The Wailin' Jennys Don't Try to Keep Their Audience at Arm's Length

3.12.2015– 3.18.2015 WHOCANITURNTO? The Wailin’ Jennys FILM LIVE MUSIC BOOKS Disney’s new ‘Studebaker’ John Following the trail don’t try to keep their ‘Cinderella’ is dull, Grimaldi still going his of Porter and Ike audience at arm’s length never delightful own way Stockton PAGE 11 PAGE 12 PAGE 15 2 | E A+E | EXPLORE » THE DAILY TIMES MARCH 12- 18, 2015 Inside INSTAGRAM ALEXA ROGALS – THE DAILY TIMES Audience members listen to a presentation by Kelly Jenks from the archaeology program at Fort Lewis College during the Big Meeting at Crow Canyon March 6 in Cortez, Colo. For more photos by Daily Times photographer Alexa Rogals, follow her @alexa_rogals on Instagram. LEADING OFF Defying conventional wisdom A lower profile hasn’t hurt the Wailin’ Jennys, co-founder Nicky Mehta says. 3 FILM REVIEW A ‘Cinderella’ without magic The new Disney version of the timeless fairy tale is all pumpkin, no slipper. 11 LIVE MUSIC Behind the wheel with ‘Studebaker’ John A veteran Chicago bluesman shares some wisdom from a life on the road. 12 BOOKS Famous and infamous Two outlaw brothers who once roamed the Four Corners left a blood legacy. 15 Now playing: 7 Calendar: 8 Art listings: 10 Call to artists: 11 CONTACT US A&E Editor: Mike Easterling, 505-564-4610, [email protected] Advertising: 800-395-6397 Address: 201N. Allen, Farmington, NM, 87401 Explore is the Four Corners arts and entertainment tabloid published weekly by The Daily-Times, a MediaNews Group newspa- per. Explore is available free on Thursdays in the Daily-Times or in racks across the region. All stories, photographs and calendar listings must be submitted Thursday the week before publication. Email [email protected]. Follow us on Twitter @thedailytimes or find us on Facebook @The Daily Times. MARCH 12- 18, 2015 EXPLORE » THE DAILY TIMES | A+E E | 3 LEADING OFF COURTESY PHOTO It’s been four years since the Wailin’ Jennys released an album, but the group’s auTHdience hasn’t disappeaEred. TIESTHAT BIND booking their own shows and exercising more By Mike Easterling control over their fate. It’s an unusual move The Wailin’ Jennys [email protected] @measterlingdt on Twitter for a group that has enjoyed so much success, given that few performers want to be both- maintain an unusually close FARMINGTON >> For the past few years, ered with business-related details and would the members of the Canadian acoustic trio instead prefer to focus on the artistic side of the Wailin’ Jennys have taken on the respon- what they do. relationship with their fans sibility of managing the band on their own, TIES >> PAGE 4 4 | E A+E | EXPLORE » THE DAILY TIMES MARCH 12- 18, 2015 COURTESY PHOTO BY ART TURNER The Wailin’ Jennys — Heather Masse, left, Nicky Mehta and Ruth Moody — hope to return to the studio next year. IF YOUGO That’s hardly been the Ties What: The Wailin’ Jennys case. Despite taking a no- concert tably lower career profile FROM PAGE 3 in recent years, the Wailin’ When: 7:30p.m. Sunday, Jennys, who generally tour But the wisdom of that March 14 only one week each month, choice has never been Where: Community Concert continue to sell out shows in question, says Nicky Hall on the Fort Lewis Col- all over Canada and the Mehta, one of the group’s lege campus in Durango, United States, even as their founding members, even Colo. next album remains mired as the Jennys continue to Tickets: $29to $42at in the planning stages. make moves that bring dire durangoconcerts.com or at “We’ve actually come predictions from industry the ticket office inside the back stronger,” Mehta observers — like not releas- Durango Welcome Center at said. “There’s a real bond ing a new disc in four years Eight Street and Main Av- between us and our audi- and taking time off from enue in downtown Durango ence.” touring to have children. For more information: Call The strength of that “We were warned,” said 970-247-7657 bond is made clear to Mehta last week by phone Mehta and bandmates from her native Winnipeg, lighted by a performance Ruth Moody and Heather Manitoba, before the Jen- Sunday night in Durango, Masse every time they nys set off on a short swing Colo. “People told us, ‘Oh, open an email message COURTESY PHOTO through Colorado and New you’re committing career from a listener or hear a The Wailin’ Jennys perform Sunday at the Community Concert Hall on the Fort Lewis Mexico that will be high- suicide.’” TIES >> PAGE 5 College campus in Durango. MARCH 12- 18, 2015 EXPLORE » THE DAILY TIMES | A+E E | 5 Ties “What we