They were known for their "unusual" and "rich" harmonies, quirky lyrics, and casually comedic stage performances.
This is episode 19 of Caffe Lena: 60 Years of Song. Thank you to Sarah at the Caffe for compiling the list of artists and songs for this feature.
In the late 1960s, sisters Maggie and Terre were in Park Ridge NJ high school, but dropped out to tour as a duo. Maggie wrote most of the songs. Terre contributed a few. The sisters got a break when Paul Simon brought them in as backup singers on his 1973 album "There Goes Rhymin' Simon." They soon after made their only album as a duo in 1975. Later in the 1970's, youngest sister Suzzy joined the group to form The Roches trio as we've known them.
They parlayed bartending jobs at Gerde's Folk City into stage appearances. In 1978, a trip to Saratoga Springs, and in 1979 their first album as a trio simply called "The Roches." The debut was produced by none other than Robert Fripp of King Crimson fame.
Sadly in 2017, sister Maggie passed away. And while the sisters never "hit it big," their unusual and rich harmonies, quirky lyrics, and casually comedic stage performances have been highly influential to so many musicians.
While Isa, Eleanor and Mali of Lula Wiles are not sisters, their vocal harmonies and tight bond sure make them seem like they could be sisters in the true sense. They consider themselves lucky to have had access to the folk community at a young age, all three were singing songs and trading fiddle tunes at camp in Maine growing up.
Lula Wiles came of age in Boston, in the practice rooms of Berklee College of Music and the city's lively roots scene. They've been winning fans out on tour and at Newport Folk Festival, the Philadelphia Folk Festival and beyond. The band's name is a twist on an old Carter Family song, and their music is deeply rooted in that of their influences: the protest anthems of Woody Guthrie, the trailblazing songs of Elizabeth Cotton and Hazel Dickens. We look forward to more from this amazing trio.
Caffe Lena: 60 Years of Song is a production of WEXT Radio.