Po' Girl

Po' Girl

Po' Girl is a folk group from Vancouver, Canada, active since 2003. Their music draws on folk, country and jazz, and is often described as urban roots. The group forms from a series of jam sessions in 2000 between Trish Klein, then of The Be Good Tanyas, and Allison Russell, then of Fear of Drinking. Klein and Russell meet again in 2003 and take the name Po' Girl.

Line-up and collaborators

The group includes Trish Klein, Diona Davies, Awna Teixeira and Allison Russell. Earlier recordings also involve Benny Sidelinger and Mikey "Lightning" August. Over the years they work with a range of guest musicians, including CR Avery, Roey Shemesh, John Raham and Shelley Okepnak on Vagabond Lullabies, and Sarah Harmer, Luther Wright, Shaun Brodie, Jason Mercer and Ana Egge on B Side.

Releases

Po' Girl release their self-titled debut album in 2003. Vagabond Lullabies follows in 2004. Their B-side collection appears in 2006, although it is only available off-stage. The band then issues Home to You in 2007, Deer in the Night in 2009, including live recordings from venues in favourite states, and Follow Your Bliss in 2010.

Style

Their sound combines acoustic instrumentation with a roots-based approach, using instruments such as banjo, clarinet, harmonica, dobro, accordion and gutbucket bass. Their music is compared with artists including The Band, Hazel Dickens, Tracy Chapman, Natalie Merchant, Elizabeth Cotten and Norah Jones.