One of Canada’s most beloved trios, the Good Lovelies have spent more than a decade traversing the highways and byways of the nation, with occasional ventures to more far flung locales, sharing their inspired vocal harmonies and deeply authentic musical masterpieces to adoring audiences.
Comprised of the talented Kerri Ough, Sue Passmore and Caroline Brooks, the Good Lovelies have helped redefine modern roots music in Canada but have always done so with an openness and desire to continually grow as artists and as human beings. Over their four albums (five if you count their 2009 Christmas record Under the Mistletoe) two EPs and a live album, they have added nuanced elements of jazz, old-school country and even hip-hop to their songs.
The group’s new album, Shapeshifters, is a game changer, not only for the way the Good Lovelies have been able to metamorphose their style and approach, but for the critical and popular acclaim it is already receiving. It is a stylish album, one that sees the trio discarding the dabbling approach to new stylistic elements, and instead jumping into new musical waters with, metaphorically, both feet.
Shapeshifters is an apt title for this new album on a number of levels. Most obvious, especially to loyal long-time fans of the group, is the remarkable evolution of the overall tone and vibe, with less an emphasis on the folk an roots side of the musical ledger and a leaning towards an elegant, mature, sophisticated, yet still eminently charming pop side.
According to Passmore, it was by no means a calculated shift in direction, but rather developed from a completely barrier-free approach to the new album; an approach where they essentially allowed the ideas to come unencumbered by preconceived notions nor filtered through their previous artistic strictures.
“We had it in mind that we were certainly open to the possibilities that things could change, and not really knowing what that was going to be. I know that we felt there was a shift and that shift happened in the moment as the songs were going along and as the album continued to take shape. We then started going back into some of the songs we had already been working on asking what we could do to bring them into the context of the rest of the album,” she said.
“I think it’s just a natural evolution of where we’re at, who we are as people, what’s been happening in our lives, how we think about our careers, think about our music and think about writing. Everything is sort of evolving over time and I think this is a natural direction. In terms of some of the sounds being a little more poppy, we have all been listening to pop music for a long time, so I don’t think it’s too surprising that it made its way into our music eventually.
“If you think about it pop has changed. And even if you talk about folk these days, it’s not the same thing as what folk meant in the 1960s or 1970s. Folk is a different thing now, and it’s the same for pop. When you talk about pop now, the Top 40 pop features very clean production, and lots of produced elements. But I think there’s more of a rootsy feel to our version of people because we still have lots of natural organic elements.”
It is not an absolutely jarring shift from previous albums such as Let the Rain Fall and Burn the Plan, but enough that for less confident and less authentic artists there might have been a little trepidation upon the release of something that was not what many might be expecting.
“I think it was more that we had a little bit of curiosity. We’re still aware that when it comes to the vocals and the harmonies, it’s still unmistakably us. That’s always there, that’s always part of our music and our sound. And really, if you think of the core of what a lot of people are listening to, it does often boil down to the vocals and the harmonies. And for those who have heard the new music before it dropped, there was very positive feedback. We felt just fine, we felt good, and the reaction to the single [I See Gold] was awesome, just awesome,” Passmore said of the song which went to number one on the CBC Radio 2 Top 20 in January as well as number one on the Singer/Songwriter iTunes downloads list.
For Shapeshifters, sensing they were heading down an interesting new stylistic rabbit hole, the Good Lovelies chose to work with Halifax-area producer David Ledwell (Jenn Grant, David Myles, Justin Rutledge) and decamped to the Maritimes for a pair of intensive recording sessions.
“We did it over two pieces. We went out to Nova Scotia and he’s got his own studio just outside Halifax and his wife is Jenn Grant and he has produced a bunch of her records and with lots of other amazing folks. He was amazing. It was our first time working with him and we had a great time. We wanted to mix it up. We knew we wanted to change things up and we knew that the sound would probably change a little bit in his hands and it did in great ways,” Passmore said.
“And we really liked the idea of being in a dedicated location to do this. So rather than going into the studio and then going home and sort of getting in and out of the groove of what you’re doing that way. Bu this was two sessions of two weeks at a time, and it was dedicated studio time from when you get up until you go to bed – you’re just focused on the record.”
