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Ladies of the Canyon help Montréal go country – Metro US

Ladies of the Canyon help Montréal go country

Architecture, artistic communities, libation-induced revelry … Montréal, holds a great deal of reverence for many things. But it’s not exactly the first place one would look to glean information on country music’s latest rising stars.

However, that’s exactly what’s happening: Canada’s Sin City is becoming renowned for fostering a thriving country scene, spearheaded by Ladies of the Canyon, a fresh-faced quartet comprised of twangy divas Maia Davies (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Senja Sargeant (vocals, guitar, mandolin), ?Jasmine Bleile (vocals, guitar) and? Anna Ruddick (vocals, bass).

Still, Davies says Quebec is not the nail by which their 10-gallon hats are hung.

“Music is borderless and very accepting,” she states bluntly. “I don’t think it matters that our music isn’t from a traditional country music birthplace because people just love to share in this. It doesn’t matter where you’re born as long as your love of music is sincere. We’re glad to be a part of that and people have been incredibly supportive.”

Davies’ modesty is quite the understatement. What she mildly refers to as support has actually been a rumbling tide of ravenous fans chomping at the bit for Ladies of the Canyon’s debut, Haunted Woman, which was released this week. Blending elements of rock, roots and country via influences such as Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles, Haunted Woman appeals to many tastes. Not bad for a group that came together almost by accident.

“We never really thought we were starting a band,” Davies admits. “It just kind of happened. The four of us were working at two different bars and met because of the great band scene. We’d be playing open stages and met showing up at each others’ shows/bars. We just started jamming, became friends and had a jam night at one house every week.”

After years of struggling independently, the collective that is Ladies of the Canyon has been effortlessly successful in a decidedly short amount of time. Their debut single Follow Me Down is already charting across the nation.

Davies contemplates the strange ease that permeates Ladies of the Canyon’s efforts, relegating their appeal to a fine mix of musical diversity.

“We’re definitely fans of country but we’re not just one style of music. Instead of forcing one word on us, I embrace that diversity. We’re four people with so many influences between us, that’s a huge part of what makes our sound what it is. We’ve had to go head-to-head and mesh our influences.”