Acclaimed folk trio The Wailin' Jennys announce the release of
"Fifteen"
Fifteen, their first new album in
six years, will be out on October 27
Select Live Dates Announced
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September 12, 2017: One of today’s most
respected folk groups, The Wailin’ Jennys are releasing their first new
recording in six years, Fifteen. This
long-awaited follow-up to Bright Morning
Stars finds the
trio bringing their passion and stellar musicianship to a carefully curated
collection of some of their favorite songs, including tracks by Tom Petty,
Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton. Billboard is
premiering the trio's delicately beautiful version of Tom Petty's "Wildflowers," long an audience
favorite, and features an interview with Wailin' Jenny Nicky Mehta. For
members Mehta, Ruth Moody and Heather Masse, Fifteen celebrates a 15-year musical
partnership that has created three award-winning, Billboard-charting
studio albums and one magical live recording and brought them a loyal
worldwide fanbase.
Steeped in the artistry and
elegance that has defined their career, Fifteen presents
The Wailin’ Jennys at their very best. Opening with their stark-yet-exquisite
rendering of “Old Churchyard,” sung a cappella over a single
droning viola tone, the album then shifts to a gorgeous full-band
acoustic version of Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers.” Other highlights include their
moving interpretation of Emmylou Harris’s “Boulder to Birmingham,” their
update of Paul Simon’s “Loves Me Like a Rock” (from a women’s point of
view) and songs by Jane Siberry, Warren Zevon and Patty Griffin. They also do
an achingly beautiful a cappella version of Dolly Parton’s “Light of a Clear
Blue Morning” that resonates as a call to hope in these troubled political
times.
All three of the Jennys now
have young children and — coupled with living in two countries and different
sides of the North American continent — making the time to record has been a
challenge.
“We are all mothers now, living
in different cities, so we knew we couldn’t spend a month in the studio the
way we used to,” Moody says. “Nicky and Heather could only be away from their
boys for a week, which gave us five days! So we decided to do something that
was true to our live show. Arranging other people’s songs has been something
we’ve enjoyed doing since the beginning, so we thought that a covers album
would be fun to do, especially given the time restraints. Even so, it was a
little nuts: We were arranging harmonies on the fly… my son was just shy of three
months old and I was feeding him every couple of hours… Nicky had a bad cold
which made things tricky for her. But we just went with it, and trusted that
it would all work out; maybe that’s the thing we’ve gotten better at as
mothers.”
Produced by The Wailin’
Jennys and engineered by Joby Baker, the album also features additional
musicians Richard Moody (Ruth’s brother), Sam Howard, Adrian Dolan and Adam
Dobres.
NPR
wrote of their last Newport Folk Fest appearance, “The Wailin' Jennys are more than just
impeccable bluegrass harmonizers; they're also terrific bandleaders who give
their traditional roots music a sense of real reverence.” It’s this
respect for their craft, as well as the Wailin’ Jennys heartfelt, impeccable
vocal performances, that has cemented the trio’s reputation in folk and roots
music circles.
More information about The Wailin’ Jennys tour schedule and the members’ solo dates can be found at www.thewailinjennys.com or www.redhouserecords.com. Pre-order links: iTunes Amazon The Wailin' Jennys Tour Dates: SA 11/18 Colorado Springs, CO - Stargazers Theatre SU 11/19 Boulder, CO - Boulder Theatre SA 12/16 Rocky Mount, VA - Harvester Performance Center MO 12/18 Alexandria, VA - The Birchmere TU 12/19 Alexandria, VA - The Birchmere 2018 Dates TH 2/01 Greensboro, NC - Carolina Theatre FR 2/02 Wingate, NC McGee Theatre (The Batte Center) SA 2/03 Raleigh, NC Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts TH 2/15 College State, PA - The State Theatre FR 2/16 Bethlehem, PA - Zoellner Arts Center (Lehigh University) SA 2/17 West Long Branch, NJ - Pollack Theatre (Monmouth University) TH 2/12 Interlochen, MI - Interlochen Center for the Arts (Corson Auditorium) FR 2/13 Saugatuck, MI - Saugatuck Center for the Arts US SA 2/14 Clinton Township, MI - Macomb Center for the Performing Arts SU 2/15 Goshen College – Sauder Concert Hall |