Tag: Trio

Sisters of Music — The Wildflowers Bond Together On and Off The Stage in Washtenaw County

Shannon Lee, Hilary Finchum-Sung, and Kandy Fredrick of The Wildflowers. Courtesy photo.

The Wildflowers embrace their musical sisterhood.

Members Kandy Fredrick, Shannon Lee, and Hilary Finchum-Sung don’t hesitate to acknowledge it either.

“We have a strong bond, and we enjoy each other’s company,” said Fredrick about her bandmates in the country trio from Washtenaw County.

Fredrick instantly clicked with Lee and Finchum-Sung last year when they performed together during a songwriters in the round show at Ann Arbor’s Moon Winks Cafe.

“We’ve only been together a year,” Lee said. “We had so much fun at that show that we decided to keep doing it and gave ourselves a name.”

They named themselves The Wildflowers after the “Wildflowers” song from the album Trio, which features Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris.

“People love the harmonies, and that’s a draw,” said Finchum-Sung, who also performs with Lee in J. Michael & The Heavy Burden. “It’s a special thing to have this group.”

I recently spoke with The Wildflowers ahead of an April 3 show at Ann Arbor’s Crazy Wisdom Bookstore.

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Three of a Kind — Triana Makes Live Debut September 13 at Livonia’s Trinity House Theatre

Triana’s GlenBrooke, Julianne Ankley, and Michelle Chenard. Courtesy photo.

Last fall, three friends decided to create a new project.

Michigan singer-songwriters Julianne Ankley, Michelle Chenard, and GlenBrooke formed the group Triana after doing a songwriter round at Lake Orion’s 20 Front Street.

“It was well-received, and we had so much fun performing together that we decided to turn it into something,” Ankley said. “I suggested the name Triana, which means ‘three rivers.’ Since we are three different women with three different styles, it seemed fitting.”

Nearly a year later, Ankley, Chenard, and GlenBrooke are fusing their country, Americana, blues, and rock influences together for Triana’s rich, harmony-driven sound. The trio will share that sound during a September 13 performance at Trinity House Theatre in Livonia.

“We all come from different musical directions, which seem to blend together,” Ankley said.

To learn more, I did an email interview with Ankley about Triana ahead of the show.

Continue reading “Three of a Kind — Triana Makes Live Debut September 13 at Livonia’s Trinity House Theatre” →