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November 9, 2001
Leahy's the family that plays together
By MIKE BELL
In case you're wondering, that's the preferred mode of cross-country transportation for the Leahy entourage -- which numbers greater than a hip hop acts "posse," by the way -- made up of nine band/family members, three children, a nanny and a sound engineer. Two very big buses. "Yeah, it's certainly needed," says Erin Leahy. "For everyone really. Certainly for the children, they need to have some quiet time. "As do the band members." Since the Leahy family members' collective careers took off in 1996 with the release of their extremely successful, multiple Juno-winning self-titled debut, there hasn't been a great deal of quiet time. The constant touring on their own, as well as the high-profile stint on the Shania Twain tour, has brought them to, five years later, the release of their sophomore disc Lakefield (named after their Ontario hometown). The album, which Leahy is currently supporting with a tour that stops at the Jack Singer Concert Hall tonight, marks a drastic step forward for the band, both in terms of sound and style. It's a very polished disc that pops up and smoothes out the band's Celtic roots. And instead of merely being an instrumental fiddle-based dance album, the Ontario act utilizes vocals on more than half of the tracks on Lakefield, something Erin says fans frequently requested. For the family, who produced the album at their home studio, it's a natural progression and one that stems from having nine members in the band. "What you're seeing on this particular album is the representation of all of the different influences that we have had throughout the years," says Erin, noting the wealth of original material that makes up Lakefield as opposed to their debut's dependence on traditional fare. "Each member has different preferences as far as listening to music and experiences with music, so that definitely comes through. "We usually have consensus and that's what goes, however that doesn't mean that everyone agrees all the time ... "If we all agreed that would be pretty stale and dull." But not surprisingly, Leahy's evolution has also met with criticism from those who'd rather the family stuck to the formula that made them a success. "There is a contingent of people who are very hard core traditionalists and they obviously would have preferred the same album as the previous one, in a sense. The same sort of material," she says. "But we expected all of that." And what we're to expect from Leahy next time out, isn't so clear. Erin points to the song The Skater, the last track on Lakefield, which is heavily influenced by classical music, and so unlike anything else the band has ever recorded. "I think it's interesting that (The Skater) is the last cut because it leaves you in a space of, 'Where did that come from?' " she says. "I think that's maybe an indication of what to expect and what not to expect on future recordings, which is kind of exciting." |
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