Despite being such a relatively young band, Prince Edward Island folk trio Ten Strings And A Goat Skin has already made an impressive name for themselves.
Earlier this year, Ten Strings And A Goat Skin released their second full-length album Corbeau, produced by acclaimed Maritime folk singer-songwriter Lennie Gallant.
In the time between their debut record Tri and Corbeau, the band fine-tuned their live show while also adding an award or two to their mantle. Tri was proclaimed Music Prince Edward Island’s Roots-Traditional Recording of the Year in 2012. The group received a nomination in that same category at last year’s East Coast Music Awards held in Moncton, but ultimately walked away empty-handed.
The impression left upon Metro audiences was a lasting one however, with musical nods to Irish and Francophone cultures heard in their music. Ten Strings And A Goat Skin is just as apt to appeal to fans of Stan Rogers and Lennie Gallant as they are the more traditional Celtic groups such as their fellow Islanders Vishten.
Comprised of siblings Rowen and Caleb Gallant along with their friend Jesse Periard, the group was brought together by a fundraising concert held in Rustico, P.E.I.
“Approximately five years ago, my brother and I had been asked to perform a show but we needed someone to help us fill out the sound,” Caleb begins. “At the time, Rowen had just moved to a new school and met Jesse there. Rowen discovered that Jesse played guitar and so we asked him to help us out.”
Their decision to ask Jesse to join proved to be a wise decision. While the Gallant siblings grew up with Celtic music in their household, Caleb jokes that Periard needed to be “converted” to Celtic music from his predominantly rock background. Once that transformation was complete, the chemistry between the three was undeniable.
Recorded at Halifax’s Sonic Temple Studios, Caleb says he feels that the band’s sound captured on Corbeau is a more accurate representation of where the band’s sound lies. He says that Lennie Gallant played a big part in making that happen.
“The biggest pressure we felt when it came to making Corbeau was that we wanted the record to be truthfully representative of what we did. Lennie was able to help us sit down and perfect the songs so that they could perhaps be better received,” Caleb says. “We also became better performers because of it.”
While they have spent much of their summer performing throughout the Maritimes including many shows in their home province, Rowen says that he is looking forward to returning to Moncton to play this evening. He says that he, his band mates and their music have always felt welcomed in the Hub City which makes their anticipation for Friday’s show all the greater.
“Moncton has been incredibly generous to us thus far,” Rowen says. “We sincerely appreciate the warm acceptance that we feel every time that we come to play. It feels as though we are making some good headway with respect to building a fan base. Hopefully this show will spur that growth even more.”
What: Ten Strings and a Goat Skin perform as a part of the Capitol Theatre Summer Concert Series
When: Friday, Aug. 16, 5 p.m.
Where: Robinson Court, Downtown Moncton
Admission is free
Article published in the August 16, 2013 edition of the Times & Transcript