The three part harmony is a classic country sound, and the Travelling Mabels bring together three generations singing together for their take on the sound. Eva Levesque, Lana Floen and Suzanne Levesque are coming to Yorkton on February 29 as part of the Stars for Saskatchewan series.
Suzanne Levesque is the youngest member of the group, as well as Eva Levesque’s daughter. The band is a family affair all around, as Floen’s husband Keith works as a kind of “musical director.” Levesque says that the family feel extends to the performance, something they noticed ever since the first time the trio performed together at an open mic.
“It just felt like family singing together, and that doesn’t happen very often. Sometimes it just doesn’t work, and sometimes it does work. After that we started a group, recorded a CD and the rest is history.”
The word fun is the most common descriptor of a Travelling Mabels show, and Levesque gives credit to that to her mom, saying that a lot of the fun they have on stage starts with her, and the relationship she builds with the audience through her banter and stage presence.
“People feel like she’s part of the family. After every concert we go to, people say they want to go to a campfire with my mom, or party with my mom. Every time.”
Levesque has been performing with her mother since she was twelve, beginning in a family band before moving on to different projects and to the Mabels. As this group has been together for eight years, they are better able to get the best sound out of each other.
“It’s good because everything gets more comfortable. Singing-wise, you know who sings which parts, you know their strengths, and you try to push each other to get out of your comfort zone too.”
The group has just completed recording on their third album, and Levesque says a return to the studio was a welcome one.
The process of building a song, starting with just an acoustic guitar before putting together more parts, is something Levesque enjoys, and the process also leads to unexpected results sometimes, as songs grow from the first steps in recording.
This is the second half of a tour of the province with OSAC, with the first part happening in the fall of last year. Levesque says they love touring the province. It has been an especially rewarding tour for Levesque, as it’s been a chance to reconnect with her roots, as her family began in the Bengough area.
“It’s nice to meet new people and hopefully find new followers.”
Levesque also says they’re proud to be part of the 50th anniversary of the Yorkton Arts Council.
“It’s so wonderful to have groups like this supporting live music and theatre and that sort of thing... We’re happy to be part of it.”
The Travelling Mabels will be in Yorkton at the Anne Portnuff Theatre on February 29 as part of the Stars for Saskatchewan Series. Tickets are available at Welcome Home Gifts or the Yorkton Arts Council at www.yorktonarts.ca.