do, the feedback of FROM PAGE 4 what we do, is fan who sticks around for very healing for an autograph after the people. It helps show tell them how much them go through the group’s music means to them. Mehta said that’s what they’re been easily the most grat- going through. ifying part of her long ex- ... The stores are perience with the Jennys. very inspiring. It “What we do, the feedback of what we do, is shows we’re not very healing for people,” just performers, she said. “It helps them go we’re doing through what they’re going through. ... The stories something that are very inspiring. It shows actually matters we’re not just performers, to people.” we’re doing something that actually matters to people.” — Nicky Mehta That willingness to take the time to shake hands It’s always been that way and pose for photos and for the band, which was a sign CDs after every show hit with listeners since its is what helps the Jennys first show, an impromptu, stay connected with their supposedly one-off gig in fans, despite those rela- a nondescript Winnipeg tively long absences from guitar shop in 2002. Since the listening public’s con- then, the Jennys have risen sciousness, Mehta believes. to the upper ranks of the She recalled how moved Canadian music scene, she was after meeting a carving out a sizable and woman from Kansas, the extraordinarily loyal fol- widowed mother of two lowing en route to win- children whose serviceman ning two Juno Awards — husband was killed in Iraq. COURTESY PHOTO that country’s equivalent The woman told Mehta she The Wailin’ Jennys have won two Juno Awards, the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy Awards. of the Grammy Awards. was immobilized for a long The band’s music covers time by her grief, finding There have been count- No one in the Jennys sibility that goes along selves. I think that sense of genres ranging from folk, solace only by listening to less stories like that over takes those stories — or with it. responsibility comes in us pop and gospel to alt-coun- the group’s song “Begin” the years, Mehta said, with the people behind them — “I think it’s important going out and signing (au- try, rock and jazz, while its over and over. some fans even choosing to for granted, she said. When for writers to write mostly tographs) for an hour. For lyrics are mostly of a per- “She said that helped her say good-bye to departed your music is that impor- for themselves,” she said. us, that’s as much the pay- sonal nature, thus explain- tremendously,” Mehta said. loved ones by including tant to people, Mehta ac- “But I think all of us write off as the show. ... I can’t ing why they resonate with “It helped her get out of bed the group’s songs in fu- knowledged, there’s an things to help others as imagine not wanting to do fans. But the group’s sig- and go back to school.” neral services. enormous sense of respon- much as we write for our- that.” TIES >> PAGE 6 6 | E A+E | EXPLORE » THE DAILY TIMES MARCH 12- 18, 2015 Ties “Writing is such a solitary thing for all of us. And when we’re on the FROM PAGE 5 road, it’s a way for each of us to grab nature element is its rich, out own space. But we would like to complex and soulful three- spend more time writing together. part harmonies between ‘One day’ — we keep saying that.” Mehta, Moody and Masse, a sound that invites fre- — Nicky Mehta quent comparisons to such artists as Gillian Welch, get back in the studio next we’re on the road, it’s a way Patty Griffin and Alison year. for each of us to grab our Krauss. “The process for the own space. But we would The group’s last release, Jennys is for each of us like to spend more time 2011’s “Bright Morning to write on our own and writing together. ‘One day’ Stars,” was its most ambi- then arrange (the songs),” — we keep saying that.” tious, diverse and fully re- she said. “That has become Mehta acknowledged alized effort yet. But the sticker over the past couple she finds the writing pro- Jennys’ decision to scale of years.” cess anything but easy, ex- things back since then in The group has man- plaining that she’s gone the wake of some life-alter- aged to introduce a hand- through frequent droughts ing changes — Mehta had ful of new songs to its set as a writer. twin boys, while Masse had lists since 2011, she said, “I’m not a terribly pro- a child of her own — has but it’s not as if the Jennys lific writer,” she said, left many listeners wonder- have a full album of mate- though she also maintains ing what will come next.

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