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The Wailin' Jennys | |
|---|---|
 Ruth Moody performing in Ireby, England 2008 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Winnipeg,Manitoba,Canada |
| Genres | Folk,bluegrass |
| Years active | 2002 – present |
| Labels | Jericho Beach,Red House |
| Members | Ruth Moody Nicky Mehta Heather Masse |
| Past members | Cara Luft Annabelle Chvostek |
| Website | thewailinjennys |
The Wailin' Jennys are a Canadian music group. A 2011 review says they "sing like siblings and play like seasoned veterans".[1] They have released several albums and received twoJuno Awards. The group has been featured several times on theAmerican Public Media programA Prairie Home Companion.
The group was founded in 2002, when aWinnipeg guitar shop called Sled Dog Music broughtRuth Moody,Nicky Mehta andCara Luft together for a joint performance. The show was well received and the owner, John Sharples, scheduled a follow-up performance[2] and suggested they "go on tour and call themselves the Wailin' Jennys."[3]
The group's name is apun on the name of country singerWaylon Jennings. Jennings died the same month, causing anger at a music conference where they were playing. "They thought we were making fun of him or something", says Luft. However, the band never expected to last for more than a few shows, seeing they were all part-time musicians.[4]
The band released a self-titled EP and an album,40 Days, in 2004.[5]
The group now consists of sopranoRuth Moody, mezzoNicky Mehta and altoHeather Masse. In previous years, the Jennys have also toured withfiddler andmandolinist Jeremy Penner, who is from Ruth's former band,Scruj MacDuhk. Other band members have includedAnnabelle Chvostek, a singer/songwriter fromMontreal, and Ruth Moody's brother Richard on viola and mandolin. Both Penner and Moody have appeared on The Wailin' Jennys' albums. In 2007, Chvostek left the group and was replaced byHeather Masse,[1] aMaine-born singer and member of the band Heather & the Barbarians.
The Wailin' Jennys have won twoJuno Awards forRoots and Traditional Album of the Year (Group): in2005 for40 Days and in2012 forBright Morning Stars. They were also nominated for the same award forFirecracker in2007.[6]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Grass[7] | US Heat | US Indie | US Folk | ||
| 40 Days |
| — | — | — | — |
| Firecracker |
| 2 | 23 | 27 | — |
| Live at the Mauch Chunk Opera House |
| 3 | 25 | — | — |
| Bright Morning Stars |
| 1 | 7 | 24 | 10 |
| Fifteen |
| 1 | 1 | 17 | 12 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||
| Title | Album details | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Grass | ||
| The Wailin' Jennys EP |
| — |
| iTunes Session |
| 7 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
