Wyrd Sisters (band)

Last updated
Wyrd Sisters
Origin Winnipeg, Manitoba
Genres Folk
Years active1990–present
Labelsindependent
MembersKim Baryluk
Johanna Hildebrandt
Dem McLeod
Marie Josee Dandeneau
Carolyna Loveless
Id Guinness
Ledenhed
Past membersNancy Reinhold
Kim Segal
Lianne Fournier
Kiva
Lindsay Jane
Jennifer Gibson
Delina
Website wyrdsisters.com

The Wyrd Sisters are a Canadian folk music group formed in 1990 in Winnipeg by founding members Kim Baryluk, Nancy Reinhold and Kim Segal. The band chose the name "the Wyrd Sisters" to represent and reclaim the ancient pre-Christian triple goddess, also known as Weird, Wurd, Urd, Urth and The Fates.[ clarification needed ] Presenting initially as a trio, the group later grew to include a full band.

Contents

The Wyrd Sisters have released six independent recordings to both fan and critical acclaim. Herizon Magazine dubbed the Wyrd Sisters' 1997 release Raw Voice, "a collection of 11 lyrically intelligent and musically diverse songs that can best be described as folk-pop-jazz fusion with a feminist bent" [1] and said of the band's 2001 release Sin & Other Salvations, the lyrics were marked by "elegant, spare poetry" and new band member Kiva's "ethereal tones enhance the beautiful harmonies that have marked the [band's] previous three recordings". [2]

Three of the Wyrd Sisters' recordings have been nominated for Juno Awards (Canada's national music awards) in the Best Roots & Traditional Album - Group category: Inside The Dreaming (1996), Raw Voice (1998) and Sin & Other Salvations (2002). Sin & Other Salvations won a Prairie Music Award (forerunner of the Western Canadian Music Awards) for best album, Roots and Traditional. Many of their songs have been recorded and covered by other performers. They have several videos and have scored music for movies.

In 2005, the band began a legal action against Warner Brothers, Jarvis Cocker of Pulp, and Jonny Greenwood and Phil Selway of Radiohead for trademark infringement over the use of their band name in the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire . The injunction was dismissed, and the band was ordered to pay costs. [3] [4] As of March 2010, the lawsuit has been settled, the details sealed. [5]

Band members

The band has evolved throughout its history, always centred on a trio of vocalists, and backed on stage and in recordings by additional instrumentalists.

Members of the core vocal trio have included:

Additional touring musicians have included:

Additional musicians on recordings have included:

Leave a Little Light: Don Benedictson – bass, Greg Lowe – guitars, Sandy D'Aoust – guitar, Marilyn Lerner – keyboards, Mitch Dorge – percussion, Karen Erhardt – cello, Reg Kelln – snare

Inside the Dreaming: Don Benedictson – bass, Marilyn Lerner – piano & keyboards, Andy Stochansky – percussion, Paul O'Neill – guitars & mandolin, Gilles Fournier – upright bass, Lori Freedman – bass clarinet, Eli Herskovitch – clarinet, Dave Lawton – Trumpet, Sasha Boychouk – soprano saxophone, Richard Moody – viola, Larry Roy – guitar, Veronique Potvin – viola, Glenn Matthews – percussion

Raw Voice: Don Benedictson (as db benedictson) – bass, Rob Lee – drums, Paul O'Neill – guitars, mandolin & synth, Darryl Havers – organs, Sasha Boychouk – saxophones, Marilyn Lerner – piano, Richard Moody – viola, Celso Machado – percussion, Paul Janzen – EWI, Gord Kidder – harmonicas, Monica Guenter – viola, Karen Moffat – violin, Christina Zacharius – violin, Leanne Zacharius – cello, Sal Ferraris – percussion, Bill Spornitz – penny whistle, Shane Nestruk – baritone saxophone, Rick Boughton – trumpets, Lori Freedman – clarinets, Murray Pulver – guitar, Norm Dugas – organ

