Interview: Canadian folk duo Dala (Sheila Carabine & Amanda Walther)

Posted by: Paul Little • January 21, 2010 @ 1:10pm

Dala had quite the year in 2009! Besides playing the Winnipeg Folk Festival (where ShowbizMonkeys.com got the chance to talk with them), they played seemingly ever other folk and bluegrass festival in Canada and the United States last year, steadily growing their fanbase on the way. But while live shows are certainly Dala's bread and butter -- besides the amazingly tight harmonies and solid musicianship, you also get the bonus of seeing a hilarious bantering comedy act in between songs -- the year also garnered them attention for their recorded music.

Dala's song "Horses", off of 2009's Everyone is Someone, was named the #7 song of the year by NPR's "Folk Alley", appearing on the list alongside music legends Levon Helm of The Band and Elvis Costello. They were also acknowledged back home in Canada, receiving Canadian Folk Music Award nominations for "Vocal Group of the Year" and "Producer of the Year". And just last week, their song "Levi Blues" was nominated in the "Mainstream AC" category for this year's Canadian Radio Music Awards.

Dala started 2010 playing to sold-out audiences in the U.S. and Canada, and besides going up against the likes of Karl Wolf and Melanie Fiona at the Canadian Radio Music Awards in March, the rest of 2010 will see them continue to tour as a headlining act before hitting the festival scene again this summer. Below are some upcoming dates for Dala, followed by the interview I conducted with them at last summer's Folk Fest here in Winnipeg. If they come through your city and you have a chance to see them, don't miss out! If the interview doesn't convince you, just listen to some of their tunes on their website at www.dalagirls.com. You won't be disappointed!

01.21.10	West End Cultural Centre	Winnipeg, MB
01.22.10	Southwood United Church	Calgary, AB
01.23.10	Medicine Hat College (Medicine Hat Folk Festival)	Medicine Hat, AB
01.25.10	Communitea Cafe	Canmore, AB
01.28.10	Art Space (Coldsnap Winter Music Festival)	Prince George, BC
01.29.10	Rogue Folk Club	Vancouver, BC
02.04.10	Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts (PBS Special: "Girls from the North Country")	Richmond Hill, BC
02.19.10	Old Town School of Folk Music	Chicago, IL
02.20.10	Hart Public Schools	Hart, MI
02.25.10	Flying Goose Brew Pub and Grille	New London, NH
02.26.10	Outpost in the Burbs	Montclair, NJ
03.11.10	Rankin Gallery	Inverary, ON
03.19.10	The Pearl Company	Hamilton, ON
03.26.10	Heartland Concert Series	Webster, NY
03.27.10	First Parish Unitarian Church	Needham, MA

Tags: Dala, Sheila Carabine, Amanda Walther, folk, Scarborough, Canadian music, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Music Festival, Horses, Levi Blues

Paul Little is the founder and Managing Editor of ShowbizMonkeys.com. When not interviewing his favourite musicians and comedians, he can also be found putting on and promoting music and comedy events with The Purple Room in Winnipeg, or co-producing the live comedy game shows Pants on Fire and The Great Patio Showdown. (@comedygeek)