Atlanta roots-rock sister duo Larkin Poe are about to fly through Victoria as they head out on a world tour, and they’re coming here for a cause: their show is a benefit for Community Living Victoria, a non-profit organization that raises funds and awareness to benefit individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.
Rebecca and Megan Lovell have been performing since childhood, when classical training met Georgia bluegrass in their first band, The Lovell Sisters (which included their third sister, Jessica). When Jessica decided to move on, Rebecca and Megan re-formed as Larkin Poe, drawing on family-tree connections to Edgar Allan Poe to inspire their new musical endeavours. It’s been a journey eight years in the making, and the two are strong believers in the value of persistence. Persistence, and the right motivations.
“You really have to understand that what you’re doing has to be for the right reasons,” says younger sister Rebecca. “I think the only reason Megan and I have been able to sustain a touring lifestyle over all these years is not because we’re in it to try to get some quick fame or we’re in it to make a whole lotta money; it’s actually an experience that is fulfilling for our souls.”
Without the financial backing of a record label, the duo have done their development in front of a live audience. They attribute their breakthrough moment to Tip o’ the Hat, a video series they created almost by accident two years ago. What began as a learning tool to dig into some traditional blues and classic rock in their off time turned into a record-making inspiration that has defined “what it feels like to be Larkin Poe,” says Rebecca.
“It really felt like a big coming home,” says Rebecca of the resulting album, Peach, which they were inspired to make over the course of a weekend after fans reacted so positively to their video series. “It was the first time Megan and I got into the studio with just the two of us—no production, no other musicians—and it was such a liberating experience.”
With a central theme of self discovery, their new album, Venom & Faith, continues that experience, with a layering of instruments and voices that is all their own.
“We take great responsibility for the way [our music] ultimately comes out for fans, so, of course, that means we sweat every detail,” says Rebecca. “I spend countless hours with headphones on and a laptop, perusing master sound libraries that I can choose from to create the musical landscape that people will hear on the album.”
Megan says that it’s really special to share something like the material found on Venom & Faith.
“The music industry is so competitive and crazy-making,” she says, “but, at the same time, we’re able to be in a field that revolves around creativity, and if you can introduce a bit of creativity into your day-to-day, you’re gonna experience every moment so much deeper and so much brighter.”
Larkin Poe
8 pm Friday, November 16
$55 and up, McPherson Playhouse
rmts.bc.ca