Shapeshifters features a compelling array of emotional dynamics from song to song, all brought together by the unmistakably lovely and impassioned vocal harmonies and sublime melodies composed by Passmore, Ough and Brooks. And as with most artists, real life, real love and real loss penetrate and infuse this collection of music with an effortlessness that only comes from three artistic souls in complete lockstep.
“The songs represent a period in our lives when there was a lot of change. There was a wedding, there were some babies, there were some people that passed away in our lives, there were moves to different places. And in a couple of cases what was happening in the world also reflects in the music. The song Lightness was motivated somewhat by what has been happening in North America,” she said, adding that I See Gold, which featured co-writer Robyn Del’Unto working primarily alongside Brooks, is also wrapped up in the notion of change and growth and the uncertainty that comes with that. But ultimately it a song of perseverance and hope.
“In the lyrics it kind of boils down to saying that you don’t get more than you can take. There is a change coming, everything is going to be alright, no matter where you are coming from. Caroline likes to send this one out to the sleepless. For her, its those moments of parenthood where you’re maybe feeling a little threadbare and tired, but you find a way through it. One way or another, you find your way through. And it could be about so many things as well. The message is that everything is going to be alright and I like that visual of finding the gold in the shadows in that sort of golden hour.”
Each member of the Good Lovelies tends to take the lead on certain songs, although each member, as well as producer Ledwell, participated in honing the ideas down. Passmore was inspired by an online dating experience to write a song about the burgeoning possibility of love for the track Daylight.
“That was a co-write with Peter Katz and it started with the line, ‘when can I see you in the daylight.’ Back in 2012 I was doing some online dating and went out with one person and we would go out at night time. And he said one time, ‘well, when can I see you in the daylight.’ And that’s a fair question, because if you’re going to take the next step and if you’re going to get real with someone, that’s going to come up. That relationship didn’t carry on, but I really loved that line and the idea of are we going to jump into this and give it a go or not,” she explained, adding that another song that she contributed to the mix looks at a different sort of relationship, that of mother to child – especially that of a mother who spends part of her life on the road as a touring musician.
“It started from an email my dad sent me where he said, ‘I had a dream about you last night and you were singing to me and it was so nice.’ And I wrote back to him and said, ‘you’re welcome LOL.’ And from there the song I Had A Dream was written very quickly, over just a couple of hours the framework was there. And it started with that email and moved on, because I am on tour a lot and I don’t always get to bring my family with me. My son is just about two and for that last two years sometimes I have had to leave my son at home and I know it’s hard for him. And Caroline has the same situation; she has got a five year old and two year old and home, and it can be tough.
“So, part of the song was written from the perspective of the kids, just kind of thinking about how we do things together, we sing together, we dance together and maybe the next time when you go away, I can come with you.”
Unfortunately for little Henry, mom Sue will not be able to take him on the Good Lovelies forthcoming excursion to Australia, which happens from mid-March to April 10. That run follows on the heels of a short series of dates through the U.S. Midwest, primarily Minnesota and Indiana. After the Down Under dates, Brooks, Passmore and Ough will be back in Canada for a special show on May 11, at Massey Hall as guests of Royal Wood. That show will count as the group’s official album release party for Shapeshifters.
“It’s been a little quieter in the States the last couple of years, but we have been down there a lot. We were already down once in January and are back in early March. We try to get down there often. We have had some really nice times in several of the states. We have spent a lot of time in the Midwest and Washington State in particular. We have been to California several times too and those are all areas where things have gone really well. We also went to Alaska a while ago and we would love to get back to Alaska, it was so much fun,” she said, adding that they are also looking forward to returning to Australia.
“This is our third tour of Australia an I don’t know why we and so many other Canadian artists do so well. Maybe it’s the British colonial connection or something. There are a lot of Australians here in Canada so there is definitely a real connection between the two countries. And it does feel very comfortable there, it does feel a bit like home.”
There are plans for a full-scale tour of Canada later in the fall, as well as summer festival dates. For more information on touring activity by the Good Lovelies, as well as about Shapeshifters, visit http://goodlovelies.com.
- Jim Barber is a veteran award-winning journalist and author based in Napanee, ON, who has been writing about music and musicians for a quarter of a century. Besides his journalistic endeavours, he now works as a communications and marketing specialist. Contact him at jimbarberwritingservices@gmail.com.
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