Sign up for AIM news
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien.
A group with an impeccable pedigree poised to shake up the Americana and Roots music scene!
Making a name as the biggest breakthrough artist on the international Americana scene in 2021 with their debut album Go By Feel, Canadian country/roots collective, The Hello Darlins are gearing up to return with an even more ambitious collection of material for 2023. Led by Romani-Canadian musician, Candace Lacina and world-renowned keyboardist Mike Little, The Hello Darlins are some of Canada’s most in-demand session musicians who came together to forge a distinct hybrid of country, gospel and blues.
With over 80,000 monthly Spotify listeners and three Canadian Folk Music Awards nominations, The Hello Darlins has quickly become one of the biggest breakthrough artists on the international Americana scene. The Canadian-based collective of professional touring and session musicians is taking its show on the road and showing that the band sounds just as powerful on stage as it does in the studio.
Referred to as a “ONE-BAND AMERICANA FESTIVAL” British audiences had the first chance to see them in late 2022 and early 2023 when the band showcased at UK Americana Music Week, along with gigs at The Green Note in London and a second tour of The Netherlands.
“In a brief thirty minutes, The Hello Darlins effectively gave a country music history lesson. Opening with the very traditional ‘Will The Circle Be Unbroken’ and closing with singer Candace Lacina demonstrating her ability to yodel (yes, yodel). In between, they dipped into their excellent debut album for ‘Aberdeen’ and showcased a couple of tunes expected to appear on an upcoming album set for release later this year. They even found time for Candace to do a fantastic job of paying tribute to Linda Ronstadt by sounding exactly like the famed singer (no mean feat). The Hello Darlins are hard to pin down musically, as they have the vocal and musical ability to play anything, a view reinforced by Mike Little’s impressive organ runs. I’m looking forward to that planned album release to see what The Hello Darlins come up with next.”
From there, The Hello Darlins joined with their friend Matt Andersen for a 36-date, cross-Canada tour that marked their formal introduction to audiences in their home country. Playing revered venues such as Massey Hall (Toronto) to the National Arts Centre (Ottawa) the band proved they were truly ready for big stages by delivering a tight, uplifting show that highlighted the musical skills of each member.
Writing about one of the three sold-out nights at The Aeolian Hall (London), Martin Noakes of Great Dark Wonder said,
With a 40-minute opening set, The Hello Darlins brought an unprecedented amount of energy to the stage. Currently touring as a five-piece band, they did so much more than expected from a band entrusted with simple warm-up duties. On any other night, the quality of what we experienced in London would be a headliner-worthy performance in its own right.
Indeed, when The Hello Darlins hit any stage, they immediately make it their own. With Candace Lacina front and centre, it’s impossible not to be moved by the band’s flawless group harmonies on songs such as “What Is A Broken Heart For” and “Lay Down Low,” from their new EP, In The Sundust. It is a preview of The Hello Darlins’ ambitious sophomore effort due in the fall of 2023, a double album recorded at L.A.’s famed United Recording with multi-Grammy winning engineer Ross Hogarth, and contributions from bassist Bob Glaub (Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, John Fogerty) and drummer Chad Cromwell (Neil Young, Brian Wilson, Dolly Parton).
As individuals, the members of The Hello Darlins are known for backing some of the biggest names in Canadian music, and as a band they have paid their dues playing live in other configurations. Seeing the band now as a singular unit, reveling in the songwriting, harmonies, musical firepower and unique sound they have created together, makes for a joyful and memorable event that every music fan needs to experience. The Hello Darlins deliver a show at a refined level that can only be achieved by lives dedicated to a professional craft.