Preview
LEAHY
Friday, March 26
Eric Harvie Theatre (Banff)
Sunday, March 28
Jubilee Auditorium
When you are in a band made up of nine family members, working is bound to have its own special set of challenges. Perhaps, that is why Leahy’s new release Most of All took three years of hard work to complete.
Though two members of the Leahy brethren managed to escape a musical career, the other nine children of Julie and Frank Leahy have gone on to the family business. Maria Leahy was kind enough to illuminate the Leahy family’s collective creative process and the making of the album that brought them all home again.
"We basically are constantly writing a lot of material, and we spent six to eight months recording it in the studio," she says, recounting recording their latest album in their hometown of Lakeside, Ontario. "It was a really satisfying experience. We have a system of working together where we’re able to consider what’s happening with each of us, with our families and lives outside of music. The result is that an album may take longer to make, but it doesn’t bother us because we know it will get done in the end."
It’s been three years since the release of their album Lakeside and despite the fact that many of the Leahy still live near their hometown, they still went through the process of putting the pieces back together. Maria points to the essential balance between traditional Celtic elements and more progressive folk movements as the key to Leahy’s universal appeal. The Leahy’s have continued to explore new musical styles and have added new instruments (banjo, mandolin, percussion) to their already bursting lineup. She further describes how this flexibility and willingness to improvise is what allows the group to go beyond the confines of conventional music boundaries, both in the studio and on stage. If it feels right – they go with it.
"It’s always changing with us," she says. "The more we play, the more our music evolves and develops. It’s our style to throw things in and reach for change. Some people grow accustomed to what they hear on our CDs, and then are very surprised when they hear the live versions. That’s because every one of us brings their own unique aspect to the music, and again with this album it was different," she says laughing.
"In making Most of All, we really enjoyed the studio experience – taking one idea and following it in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere." We’re not interested in regurgitating what’s already out there. It should be original, inspired, touch you in a soulful way," she says, citing their working dynamic as the key to getting past the image side of the music business. Being honest both personally and musically is what has brought them this far.
"We like things a certain way. We set the parameters, and conceptualize. In the past, things were set up for us. We took the reins this time." |
Copyright ©2004 FFWD. All rights reserved.