There is a lot to be said for tension within a band spurring some pretty great music – take the Gallagher brothers of Oasis, Axl Rose and Slash from Guns and Roses or David Gilmour and Roger Waters of Pink Floyd.
But Edmonton country trio The Carolines prove the counter point – that musicians coming together in blissful collaborative harmony can create some pretty excellent music as well.
“For me, these two are my best friends,” said Lesley Yvonne, who, along with Chloe Albert and Katie Louise, form the group. “I always catch myself on stage when we’re having a really great show, thinking to myself that these are the days that I am going to look back and remember.”
Yvonne said all three attended Grant MacEwan University together (now referred to as simply MacEwan University) and after graduating they were all part of a group called The Top 10 Show and Review that performed a set that incorporated hits from the ‘50s all the way to the ‘90s.
Covering classic country songs, Louise suggested it would be great for the three of them to form a classic country band.
Yvonne pointed out that each has a very busy musical career – Yvonne owns a dueling piano company, Louise plays in a dueling piano show and Albert has a successful solo career – so 10 years after the original idea came up, the group made it happen.
“We had even chosen a name before we put the band together,” explained Yvonne. “While we were driving down Highway 2 back from Calgary after a show with that other band, we saw a sign for Caroline, Alta. and we thought ‘that is a great country name.”
The trio is set to release their debut self-titled EP Oct. 11 that features classic country covers. It was recorded over three days in April at Sound Extractor Studios in Edmonton with Stew Kirkwood, who had recorded all of their solo albums.
Yvonne said the reason they stick to covers, as opposed to original material, is because the whole idea of The Carolines is to cross age and genre barriers, making the music accessible.
“We play some tunes that are on the classic country side, but maybe they are not as well known, but people are open to hearing them because there are other songs in the set they do know,” explained Yvonne. “It is kind of a mix. People seem to really be picking up on that and enjoying that.”
The Carolines will be playing Legacy Guitar and Coffee House Saturday, Oct. 18. For more information visit thecarolines.ca.
