Fans of heavenly harmonies and lilting acoustic tunes will surely be flocking to Stanford University’s Bing Concert Hall this Saturday, when the Canadian-American trio The Wailin’ Jennys bring their award-winning act to town.
The band consists of Ruth Moody on soprano vocals, banjo, accordion, and bodhran (a type of Irish drum); Nicky Mehta on mezzo vocals, guitar, harmonica and ukulele; and Heather Masse on alto vocals and upright bass. All three songwriters are equally influenced by a variety of styles, including folk, country, bluegrass, gospel and pop. However, it is their trademark soaring harmonies that create the group’s signature sound, Moody says. “It’s pretty eclectic, so the three-part harmony threads it all together.”
Though they have distinct vocal ranges, the trio trade off singing leads, which means they can experiment with harmonic arrangements, giving them all a chance to sing different parts. “It’s always fun to switch it up,” Moody says. “We’ll see what blends best.”
The Jennys, named after country great Waylon Jennings, have released four critically acclaimed albums, as well as several solo works. Moody’s also recently recorded and toured in Europe with Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits. She says the Jennys’ live show presents a good variety of original and cover songs, drawn from all their releases.
They’ve gained many new fans from their frequent appearances on the beloved NPR institution, A Prairie Home Companion, and they’ve been touring steadily for years—periodically taking breaks for family reasons and sometimes bringing the family along. Moody’s brother, Richard, is rounding out the live act currently, playing fiddle, viola and mandolin.
After the Stanford show and a couple of East Coast gigs, the group will be taking some time off to work on writing new material and recording their next album.
Moody recently wrote a song “unlike what I usually write”—in the style of Cajun dance music. “It could be fun but I don’t know if it will turn into a Jennys song.”
As songwriters, she says they take inspiration from personal life as well as the environment around them.
“We’re all different writers but we all go through that private process of navigating what’s happening and making sense of our place in this world.”
Tickets are currently sold out, but there is a waiting list online at live.stanford.edu.