Sin & Other Salvations: Murray Pulver – guitars, mandolin & additional vocals, Daniel Roy – drums & percussion, Don Benedictson – bass, Bill Spornitz – soprano saxophone, Richard Moody – violin & viola, Marc Arnould – organ, Ron Halldorson  – pedal steel, Pierre Guerin – bouzouki & mandolin, Kevin Breit – national steel guitar, Marilyn Lerner – piano, Paul Balcain – tenor saxophone, Lindsay Bart – Irish wooden flute, additional vocals: Sunny Breaks, John Schritt & Sam Baardman

Wholly: Daniel Roy – drums & percussion, Paul Yee – bass, Murray Pulver – guitars, mandolin, percussion & background vocals, Marc Arnould – piano, accordion & organ, John Schritt – vocals, Richard Moody – strings, Julene Gravette – drums, Marie Josee Dandeneau – bass, additional vocals: Annali Braul, Lottie Enns, Gail Zacharias, Karin Kliewer

Discography

Compilations

The Wyrd Sisters' music has been featured on the following compilations:

Additional works

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Musical ensemble</span> Instrumental and/or vocal music group

A musical ensemble, also known as a music group or musical group, is a group of people who perform instrumental and/or vocal music, with the ensemble typically known by a distinct name. Some music ensembles consist solely of instrumentalists, such as the jazz quartet or the orchestra. Other music ensembles consist solely of singers, such as choirs and doo wop groups. In both popular music and classical music, there are ensembles in which both instrumentalists and singers perform, such as the rock band or the Baroque chamber group for basso continuo and one or more singers. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles. Some ensembles blend the sounds of a variety of instrument families, such as the orchestra, which uses a string section, brass instruments, woodwinds and percussion instruments, or the concert band, which uses brass, woodwinds and percussion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crash Test Dummies</span> Canadian rock band

Crash Test Dummies are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Bottine Souriante</span> Canadian folk band

La Bottine Souriante is a folk band from Canada. The band specializes in traditional French Canadian folk music, often with a modern twist.

<i>Alive in America</i> 1995 live album by Steely Dan

Alive in America is a live album by the American rock group Steely Dan, released in 1995. It is Steely Dan's first live album. The album comprises recordings from their 1993 and 1994 tours, which were the first live Steely Dan performances since 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiger Saw</span>

Tiger Saw is a Sadcore band from Newburyport, Massachusetts. Formed in 1999, the band currently consists of Dylan Metrano on guitar and vocals, Juliet Nelson on vocals, cello and bass, John Ryan Gallagher on guitar and Andrew Nelson on drums. The band has issued three albums on Kimchee Records and released its first record on its own label in 1999.

<i>Jubilation</i> (The Band album) 1998 studio album by the Band

Jubilation is the tenth and final studio album by Canadian/American rock group the Band. Recorded in the spring of 1998 in Levon Helm's home studio in Woodstock, New York, it was released on September 15, 1998. For the first time since the group reformed without guitarist and songwriter Robbie Robertson, there were more originals than covers. Songs include "Last Train to Memphis", featuring guest guitarist Eric Clapton, Garth Hudson's solo instrumental closer "French Girls", Rick Danko's "High Cotton" and the ode to Ronnie Hawkins, "White Cadillac".

<i>Let Them Eat Cake</i> (album) 2000 studio album by Motorpsycho

Let Them Eat Cake is the eighth full-length studio album by the Norwegian rock-band Motorpsycho. Released early in 2000, the album showed the band taking steps in a new direction, leaning more towards jazz and psychedelia than the heavy indie rock guitars the band was famous for.

<i>40 Days</i> 2004 studio album by The Wailin Jennys

40 Days is the debut full-length album from Canadian folk trio The Wailin' Jennys. The lineup of the group at the time was Ruth Moody, Nicky Mehta, and Cara Luft. This was the last recording to feature Luft, who left the group the following year.

<i>All the Way from Tuam</i> 1992 studio album by The Saw Doctors

All the Way from Tuam is the second studio album by Irish rock band The Saw Doctors. The CD was released on The Saw Doctors' own record label, Shamtown Records and has the catalogue number of SAWDOC002CD. It is named after the band's home town, Tuam.

