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Po' Girl

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Po' Girl
Po' Girl, performing at the Joshua Tree Music Festival
Po' Girl, performing at the Joshua Tree Music Festival
Background information
OriginVancouver, Canada
Genres
Years active2000–present
LabelsNettwerk
Jericho Beach
MembersAllison Russell
Awna Teixeira
Benny Sidelinger
Mikey "Lightning" August
Past membersTrish Klein
JJ Jones
Diona Davies
Shelley Okepnak
John Raham

Po' Girl is a Canadian music group whose style derives from folk, country and jazz. The band evolved from a series of jam sessions, in 2000, between Trish Klein of The Be Good Tanyas and Allison Russell, then of Fear of Drinking. The two met up again in 2003 and named themselves Po' Girl. Klein said at the time that the new group offered her the opportunity to write and perform her own songs.[1] Po' Girl recorded their last album in 2010, but the members' musical careers have continued to develop, either as soloists or in other bands. Once based in Vancouver, Po' Girl is now back in the Eastern cities of Toronto and Montreal. The current band lineup is Allison Russell (singer/multi-instrumentalist), Awna Teixeira (singer/multi-instrumentalist), Benny Sidelinger (multi-instrumentalist) and Mikey "Lightning" August.

Musical style

The style of music they perform has been called "urban roots", defined by band founding member Allison Russell as "rural music with urban lyrical content and appeal, typically played on old-timey instruments...defined in its early years...[as]...mostly folk- and country-influenced."[2] The band's sound has been described as having a "bit more jazz and swing" than that of the Be Good Tanyas, and "with straightforward musicianship built around Klein and Russell’s intertwining vocals, Po’ Girl delivers nice, casual music that slowly grooves into the heart."[3] Po' Girl's music has been compared with that of The Band, Hazel Dickens, Tracy Chapman, Natalie Merchant, Elizabeth Cotten and Norah Jones. It showcases melodies from instruments as diverse as banjo, clarinet, harmonica, dobro, accordion, gutbucket bass.

Recordings

They released their self-titled debut album in 2003[4][5] and shortly after that decided to add a new member, Diona Davies who was known to Klein as a skilled fiddler.[1]

In 2004, they recorded and released their second album, Vagabond Lullabies which included Davies (fiddle, piano and vocals), CR Avery, (hip hopper) from the trio Tons of Fun University, Roey Shemesh on bass and John Raham and Shelley Okepnak on drums. The album was positively received, with Sue Keogh of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) noting that "This is a sweet little gem showcasing some of the finest acoustic musicians Canada currently has to offer,"[6] and Mike Regenstreif in Sing Out! writing, [that] "Hip hop poet C.R. Avery effectively adds spoken word passages to a couple of songs."Cited in: [1] There were guest appearances on Vagabond Lullabies from Frazey Ford and Ani DiFranco.[1] One reviewer stated that Vagabond Lullabies had more "depth and maturity" than their debut album, with contrasting vocals and good harmonies, but did comment that there was "still an odd Americana-goes-pop polish that keeps Po’ Girl from sounding entirely authentic."[7]

2006 saw the release of their B Side record, with tracks including guest appearances by Sarah Harmer, Luther Wright, Shaun Brodie, Jason Mercer and Ana Egge (which can only be purchased off-stage). In 2007 came their third album, Home to You[8] which was noted as being focused "on the band's bittersweet relationship with being away from home."[9] One reviewer said the album was a "most nourishing slice of Americana" with a mixture of folk, blues and alt-rock.[10]

Deer in the Night was released in May 2009, and Russell was later to note that she had been abused by her stepfather for 10 years when she was a teenager and wrote the song No Shame in 2006 following his release from prison.[11] She said she was encouraged to perform the song on stage by the other band members and the response from members the audiences - many of whom told stories of their abuse - confirmed for her that the issue was "endemic."[11]

In the summer of 2009, they completed a live album consisting of recordings in venues from their favourite states, and the studio album Follow Your Bliss was released in 2010.

Live performances

When interviewed before a concert in 2011, Russell said that the group was a "modern-day troupe of nomads" who had toured extensively and she was "willing to make sacrifices to see where the road would take Po’ Girl."[12]

Musical development of members

Russell has continued her musical career, being a member and co-director of the band Birds of Chicago since 2012,[13] and from 2019 has performed with and written for the band Our Native Daughters[14] whose debut album Songs of Our Native Daughters was widely acclaimed.[15][16][17]

From 2006 Davies has been a member of the E.S.L. (band).

Trish Klein has continued to work with The Be Good Tanyas, as well has having credits for recording with Frazey Ford, Ana Egge, Bill Bourne and on several Roots revival compilation albums.[18]

  • Allison Russell of Po' Girl, performing at Wood, 2009
    Allison Russell of Po' Girl, performing at Wood, 2009
  • Awna Teixeira of Po' Girl, performing at Wood, 2009
    Awna Teixeira of Po' Girl, performing at Wood, 2009

Discography

  • 2003 Po' Girl
  • 2004 Vagabond Lullabies
  • 2006 B-side recordings
  • 2007 Home to You
  • 2009 Deer in the Night
  • 2010 Follow Your Bliss

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Po' Girl Alternative folk group". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  2. ^ Asay, Jeremy (9 November 2010). "Po' Girl: The Canadian Urban-roots Group's Sound Keeps Growing". Salt Lake City Weekly. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  3. ^ "Po' Girl". The Journal of Roots Music. 1 September 2003. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  4. ^ Heselgrave, Douglas (January 2004). "Downwind with Trish Klein". The Music Box. 11 (1). Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Po' Girl". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  6. ^ Keogh, Sue (2004). "Po' Girl Vagabond Lullabies Review". BBC. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  7. ^ Liss, Sarah (16 September 2004). "Po' Girl New and Notable Releases". Now Magazine. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  8. ^ Reid, Graham (11 March 2007). "Po' Girl: Home To You (Shock)". Elsewhere.co.nz. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  9. ^ Jeffries, David. "Po' Girl Biography". All Music. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  10. ^ Pomranz, Kristyn (18 May 2007). "Po' Girl: Home to You". Las Vegas Weekly. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  11. ^ a b Gewerz, Daniel (1 March 2010). "Po' Girls' Allison Russell gives voice to victims of sexual abuse". Boston Herald. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  12. ^ Parlin, Geri (12 March 2011). "Po' Girl to perform roots music at Pump House". La Crosse Tribune. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  13. ^ Studio Sessions (19 July 2016). "Birds Of Chicago On World Cafe". NPR. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  14. ^ Gotrich, Lars (13 December 2018). "Rhiannon Giddens Forms Our Native Daughters, Shares Harrowing 'Mama's Cryin' Long'". NPR. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  15. ^ "Songs of Our Native Daughters". Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  16. ^ New Horizons (7 April 2019). "Songs of our Native Daughters". Radio New Zealand (RNZ). Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  17. ^ "'Songs Of Our Native Daughters' Lays Out A Crucial, Updated Framework for Americana February 14, 2019". First Listen. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  18. ^ "Trish Klein - Credits". All Music. Retrieved 26 January 2021.


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