Lisa Maria and Amy Lou Keeler carpooled from Montreal to Nova Scotia in 2014. They spent the hours talking music and by the time they reached Halifax, had decided to form a band – Mama’s Broke has barely stopped touring since. They’ve toured now in Canada, the US, Ireland, the UK and Europe.
The duo's strong voices blend to create haunting harmonies, while they artfully juggle fiddle, banjo, guitar and mandolin, and incorporate traditional dance and foot percussion into their performance. Their original – and often dark – compositions push the boundaries of tradition and the constraints of genre. Drawing from old-time, Quebecois, blues, punk, Celtic, Balkan and doom metal, they create a soundscape that is both familiar and new. With the release of the their second full length album, Narrow Line, Mama’s Broke continues its commitment to challenging borders between people, places and traditions; while encouraging freedom of expression and community through music.
Singer/songwriter Kaia Kater said “multi-instrumentalists Amy Lou Keeler and Lisa Maria are masterful songwriters who sing their lyrics as incantations — twin prophets who bend our ear effortlessly and beckon us ever forward.”
Hear them perform live at JPR Thursday, Oct 6 at 2pm in advance of their show that night at Local 31 Pub in Ashland.
JPR Live Sessions are available as podcasts at Spotify, Stitcher and Apple podcasts and our website ijpr.org.
