indie folk
Indie folk is a music genre that arose in the 1990s among musicians from indie rock scenes influenced by folk music. Indie folk hybridizes the acoustic guitar melodies of traditional folk music with contemporary instrumentation.
The genre has its ...
duo from
St. John's, Newfoundland
St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland.
The city spans and is the easternmost city in North America ...
, consisting of Andrew James O'Brien and Catherine Allan.
Their debut album, ''The Bliss'', was released in 2015 on Old Farm Pony Records, the label founded by singer-songwriter
Rose Cousins
A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be e ...
. ''The Bliss'' was produced by
Daniel Ledwell Daniel Ledwell is a Canadian record producer and multi-instrumentalist. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and is married to singer-songwriter Jenn Grant.
Music career
In 2008 Ledwell produced his debut solo album, ''Two Over Seven'' in his home ...
, and recorded at his studio in
Lake Echo, Nova Scotia
Lake Echo (2021 population: 2,365) is an unincorporated suburban community located in Nova Scotia, Canada that is part of the Halifax Regional Municipality; approximately 15 kilometres east of Dartmouth.
The area is mostly residential, with s ...
.
O'Brien and Allan are a romantic couple as well as bandmates. O'Brien was previously a solo artist, having released the album ''Songs for Searchers'' in 2011, with Allan a part of his backing band. That album won him three Music Newfoundland and Labrador Awards. Allan has a degree in French studies from
Memorial University
Memorial University of Newfoundland, also known as Memorial University or MUN (), is a public university in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, based in St. John's, with satellite campuses in Corner Brook, elsewhere in Newfoundland and ...
and has also worked as a flight attendant. Both sing lead vocals, while O'Brien plays guitar, and Allan plays accordion and keyboards.
Two songs from the album, "Lay Me Down" and the title track "The Bliss", reached #1 on
CBC Radio 2
CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...
CBC Music
CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...
, January 1, 2016.
Their album ''The Bliss'' was a shortlisted
Juno Award
The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...
Juno Awards of 2016
The Juno Awards of 2016, honouring Canadian music achievements, were presented in Calgary the weekend of 2–3 April 2016. The ceremonies were held at the Scotiabank Saddledome and televised on CTV. It was the first televised awards show to be ...
, and won the
Canadian Folk Music Award
The Canadian Folk Music Awards are an annual music awards ceremony presenting awards in a variety of categories for achievements in both traditional and contemporary folk music, and other roots music genres, by Canadian musicians. The awards progr ...
for Vocal Group of the Year at the
11th Canadian Folk Music Awards
The 11th Canadian Folk Music Awards were presented in Edmonton, Alberta on November 8, 2015.