By Rob WilliamsKEN Mode made it into the Juno Awards history books on Saturday.At the non-televised gala, the Winnipeg band's album Venerable was named metal/hard music album of the year, beating out sentimental favourite Anvil.The category is a new one and KEN Mode is the first band to win it."This one's for Winnipeg," vocalist-guitarist Jesse Matthewson said on stage during his acceptance speech.Backstage, the trio -- Matthewson, his brother Shane Matthewson (drums) and bassist Andrew LaCour -- said the award was a validation of the genre and the long hours they've spent on the road."It means a lot for us... The Juno, we never thought we would get. It's kind of an acknowledgment of the work we put in to working on the record," Shane said."I feel Canada has a metal legacy that has gone unnoticed in the mainstream media; that bands like Voivod have not been recognized by the Junos is a shame. I think it's time Canada woke up to the less savoury styles of art," Jesse added.KEN Mode was one of two local acts that won awards at the affair Saturday with the Wailin' Jennys taking home the roots & traditional album of the year: group for their third album, Bright Morning Stars.It is the second time the Jennys have won the award -- they took home the prize in 2005 for their debut, 40 Days."We're completely shocked. It was a really amazing list of nominees. We're in great company. It may sound clichéd, but it really is an honour to be in that company," said Ruth Moody."The roots scene in Canada is so incredibly strong. To get a nomination at all is an honour. To actually win is amazing," Nicky Mehta said.The Jennys -- which also includes Heather Masse -- held the audience at the event spellbound with a haunting a cappella version of Light of a Clear Blue Morning during the In Memoriam segment honouring people who have died in the past year.
More Awards News and Going to the Junos!
Hello Everyone!We're packing our bags again and heading to Ottawa on Saturday for the Junos! We're thrilled to be nominated and honoured to be performing at Saturday's Gala and Awards Ceremony. Mostly, we're looking forward to seeing lots of old friends and singing together for the first time since last September!Since the Juno nominations were announced in early February, we've had some other exciting awards news. "Bird Song" from Bright Morning Stars won 1st Prize in the Best Duo/Group category from the International Acoustic Music Awards. And "Storm Comin'", also from Bright Morning Stars, was named a finalist by the International Songwriting Competition (ISC). You can vote for "Storm" to win the People's Voice Award by visiting the ISC's Facebook page and clicking on People's Voice in the left hand column.As always, thanks for all your support and kind notes.Much love,~ The Jennys.
The Decade of The Wailin' Jennys
Written by Nicky Mehta for the Red House Records Blog
It’s hard to believe we’re celebrating our 10th anniversary as a band, and yet, there’s so much to look back on, so much of which to be proud. I’m proud that we’ve thrived as an independent band for this long, working at a grassroots level with other smaller organizations (our agents and labels – yay, Red House!) and proud that we’ve worked hard to produce music that is true to our hearts. That our music has been embraced so lovingly by our fans all these years is such a thrill.
During the last decade, we’ve seen much of the world, had the great fortune of playing alongside musical heroes (Roseanne Cash, Bruce Cockburn, Bruce Hornsby, Jerry Douglas, to name a few exciting examples) and become better writers and musicians along the way. We’ve learned from each other all the way along and learned how to weave our different styles together to bring out all of their individual strengths – it’s an ongoing process as we all mature as singers, writers and players. I think we could all say that we’ve made each other grow and challenged each other to move outside our comfort zones. Being in this group has brought a wealth of experience and learning opportunities that I might have missed as a solo artist and it’s been a significant journey for me.I think what has also been profoundly significant for all of us are the stories our audiences tell us. People thank us for staying after shows to sign CDs but we hardly think of it as a sacrifice. It’s there that we hear about the various ways our music impacts our fans, helps them deal with loss, gives them joy and inspires them to create in their own lives. Considering that we all do this for a living in part to help and connect with others, this feedback means so much to us, it inspires and energizes us. Writing and performing is important to us all, but I think that our fans’ stories are part of the creative equation. Ten years later, time spent communicating with our fans is every bit as important as it was in the beginning.So what’s next? Well, stay tuned! Part of what makes a band successful and ensures longevity is allowing for all members to be creative and fulfilled outside of the band’s parameters. That means solo albums and tours, family life and rest. So that’s what we’re doing and soon we’ll come together and map out the future as best we can. We thank everyone for being here with us these last ten years and we invite you all to keep an eye on our website for news of the next chapter!
~Nicky Mehta of The Wailin’ Jennys
Juno Nominations
Exciting news this morning - Bright Morning Stars received a nomination for Best Roots & Traditional Album of the Year. And engineer/producer/partner in crime extraordinaire David Travers-Smith received an Engineer of the Year nomination for his work on "All the Stars" (co-engineer Mark Howard) off of Bright Morning Stars. Congratulations to all the nominees and thanks to everyone for all the support!
10th Anniversary!
Yesterday, January 18th 2012, we celebrated our 10th anniversary as a band! There's a new video on our video page which documents the last few years of the Jennys. We hope you enjoy this little peek behind the scenes. Thanks to everyone, especially our fans, for all their support over the years.
Happy Holidays 2011!
To all of our amazing fans, we send you warmest wishes for a peaceful and happy holiday season. Thank you for another year filled with your enthusiastic encouragement and support. It means the world to us and we couldn't do what we do without you.
Exclusive iTunes Session EP Released
Hi Everyone!We're very excited to share that today we released an Exclusive iTunes Session EP! This past May, we spent a day in a studio outside Toronto recording new versions of some old songs as well as some previously unrecorded fan favourites ('Pants,' Julie Miller's 'By Way of Sorrow,' and Bruce Cockburn's 'Goin' Down The Road'). The EP was produced by longtime Jennys' collaborator David Travers-Smith and features the three of us along with side player Richard Moody. We hope you have a chance to check out the new music. You can find more information on our Discography page.Thanks all!~ The Jennys.
Awards and Nominations
It's been an exciting few days for us in the awards and nominations world. We're thrilled to share the news that last night we won the Best Roots Duo/Group Recording of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards. Thank you to our producers, David Travers-Smith and Mark Howard; all the musicians who played on the album; our labels True North and Red House Records; Manitoba Music and Manitoba Film and Music; our families and friends; and our amazing and supportive fans. Much gratitude! Congratulations to all our fellow Manitobans who took home awards last night. We are so fortunate to be a part of this community.Also, last week we learned that Bright Morning Stars received three Canadian Folk Music Award nominations - Vocal Group of the Year, Ensemble of the Year, and Producer of the Year (for the amazing duo of Mark Howard and David Travers-Smith). Also, Wailin' Jenny Ruth Moody received three nominations for her beautiful album The Garden - Solo Artist of the Year, New/Emerging Artist of The Year, and Pushing The Boundaries. Congratulations to all the nominees!