Three teenage musicians are winning new fans across Saskatchewan with their unique blend of time-honoured classics and freshly-penned original country-folk-bluegrass material.
Ellen Froese-Kooijenga (left), Jaxon Lalonde and Kasia Thorlakson jam together in the kitchen of the Froese-Kooijenga farmhouse west of Osler
“In with the Old” consists of 18-year-old Ellen Froese-Kooijenga of Corman Park, 15-year-old Jaxon Lalonde of Saskatoon and 15-year old Kasia Thorlakson of Kinistino.
After jamming together under the stars last summer at the Northern Lights Bluegrass and Old-Tyme Music Festival and Camp at Ness Creek, the three high school students decided they should take their music to the next level, and “In with the Old” was born.
The trio, officially formed last September, played a few small gigs here and there before before auditioning for Telemiracle in November. They got the nod to perform on the province-wide televised talent showcase a few weeks later, and when they stepped onto the stage in Regina earlier this spring, they blew everybody away with their tight, sweet harmonies and crisp finger-picking style.
Their material ranges from little-known 1920s-era Carter Family originals to bluegrass legends like the Stanley Brothers and Flatt and Scruggs, with a dash of Johnny Cash just to spice things up.
But they’re not just dusting off tired old versions. With their youthful enthusiasm and fresh perspective, they’re making the music sound like it did when it was brand new.
Froese-Kooijenga takes the lead on most of the vocals, with a hauntingly-clear voice reminiscient of Allison Kraus, but with a quaver that adds just the right touch of emotion to the lyrics. She plays guitar and mandolin and writes most of the band’s original material.
“I like all kinds of music,” said Froese-Kooijenga, the daughter of Bas and Martha Froese-Kooijenga, whose farm alongside Highway 12 west of Osler has been in Martha’s family for generations. Bas is a councilor for Division 6 on the RM of Corman Park council.
“I was raised on Elvis Presley and Bruce Springsteen,” said Froese-Kooijenga. “That’s the kind of music my parents are into. But I discovered bluegrass two years ago at the Northern Lights camp up north. I thought it was kind of cool. But I went back last summer and that’s when I thought I could really get into it.”
She’s been playing guitar and writing her own songs for years, but said playing in a band is a whole new experience.
“It’s really nice to be able to bounce things off each other and make the music better,” she said. “You really do get to know other people when you create something together.”
Thorlakson has been taking part in the Northern Lights Bluegrass camp for four years, working on her vocals, guitar, banjo and mandolin. She had worked her way up to be a “tweener” act – a performer who plays on the main stage during breaks between the main acts. Her clear, lilting voice carries the band when she sings lead, but her stunning harmonies blend sweetly with Froese-Kooijenga to give the band its distinctive sound.
Thorlakson was the one that got the band launched after talking Lalonde into accompanying her onstage last summer at the Northern Lights festival.
“I was bored playing on my own,” said Thorlakson. “I thought Jaxon played a pretty mean banjo. I told him, ‘We should form a band.’ He was a little shy at first, but I convinced him.”
Lalonde also played banjo with Froese-Kooijenga during a jam session, so it was a short step to forming the trio.
While he’s one of the younger members of the band, Lalonde is the veteran of the Northern Lights experience.
“My parents were among the founders of the festival and camp,” said Lalonde. “I’ve been going there since I was seven years old. At first I was just hanging around and generally soaking up the music without realizing it. Then four years ago, I decided I wanted to learn to play the banjo because I thought it was such a cool sound. I learned to play bass as well.”
Thorlakson said while bluegrass and old-time country songs aren’t generally popular with the young generation, that’s partly due to the fact that they’re not exposed to it.
“Lots of kids are exploring all kinds of different music,” she said. “They like to experiment and discover new stuff that’s a little bit obscure. For some kids, the more obscure the better. But there’s also a down-to-earth quality to this music that I really like. It speaks to real emotions and experience that everybody goes through.”
The trio won a whole new set of fans after playing an acoustic set of new material and old standards at the Volunteer Appreciation Night at the Legends Centre in Warman on Thursday, April 24.
The band is currently recording a CD and is tentatively booked to play at the Osler Hall on Friday, May 23.
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