Alt-rock and alt-country have had their turn under the spotlight. Now it is time for Ault-pop! Meet The Ault Sisters: Amanda (19), Alicia (17), and Alanna (15), three singing siblings with a fresh take on vocal-driven pop music.
There is something sweet, simple and sublime about hearing pure female voices in perfect harmony. That is the signature sound of The Ault Sisters, one captured in pristine fashion on their new album, Butterflies .The sisters may all still be in their teens, but their long history of singing together has meant they have forged a strongly coherent and natural vocal sound few of their peers can match. “I think our voices blend really well together and that makes it easier,” says Amanda. “We have sung with friends and other people before and the voices don’t quite blend in the same way.”
For their premier foray into pop, the Ault Sisters recruited veteran Toronto producer/musician/songwriter Greg Kavanagh (BKS). School and other musical commitments for The Ault Sisters meant that recording took place over an 18 month period, primarily on Sundays, with the sessions taking place in the producer’s intimate yet state of the art studio, Kavasound.
The album features both inventive reworkings of classic pop tunes from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s and fresh original contemporary songs from some of Toronto’s finest songwriters. “I went to my peers, people I work with that were writing good pop material,” explains Kavanagh. “We got a whack of tunes together and fired them off to the girls to go through.”
The Sisters took primary responsibility for the song selection, poring over large numbers of classic and new songs. Also providing valuable input were their music-loving parents, as with their suggestion that the girls try Bread classic “If.” “That was their favourite song while they were dating,” laughs Alicia.
The important process of song choices reflected the complementary personalities of the three sisters. “Alanna is the most critical, while Alicia is the most willing to try any kind of song,” explains Amanda. “I’m in the middle, so it balances out.” “All of the songs have an aspect of our personalities,” adds Alicia. “There isn’t one song on the CD that I haven’t grown to love performing.”
There’s a refreshing diversity of tone and tempo on Butterflies. “It has always been about variety for us, and it just seemed natural to show that on the record,” explains Amanda.
The title track (co-written by Kavanagh and Jenna Andrews) and “Any Better” (co-written by Kavanagh, Chris Smith and Phil Scharf) are sweet romantic ballads, while the lead-off track, “You Give Me Everything” (by noted songstress Wendy Lands) and “No-One Hears Me” (by Russ Boswell and Michele Mele) are catchy and spirited modern pop-rock tunes. “L.O.V.E.” has a cool retro ‘50s pop-jazz vibe, “All My Loving” neatly captures the fresh innocence of the Beatles original, and “Let’s Hear It For The Boy” is a fun romp featuring stellar sibling harmonies.
Those are just some of the highlights of an album devoid of lowlights. Greg Kavanagh’s production is crisp and subtle, while the musicianship is of the high calibre you’d expect from the A-list Toronto players featured here: Davide DiRenzo (drums), Russ Boswell (bass), Robi Botos (piano), Tony Carlucci (flugelhorn), and Kavanagh (guitar). “The band was just so enthusiastic, and they’d add new musical ideas to go with our style,” praises Alicia.
Kavanagh’s decision to record the three girls at the same time (on three separate microphones) meant that their subtle vocal interaction and interweaving harmonies were captured in a fresh and spontaneous fashion. “This was the first time we had all been recorded together, and that was a lot of fun,” says Amanda. “It meant we had each other there for support as well.”
Greg had never worked with sisters before, and he found the experience a revelation. “I now realise that, through their genes, sisters tend to have similarities in their voice and they seem to have an uncanny ability to match. They chase each other around harmonically, so the blends were very interesting. We’d work up harmony parts and ideas and they’d run in and sing them. We’d hone that, record it and move onto the next section. It was refreshing for me to see how quick the girls were really able to grasp the harmonic content. I’d throw tight jazz parts at them, and they’d grab them instantly. They have really sharp ears!”
Happily, the sisters are able to position themselves within a song with real ease. “We look at the lyrics and melody line and we will each find a part that we particularly like,” notes Amanda. “I really like singing the bridges, Alanna likes to do the verse bridge, and Amanda usually opens,” adds Alicia. “On most of the songs we trade off vocals.” “There’s no AutoTune or studio trickery involved here,” stresses Kavanagh. “Every harmony part is them doing it for real. That’s an old-school concept but I think it was appropriate for who they are and what they wanted to achieve.”
Prior to their compelling entry into pop terrain on Butterflies, The Ault Sisters had worked on the classical and jazz side of the fence. Their captivating live performances in such prestigious venues as Mississauga’s Living Arts Centre, Brampton’s Rose Theatre, and top Toronto live music club Hugh’s Room have earned them a large and loyal following in Ontario. Their debut 2006 album, Christmas Feelings, scored national airplay and glowing reviews.
Their stylistic diversity has come naturally. “We are classically trained, and we have also done jazz, pop, and musical theatre performances,” says Amanda. “For Butterflies, we
all wanted to try something in more of a pop style while incorporating some of the other elements.”
The academic resumes of all three Ault Sisters are long and impressive. All have excelled in their vocal studies at the Young Artists Performance Academy of The Glenn Gould School, and they have studied extensively with such noted singing teachers and vocal coaches as Linda Fletcher and Jennifer Tung.
Amanda has just finished her first year in York University’s esteemed Bachelor of Fine Arts program, studying voice under the tutelage of Norma Burrowes. She has excelled in many different choirs and classical and jazz vocal ensembles. Alicia is a Grade 12 vocal student in Peel’s Regional Arts Programme at Cawthra Park Secondary School, and has shone in her musical theatre roles for the Stage It Performing Arts Studio. Alanna is presently a Grade 9 student in the voice programme at Cawthra Park, and has won many singing awards at major local music festivals.
The first public performance of The Ault Sisters as a trio came at a benefit concert in Brampton in 2004. Since then, singing together has helped the sisters form a very strong bond.
With Butterflies, The Ault Sisters have crafted an album to match the delicate beauty of their title’s inspiration. Watch it take flight.
By Kerry Doole
For further information, contact:
Jane Harbury Publicity
29 Oxford Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1N8
Ph. 416.960.1568
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