Farewell to the Lovell Sisters…hello to Larkin Poe

Larkin PoeWe’re always excited to discover a new group of young people who play and sing bluegrass music with excellence. So it was with some sadness that we learned The Lovell Sisters were saying farewell. The band, consisting of three sisters and three additional players, performed their first gig 5 years. Since that time they have travelled the world over, performing hundreds of concerts in 36 states and 9 countries.

While fans of the sister band may be sad to see them go, it’s not as sad as it may seem at first. The oldest sister, Jessica, is attending college now and was recently engaged, leaving little time for traveling with the band. The two younger sisters however, Megan and Rebecca, will continue to perform together under a new band name.

And not only do they have a new name, they also have a new recording available on their new website. The record is a nine track CD which the girls are simply calling EP.  We had a chance to talk with Rebecca recently and asked her a few questions about the new band, and the new record, so below are our questions and her answers.

The Lovell Sisters were a trio, but now that there are just two you, you’ve changed the name. Can you explain the new name? Where did it come from and what does it mean?

Larkin Poe” was the name of our great-great-great-grandfather on our dad’s side. Since Megan and I are sisters, we definitely wanted to pick a name that had some familial significance.

Are there any thoughts about Jessica coming back into the group at some point in the future?

As a matter of fact, we will be performing a Lovell Sisters set at MerleFest 2010 which Jessica will be participating in, and we can hardly wait! But looking towards the future, I’d say: never say never!

This new EP project, it’s a bit of a move away from the more straight forward, traditional bluegrass sound of the last CD. What was the driving force behind that shift in direction? Was it intentional, or did it just kind of happen as you were writing and arranging?

Musically speaking, the transition from The Lovell Sisters to Larkin Poe was definitely an organic process. The more songs that Megan and I wrote, the more we found ourselves naturally tending towards an “edgier” Folk-Rock sound. Regardless, I believe that our acoustic roots are still very much present in Larkin Poe’s music, and will continue to be an influential force moving forward. Megan and I both love acoustic music and while our genre moniker may vary in the coming years – from Folk-Rock, to Acoustic Pop, to Americana – we plan on keeping the acoustic stylings coursing strong in our songs.

Our goal with this EP was to simply share new songs with people; friends and strangers alike. Making music is what we do and if new people like the new music, that’s great! If preexisting friends decide to continue with Larkin Poe on its musical journey, the more the merrier! All we can do it share our story as it continues to unfold for us and hope that folks are touched and inspired by that story.

How many of the 9 tracks on this recording are originals penned by the two of you?

Every single track on the EP was a Larkin Poe original. Megan contributed some, I contributed some, and the rest we co-wrote together. Recording and producing an EP composed solely of our own songs was definitely a rewarding (though intimidating!) experience.

Do you have favorites? jointly or individually? Why?

One of my personal favorites would have to be track number 8, “We Intertwine.” “We Intertwine” is an absolutely stunning song that Megan wrote a couple of months ago. The lyrics are beautiful and getting to sing them in a recording studio was, and continues to be, a very powerful experience for me as a vocalist.

The new website, LarkinPoe.com includes an embedded streaming player which will allow you to preview all nine tracks from the new EP. As you may have gathered from our interaction with Rebecca, the new recording is not strictly a bluegrass record. The instrumentation varies from track to track, but is mostly acoustic in nature. It’s the general feel and arrangement of the songs that leans toward more of a folk-rock styling, rather than a bluegrass sound. If you’ve enjoyed The Lovell Sisters as a bluegrass band, we would recommend you give Larkin Poe a listen, and feel confident you’ll like what you hear.

Megan and Rebecca are talented young ladies who are sure to do well musically. Bluegrass Today wishes Jessica the best in her studies and upcoming marriage, and for ourselves we’ll continue to listen to what any of the Lovell Sisters have to say musically. Good luck girls, and thanks for sharing with us!