Serena Pryne and the Mandevilles
Niagara-on-the-lake, Ontario, Canada | INDIE
Music
Press
OK, so the fuzzbabe mostly writes about Canadian artists…but that is just me doing my part for the Canadian music industry while living it up in Europe – someone has gotta do it!!
On the 25th of February I attended a birthday dinner for a friend of mine and to shake it up we did something new and went to Club Dauphine. While Dauphine is no new restaurant in Amsterdam, the concept that it is a club every Friday night is. The menu offered a 3 course dinner along with ‘…a surprisingly joyful evening full of jazz, pop, funk, nu-soul, and old school soul…(rough translation)’. Uummm, throw in a little heavy metal and reggae and the essential music bases would be covered, but who am I to judge, thus with open mind and open wallet onward I biked.
To keep it short and to the point, it was a surprisingly joyful evening filled with music. Although a lot of the acts were singing covers, or were ‘not my thing’, there was one got my attention…made me stop and watch….brought a smile to my face….and the ‘oh so sought after fuzzy feeling’. I thoroughly enjoyed the act of Serena Pryne and her right hand man Nick Lesyk. Upon releasing her first note I almost broke my neck as I turned to see if Ms. Etheridge was on stage (…I am a fan). But it wasn’t her, it was Serena, in all her glory, singing with her husky voice and smiling like she was having the time of her life. Serena and Nick were a great pair on stage….the outspoken hard core girl with the (what seemed to be but I don’t really believe it) quiet and calm guitarist.
…..and what I find so intriguing about them is that they are having a good time and lots of laughs along the way. Check out their website and youtube page for some quirky short films…maybe you have to be Canadian to get the humor….check it out and let me know.
While not in full ‘Serena Pryne & the Mandevilles‘ formation, Serena & Nick have recently completed a tour here in Holland….and if my eyes are seeing correctly they are back in July at the Bospop festival in Weert. And for all you fans of Canadian musicians whom will be in Holland in July; it is not only Serena who will be rock’n the stage at Bospop as fellow Canadian KT Tunstall will be there as well. Both of these fine ladies entertained a Dutch crowd in March at the Paradiso…if you weren’t there to enjoy it I recommend getting some tickets to the July 9th show at Bospop and catching both of them live…it is sure not to disappoint. - Angela Gordon for IndieFuzz
What's in a name?
From Oliver Black to Townline the melodic, southern and classic sound delivered by Serena Pryne and her bandmates has kept music lovers wanting more.
Those wishes have now been granted.
Pryne and The Mandevilles entered the spotlight at The Mansion House on April 1 to release the newly revamped band's debut five-song EP which marks the first album the band has put out in their seven-year stretch.
"It's basically something we've been working on for the past year," says Pryne, the group's lead vocalist and winner at past Niagara Music Awards bashes.
"We have more songs than this," she says. "We're planning on releasing a few EPs, back-to-back."
The band has been through a lot throughout the past couple of years, says Pryne.
The original Oliver Black went through hard times with their label, which led them to adopt the name Townline.
"The name changes were just us figuring out our new path. We were Oliver Black for a while, which was great. But then we had some problems with management and things like that," says Pryne.
"Now, we're just starting fresh again with a new name. It just made sense what with our sound."
The band is made up of mainly Wellanders, consisting of guitarists Nick Lesyk and Julian Tomarin, bassist Greg Zack and drummer Allan Colavecchia, who say that recording this EP was a great experience.
"We recorded it in a little place in St. Catharines; it's not even a studio. It's a little tiny room," says Pryne adding, "We didn't record the drums there. They were done at Metalworks Studio."
The April 1 CD release show at The Mansion House was "ridiculous," says a chuckling Pryne.
"It was fantastic. It was packed, and we sold a tonne of CDs and T-shirts. I think people were really happy we now had something to sell."
Because the band is just getting back into the swing of things, Pryne says they are just beginning to book future shows.
"I'm just starting to book a few more shows. I'm trying to get one going in Toronto."
There will be two more EPs on the way within the next year from band,
"Basically, we have two more EPs already recorded and ready to go, they just need to be mixed and mastered," says Pryne.
"We're going to be releasing those shortly. The next one will be released in the next six months."
Pryne added that the band wants to do something different by giving their fans something new and fresh -- keep them hooked.
"We just want to make it happen, play music -- it's what we wanna do," says Pryne.
- by Jordan Nunziato for The Tribune
Discography
"Goodnight Golden Sun" April (2012)
1. Into The Wind
2. The Breakup
3. Old Soul
4. Move Too Fast
5. Stay
6. Heaven On The Highway
7. Destination Unknown
8. When The Night Comes
9. Turn A Blind Eye
10. Hard Times
11. Keep Me In Your Heart
12. Whiskey Town
"Heaven On The Highway" Single January 13 (2012)
Photos
Bio
When it comes to music, comparisons are like a compass: they set you in the right direction, but they cant tell you what youll find there.
Serena Prynes voice evokes the tortured purity of Janis Joplin, the soulful power of Big Mamma Thornton, and Loretta Lynns absorbing honesty. An impressive group of likes, to be sure. But even such praise only gives an inkling of the Canadian songstress abilities.
Serena doesnt just sing; she combusts. As the first note strikes, from her place centre stage Serena explodes outwards. Her sincerity and energy envelops the crowd, transforming them from passive audience and taking them on a journey soaked in whiskey, sweat, and tears. And when the lights dim and the band exits, the crowd is left cleansed, changed, having stared straight into the burning heart of rock and roll.
With a mix of rock and blues, Serenas songwriting is as timeless as it is unforgettable.
For me, the whole point is to be vulnerable, to be in the moment, says Pryne. The payoff is playing the songs live and people getting something of it. To make a connection.
Serenas fearlessly earnest lyrics tell of hard miles and broken hearts. She takes from the miraculous and mundane minutiae of life, crafting relatable narratives that draw the listener in, thanks in no small part to the dynamics of her voice. One minute soft and lulling and the next a soaring sirens cry, her distinct vocals bring these stories to life.
Serena is never far from longtime collaborator, guitarist Nick Lesyk. His edgy, Texas flavoured playing blends perfectly with Serenas smoky dulcet tones. We just clicked right away, says Serena. We both knew what we wanted to do and how we wanted the songs to sound.
It was in this first meeting with Nick that Serena found her musical simpatico. Under the banner Oliver Black, the pair found early success signing with a New York label. Serena and company made the move south to Texas, submerging themselves in the burgeoning Austin music scene. They recorded what was to be their first international release.
But the big break was interrupted when the label went under, putting their album and future in limbo. Where most would have caved, Serena instead threw herself back into what she does best: making and playing music. This would mark a time of great change for Serena and her band. Several cross-Canada tours, and the eventual departure of their drummer and bassist.
Working closely with songwriter Dave "Dwave" Thomson, Serena and Nick continued to add to their catalogue. They adopted the name Serena Pryne and the Mandevilles, and played every show and showcase they could. It was at this time that they came to the attention of a Dutch music promoter. The pair soon found themselves across the pond for the first of several European tours. Spurred on by the positive response in Europe, Serena and Nick began recording an album which was later finished in Canada in late 2011. "Goodnight Golden Sun" is the culmination of years of hard work, ups and downs.
Were a little older, a little wiser, says Serena. The setbacks and dark times have only made us stronger.
Band Members
Links
