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Fun, flirty trio The Good Lovelies to appear at UNCWSep 27, 2011 (Star-News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- They appeared topless on the cover of their first album ("Oh My!") and they appear in bed together in the video for their song "Lie Down." Take those facts out of context and you might think the Good Lovelies are beyond risque, a typical music act using shock value and manufacturing scandal to earn attention. But that couldn't be further from the truth. The topless photo bares nothing more than shoulders. Their time in bed is spent fully clothed and giggling. The Lovelies, who play UNCW's Kenan Auditorium on Monday, are fun and a little flirty, but there's nothing remotely risque about their show or their image. Their music is fun and breezy. It's the Andrews Sisters harmonizing and playing guitar, the banjo and the mandolin. Their videos are full of good, clean, fun. They dance in their cold-weather gear, enjoy a few laughs about their cleavage and Lovelies Kerri Ough and Sue Passmore show off an aggressive, flying chest bump that's become a pre-show ritual at shows from Canada's Arctic shores to southern California to Australia. Except on days when they're rushed, said Caroline Brooks, the third member of the band. Then it's more of a quick "belly bump." Being Canadian, when the trio travel through snow country, they bring along a sled for a diversion from their all-day drives. When they travel in a warmer climate, they sometimes stop for a break and pull out the jump rope for a few minutes of double dutch. The musical progression from part-time hobby to life-changing destiny started off as a "riches to rags" story, said Brooks, the tallest and youngest of the Lovelies. All three Lovelies, she said, were well-paid professionals when they quit their jobs to pursue music full-time. "We each had real career jobs that we could have spent the rest of our lives in," said Brooks, who was working in recruitment at the University of Toronto. Brooks said she might have lacked the courage to take such a daunting risk as a solo artist. "But because we did it together, we had each other to rely on." On stage, the women harmonize effortlessly. In a 10-hour car ride across the Canadian prairie, the harmony requires a little effort. "Good alone time," Brooks says in a mock-whisper when asked how the girls get along so well. "It's very similar to a marriage, except that there are three of you. You have to be very conscientious and understanding and be aware of each other." But don't underestimate the natural chemistry. "If I randomly took two other women and decided to go on the road, I don't think it would work like this," Brooks said. "There's a natural harmony there." For the past three years, the Lovelies have played about 150 shows a year. This year's venues are diverse, ranging from St. Peters Ecumenical Church to a place called Scalliwags. ("It's a pirate ship, I think," Brooks said). As they built a fan base across Canada and beyond, the Lovelies were invited to the 2010 Juno Awards, where they won Roots/Traditional Album of the Year. "We like to tell people it's like winning an American Grammy," Brooks said, conceding that the Grammy might be a wee bit more prestigious. Still, the ladies were excited. "We were completely shocked," Brooks said. "A few expletives may have been said when we heard we won the award. We were just completely floored." Brooks said she thought the Lovelies would have to share their Juno. "We thought we would just get one and have to take it like the Stanley Cup to each other's homes," she said. Shortly after receiving her Juno, Brooks let some high school students pass it around and pose with it. Though she got a little nervous, she didn't let on. Brooks takes pride in the Lovelies' image. She related the story of a woman who told her that her 8-year-old daughter sometimes plays guitar at home, singing and pretending to be a Good Lovely. "We really, really strive to be good role models," she said. Mike Voorheis: 343-2205 ___ (c)2011 the Star-News (Wilmington, N.C.) Visit the Star-News (Wilmington, N.C.) at www.starnewsonline.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |