dark Woods - "Winter Hours"
We met the Woods a few years ago at the Trout Forest Music Festival, and their album has been on constant rotation since. It's timeless and brooding. I love it when boys sing harmony.

Squirrel Nut Zippers - "Hot"
OMG this is fun dancing music, especially in the kitchen when no one's around.

Iron & Wine - "Our Endless Numbered Days"
Dreamy, beautiful, lush, gorgeous.

Anais Mitchell - "Hadestown"
I will be the first to say that I hate musicals. But this is folk-opera at it's finest, with appearances from Bon Iver, Ani DiFranco and Greg Brown. The songs are strong, and when you listen mindfully, you'll see the opera take place before you. Brilliant.

Joaquin Rodrigo - "Concerto de Aranjuez"
Growing up in a family where classical guitar music abounds, it's no surprise that I still love to listen to this Concerto pretty regularly.

Sarah Harmer - "I'm a Mountain"
This is my go-to album for cooking, and again, kitchen dancing. It also reminds me of my late Aunt Val, who near the end of her life fell in love with the track "Oleander."

Coldplay - "Parachutes"
I don't think I've listened to an album more than this one. It's still, hands down, in my top 5 albums of all time.

/CB

A List About 2010

2011-01-03T10:09:00.000-08:00

I was thinking this morning that I wanted to write about what we accomplished last year. It was a positive and eventful year so here's a list of a few things that came to mind!

1) In April we won the Juno for Roots Traditional Album of the Year 2010! We traveled to Newfoundland after a whirlwind tour had just finished, and much to our surprise and delight we left with a Juno. It was an unbelievable feeling.

2) In March we toured the Prairies and Northern Ontario with the Vinyl Cafe. What an honour to be part of such a well put together show, with an incredible team. We'll never forget it.

3) We toured the US for the first time - and made some great friends while we were there. We dressed up like tourists and visited New York City for the first time!

4) In August we finished recording our new album due out this February. Now, we are anxiously awaiting getting the album out to the public.

5) For the first time ever, we added an upright bassist to our Christmas tour. Ben Whiteley was the perfect addition and we couldn't have been happier with how the tour went!

6) We flew to Dawson City, Yukon in July and spent an incredible weekend in the Midnight Sun. It was our first time traveling that far north - and we can't wait to go back. Next time, maybe we'll drive it!

7) In September we took a vacation away from this touring life and spent some quality time with our loved ones. We've never done this before and it was an incredibly restorative experience.

8) In October we did our first theatre tour of New Brunswick and parts of Nova Scotia. It was amazing to hit these new stages and see familiar faces in the crowd, as well as meeting new people.

9) We played 141 shows in 2010, and visited at least 130 communities. We spent at least 160 days on the road, sharing rooms, meals and car rides together. It's pretty incredible to get to spend that much time with your best friends and musical compadres.

10) Our band turned four on December 15th, 2010 and we celebrated in Inverary, ON at the Rankin Gallery with brownies and a delicious home cooked dinner!

11) We sang back up on some records that came out in 2010 or that will come out in 2011 - Peter Katz, Jill Barber and Kathleen Edwards.

12) We met Gordon Lightfoot in January. He attended the Lightfoot Tribute at Hugh's Room... what a songwriter! What a guy!

13) We spent quality time with Fred Penner in Dawson City - it was a pleasure to have more time to hang out and get to know him better.

14) In 2010 we performed alongside Mamma Yamma twice! Once in July during the CBC Kidsummer Festival and once at our Christmas show in Toronto at Hugh's Room. She's quite a yam!

15) In Canso, NS this summer, there was a great moment when Kathleen Edwards invited the three of us, the gents from Deep Dark Woods, Royal Wood and Jim Bryson to sing with her on a few tunes. The vocal harmonies that came from the stage gave me goosebumps... it was a moment I'll never forget.

16) At the Winnipeg Folk Festival, we stood up in front of 15,000 people and belted out three tunes during our tweener set! It was thrilling to perform in front of a crowd that size. The festival also had us doing a workshop with the Wailin' Jennys and Ladies of the Canyon - it was a great combo, and I think we had as great a time as the audience did.

17) We started working with Six Shooter this year. Helen and Shauna and their entire team have been so wonderful to work with and we're looking forward to seeing what 2011 will bring!

18) In October, we went to Seattle to showcase for presenters in the Northwestern USA. That weekend, we met up with our agent Herschel Freeman, who has been an amazing addition to our Good Lovelies team. We had dinner with him, he helped us at our show at the nearby theatre, and he hung out with us during a hilarious crisis where I misplaced our rental car keys for a few hours. We had a wonderful time with him and getting to know him even better. This year is looking like a big year in the US, and this is due in large part to Herschel, so we salute him for being so incredible.

19) We played Guelph's amazing festival, Hillside in July - and had an AMAZING evening show the first night we got there. The energy in the tent was so electric, it was hard to leave the stage! Thank you Guelph!

20) Our last festival of the summer was in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. This was the perfect festival to end our summer. We sold out of CDs, we met some amazing musicians and sang alongside Matt Andersen during his closing performance. The folks we billeted with made us feel like family and I can't wait to get back there.

Of course, I could continue to list the many, many more incredible experience from 2010 -- but for now, I'll stop and just say: 2011, we're ready for you!!

xo
Kerri O
for the Lovelies

A Little End of Year Video From Us to You

2010-12-31T00:50:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!
xoxoxo
Kerri, Caroline & Sue

Good Lovelies Singing a Lightfoot Favourite

2010-12-25T11:44:00.000-08:00

Good Lovelies singing "Song for a Winter's Night" by Gordon Lightfoot.

The Good Lovelies; Song for a Winter's Night (Gordon Lightfoot) from Adam McKinty on Vimeo.

xo xo xo
Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas
Kerri, Caroline & Sue