Album Notes

You can instantly see that these musicians love what they do, and love to make the listener a part of it.

Fun, thoughtful arrangements and subtle musicality characterize Tarkin’s original and traditional songs. Using six voices and over a dozen different instruments, Tarkin’s sound varies from the simplicity of work songs and traditional folk tunes to the rich orchestration of jazz.

The band members draw from BC industrial history, French-Canadian family tradition, and the North American old-time revival to create a uniquely West Coast Canadian folk sound.

Amanda Beatty, Vanessa Kay and Rachael Sundin first met in
1997 in university residence at the University of British Columbia. They performed, recorded and wrote together frequently over the years, and set about forming the tight 3-part vocal harmony which is a signature of Tarkin’s sound. In 2004, they met John Oswald and Marc Ruel, a duo who had been playing together for several years, and Ben Young, a former member of the Ottawa celt-punk group Siòbhan, through the local folk music scene.

They brought together enthusiasm for folk music of all kinds, particularly the musical traditions of Canada. All six members had traveled extensively around Canada, collecting songs and learning about folk traditions in various parts of the country. Their original songs have been inspired by their love of place and home.