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The Wailin’ Jennys: good-hearted women

By Steven Horowitz

Despite the band’s country sounding name, the Wailin’ Jennys are a folk roots trio of Canadian origin. The three women specialize in rich vocal harmonies that frequently earn them comparisons to Crosby, Stills & Nash, or because of their distaff status, the Dixie Chicks.

“We like being compared to those musicians,” founding member Nicky Mehta says over the phone from Maine, where the band is chilling out between tour dates. “It’s a high compliment to be equated to such great artists. We love the CSN and the Chicks.”

But Mehta notes important difference between the Jennys and the other bands. “They have much more polished, radio-friendly sounds,” she says. “We, uh, are more raw.”

The Wailin’ Jennys, featured regularly on Garrison Keillor’s show “A Prairie Home Companion,” have also been categorized with the Dixie Chicks because both bands are socially conscious. (All profits from Tuesday's show will benefit the Friends of the Animal Center Foundation. Funds raised will help the foundation replace damaged equipment and supplies needed by the flood-damaged shelter.)

As Canadians, some of the group’s concerns might be unfamiliar to American audiences. One of the standout tracks on Firecracker, the band’s most recent album that made it to the number two spot on the Billboard Bluegrass charts in 2006, involves what are called “starlight tours.”

“I wrote the song ‘Starlight’ about a situation that happened in Saskatchewan where aboriginal men who were drunk were dropped off by police at the edge of town in the bitter cold. This resulted in people dying,” Mehta says.

“While Americans might not have heard of this, it was big news in Canada, and when I tell the story, no one is surprised by the fact that members of minority groups or those on the fringes of society are ill-treated by authorities,” she continues. Mehta has performed the song all over the world, and says whether she’s in Europe, Australia, the United States or Canada, everyone gets it.

The Jennys are committed activists who sing about trying to find peace and human connections. While their songs may address big issues, Mehta believes it’s the small local ones that can make the most difference. In particular, she mentions the band’s obsession with food.

“I wish people would take more notice of where their food comes from. When we tour, we note the best restaurants that serve healthy and organic food,” Mehta says. The band’s web site lists the best places to eat in the towns they have played.

“We want communities to be conscious of their own resources and their environments,” Mehta says. “I don’t want to stand on a soap box and preach, but we all need to take care of ourselves for human beings everywhere to thrive.” 

All profits will go to Friends of the Animal Center Foundation (FACF) and will be used directly to benefit the animals at the Center, which was severely damaged by flood waters in June.

Funds raised at the benefit concert will help FACF replace lost and damaged equipment and supplies needed for the care and comfort of the Center animals.
The Iowa City Animal Care & Adoption Center has relocated to a long term temporary location at 4852 Sand Rd SE. They are open Monday through Friday 10:30-5:30, Saturday 10:30-3, and closed Sundays and Holidays. View animals available for adoption at www.icanimalcenter.org
For more information about FACF visit www.facf.org

Mehta then apologizes for sermonizing and laughs. “We aren’t so serious when we perform. We want audiences to enjoy themselves.”

The Jennys perform at the Englert Theatre in Iowa City on Tuesday, July 29, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $24.

“One thing I have learned from my seven years with the band is that you can plan and plan and plan, and life takes you were it wants,” Mehta explains. “I never planned to be a professional musician. I was going to go to grad school and become a professor of cultural studies. I played solo for fun. Three of us got together for one show, and things just took off. I’ve been running to keep up with it ever since.

“Life is like that,” she says. “You do what you can and then stuff happens.”