Dan Frechette and Laurel Thomsen have a chemistry many musicians – and just as many romantics – can only hope to find in a partner.
But the two performers, who grew up across a continent from each other, were lucky enough to discover that dualistic enchantment within the same person – and they’ve taken their relationship on the road ever since.
About five years ago, Frechette – regarded as one of Canada’s most prolific acoustic guitar and harmonica artists with more than 1,300 original songs to his name – was cruising on Youtube and found a video of a pretty California blonde ripping it up on the violin.
“When I heard her playing, I was really impressed. She has a really amazing emotional quality to her playing – really deep and perfect intonation and tone. I wrote her to tell her how she had a really great style. She asked to hear what my music was like … we just became friends online,” said Frechette, adding it took the pair about a year to finally meet up in person. “When I met her, we had this instant chemistry, an instant musical thing going on that was really awesome. I ended up taking her on a tour and we’ve been touring ever since.
“My music changed forever with her.”
Since that fateful meeting in 2013, the duo has performed more than 150 concerts every year across North America and released three albums, including the most recent Between the Rain, which held steady on Canadian roots charts throughout much of last year. They also took time to get married in 2014 in Santa Cruz.
Frechette, who was signed at just 17 years old to a record contract with EMI Publishing and has opened for Ron Sexsmith and Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, has a multi-instrumental style that varies from bluegrass to folk and everything in between, while Thomsen’s classically-trained strings bring an expressive and emotional sound to the mix. Together, their music is uplifting, soulful and true to who they both are as artists.
The couple brings their harmonic melodies to The Gentry Espresso & Wine Bar on May 26, and Frechette says their live shows are focused on celebrating with fans their enduring passion for the one thing that brought them together, too: the music.
It’s basically taking our love of music and … putting it all out there for people to hopefully get caught up in this love.”
Tickets to see Dan and Laurel in concert are $10 and are available at eventbrite.com.
