The Travelling Mabels is back on the road.
And its five-date tour of B.C. will include a stop in Coquitlam on Sunday, Sept. 24.
Made up of Eva Levesque, Lana Floen, Therry Lawson and Keith Floen, the southern Alberta musical group that's known for its original folk and country sound is returning to the Evergreen Cultural Centre for the third time since the band formed in 2008.
"We always get a good crowd in Coquitlam," keyboardist Keith Floen told the Tri-City News this week.
"It's always nice to come back."
The quartet will play songs from its latest studio album Take Me Home, which includes performances from guest musicians Ryan Davidson and Paul Chapman, as well as Chris Byrne and Corbett Frasz of the Road Hammers fame.
An acoustic remix of the song "Alberta Blue," featuring a vocal cameo by Ian Tyson, is also on the album to coincide with the release of the children's picture book Alberta Blue — A Prairie Sky Lullaby by author and songwriter Pat Hatherly and illustrator Jesse Horne.
"Our B.C. audiences haven’t heard the song played live," Keith Floen said, "so we'll be promoting the album and the book. It all ties in nicely together."
As well, the Coquitlam crowd can expect a handful of cover tunes from the award-winning band "because people love familiarity," he said, "but we'll put a Mabels spin on it, and I'll do a Billy Joel instrumental."
As for its next move, the Mabels plan to play a few more shows in Alberta before dropping a six-track Christmas EP this fall; it was recorded in the summer with additions from guest musicians who filed their parts over the internet.
The EP will have a medley tribute to Vince Guaraldi, the American jazz pianist who composed the music for the Peanuts comic strip, and other holiday standards.
Asked what it's like to be the only male musician in the Mabels, Keith Floen laughed off the question.
"It's manageable," he said.
"We get along really well. Being in the band is like being in a marriage, and the four of us have a nice tight sound these days."
For tickets at $37/$34/$16 to see The Travelling Mabels in Coquitlam on Sunday, Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m., call the Evergreen Cultural Centre box office at 604-927-6555 or visit the facility’s website. The show is part of the Evergreen’s TD Music series.
