From the Lakes of Pontchartain to Ootischenia, the Be Good Tanyas have travelled the globe with music that emerged when Samantha Parton, Frazey Ford and Jollie Holland met at a Kootenay-based tree planting operation.
For Parton, music had always been a part of her life.
“I think I loved music even when I was in the womb,” she said.
Her grandmother was a professional pianist and singer who combined blues, ragtime and a vaudevillian style to pay homage to Edith Piaf and Marlene Dietrich.
“But the rest of my family was listening to Elton John and Billy Joel,” she laughed.
It was the music of Elton John that stuck with her the most and despite attempts to learn classical music through choir and piano lessons, Parton ditched that to pursue music she was interested in.
She started singing with her twin sister.
“It made singing really fun because we have similar voices,” she said.
Parton had been living all over the Kootenays from Bonnington to Edgewood, but said she is constantly surprised by the journey The Be Good Tanyas has taken her on.
The trio’s music has appeared on a host of TV shows from Weeds to Breaking Bad and The L Word.
Trish Klein has now joined the band replacing Jollie Holland.
Parton said the relationship between the women has changed a lot over the years.
“We were really good friends, and then we hated each other but now we have this great sisterly relationship,” she said.
The Be Good Tanyas have been on hiatus since 2008 where the band members began pursuing their own projects like Ford’s solo album Obadiah which came out in 2010.
On Sunday night the women will be back in the Kootenays.
“I always love coming back to Nelson because it reminds me of where we met and a time when we played music purely for the love of it,” said Parton. “I can’t wait to get back.”
The Be Good Tanyas play The Capitol Theatre on Sunday night. Ticket information is available through the Capitol.
