By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
The Juno Award-winning ensemble of Kerri Ough, Sue Passmore and Caroline Marie Brooks, otherwise known as the Good Lovelies, will be at Venables Theatre on Thursday, November 7.
Described as one of Canada’s most accomplished and harmonious trios, the group will play from their latest, Juno-nominated album as part of their “We Will Never Be the Same” tour.
No newcomers to the music scene, the folk/country harmony trio has been enthralling audiences for 17 years and their new album is both a return to a “more elemental, acoustic-based musical platform reaching back to the early days of the Good Lovelies, as well as an immersive emotional experience crafted by three seasoned songwriters who bring their own real-life stories in all their dynamism and messy complexity to the fore.”
We Will Never Be the Same is the group’s fifth full-length studio album adding to a widely acclaimed catalogue of recordings that also includes two beloved Christmas releases. It adds to their already popular concert repertoire as they return to tread the boards in venues throughout North America, the U.K., Europe, Australia, and beyond.
Speaking on behalf of the trio, Kerri Ough told the Times Chronicle that the upcoming show will be “a mix of original music, some special cover songs, and a lot of banter in between songs. We’re all writers in the band, so there’s a lot of variety of songwriting and personalities that come out on stage. We’ve been together a long time and we still keep each other entertained on stage after all these years!”
Ough says this is the unique aspect of their band where three distinct personalities come together to make a whole.
“We’ve been together for 18 years this December, and we share everything from songwriting credits, to the behind the scenes work to the hours spent behind the steering wheel.
“It’s a true collaborative thing we do and I think that’s rare for a lot of bands, who might have one leader who calls the shots. I think we’re really lucky to have each other, and it comes through on stage and when we’re working on projects together,” she says.
When asked, perhaps unfairly, what the fan-favourites would be, Ough notes that given the length of time and the distinctness of the three songwriters, it’s difficult to answer.
She does gamely take a stab at it however, pointing to their early days when the trio’s western swing tight harmony drive songs like, Lie Down and Kiss Me in the Kitchen were popular and then a few year later, many of their fans told them that their song I See Gold was like an anthem for them in tough times.
And from their recent record, the singles, Young at Heart, Keep Moving and Tip to Toe “are resonating with our audiences of all ages – which is an incredible feeling, to write songs that people connect with over almost two decades of writing together,” she said.
The flip side of the question is what is their most underrated album? That one is easier for Ough with her answer Burn the Plan. “Some of our best and most poignant songs came out of that era and started us on a new trajectory in our songwriting, and also in our stage show.
“Our instrumentation shifted, and the sound matured in an impactful way, while still retaining the core of what we do, which is write songs that are rich in vocal harmony and instrumentation.”
Their long career also means their personal lives have evolved alongside their music. This means family life has taken on an overarching importance. “Home is where it’s all happening, we have kids who depend on us, partners we leave to hold down the fort so we go earn our living on the road doing what we have been called to do!
“It’s a wild job, the touring part. You travel all over, play to audiences and then land back at home and have to ease back into it and make sense of what went on when you were away, and fit yourself back into it,” Ough observes.
“Our families impact every part of our career. Our families are the reason we can also do this job, and they are at the heart of many of our songs – the kids, our partners, our parents and siblings… they’re all cooked into our albums and stage banter. We love touring, and we love going home to the people that make it all make sense.”
The Good Lovelies will be performing at Venables Theatre in Oliver on Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $44 and available on the theatre website, from the box office or by calling 250-498-1626.