<i>Backstreets of Desire</i> 1992 studio album by Willy DeVille

Backstreets of Desire is an album by Willy DeVille. It was recorded in various Los Angeles recording studios in 1992. To make the album, DeVille was joined by many prominent musicians, including Dr. John, David Hidalgo of Los Lobos, Zachary Richard, Jim Gilstrap, Freebo, Efrain Toro, and Jimmy Zavala.

<i>Anthology</i> (The Moody Blues album) 1998 compilation album by The Moody Blues

Anthology is a compilation album by the progressive rock band the Moody Blues. It was released in the US on 20 October 1998. It was not released in the UK until 2001 under the title The Collection with different artwork but with the same tracks as the US release.

<i>Kicking Stones</i> 2007 studio album by Johnny Reid

Kicking Stones is the fourth studio album by the Canadian country music singer-songwriter Johnny Reid. It was released on April 10, 2007, by Open Road Recordings. "Love Sweet Love", "Kicking Stones", "Darlin'", "Thank You" and "Out of the Blue" were released as singles.

Kiva Simova is a Canadian harmonic overtone singer, keyboard player, and songwriter, based in Winnipeg, MB, Canada. She is internationally recognized as a western pioneer in world beat/jazz music, particularly the art of harmonic overtone singing which she both performs, records and teaches. She has composed for overtone choir and directed her own such choir, AURALIA in Prague.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Builders and the Butchers</span> American folk rock band

The Builders and The Butchers are a Folk Rock band based in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is fronted by singer/guitar player Ryan Sollee. The other members of the band are Willy Kunkle, Justin Baier, Ray Rude, and Harvey Tumbleson.

<i>The Great American Eagle Tragedy</i> 1969 studio album by Earth Opera

The Great American Eagle Tragedy is the second and last album by the psychedelic band Earth Opera, recorded in 1969. It is marked by departure of Bill Stevenson and his harpsichord sound, using more guest musicians than on the debut album and use of pedal steel by Bill Keith. The album also had better success on charts then the previous one, but soon after, the group disbanded, paving the way for solo careers mainly for Pete Rowan and David Grisman.

<i>Johnnys Blues: A Tribute to Johnny Cash</i> 2003 compilation album by Various artists

Johnny's Blues: A Tribute To Johnny Cash is a 2003 compilation album, released by Northern Blues Music, of blues-oriented songs made popular by Johnny Cash, sung by various Canadian and American performers.

<i>Gold</i> (The Moody Blues album) 2005 greatest hits album by The Moody Blues

Gold is a compilation album by The Moody Blues, released in 2005 by Polydor Records as part of Polydor's Gold series.

<i>Born in the U.S.A. Live: London 2013</i> 2014 video by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band

Born in the U.S.A. Live: London 2013 is a limited edition DVD of a live full album performance of Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band and was recorded at the Hard Rock Calling festival in London, England, at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on June 30, 2013. The DVD is available exclusively as part of a deluxe edition of Springsteen's 2014 album, High Hopes.

In the Land of Salvation and Sin is the third studio album by U.S. southern-rock band The Georgia Satellites, released in 1989 on Elektra Records. It was produced by Joe Hardy, who'd previously produced recordings by ZZ Top and Steve Earle, and who was known for his traditional style. AllMusic's Thom Jurek gave the album 3 out of 5 stars, describing it as "...the band's most consistent and innovative recording." As of 2022, this is the most recent studio album to contain original material by The Georgia Satellites, although they did record eight new songs on their next album Shaken Not Stirred (1996).

References

  1. Filipenko, Cindy (1997). "Raw Voice review". Herizons . Winnipeg. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
  2. Filipenko, Cindy (2002). "Sin & Other Salvations review". Winnipeg: Herizons Magazine. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
  3. "'Wyrd Sisters' cannot stop Harry Potter". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2005-11-04.
  4. "'Winnipeg folk band that took on Harry Potter ordered to pay $140,000 court costs". Canada.com National Post. Archived from the original on 2007-10-16.
  5. Lambert, Steve (2010). "Wyrd five-year court battle over Harry Potter movie ends with secret settlement". Winnipeg: Canadian Press. Archived from the original on March 31, 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-28.

Further reading