Halifax duo Mama’s Broke describes their music as “crunchy instrumentals and haunting harmonies.”
Lisa Maria (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, guitar) and Amy Lou Keeler (vocals, guitar, banjo, fiddlesticks) have been making music together for more than a decade. Their style incorporates everything from folk to bluegrass to Eastern European sounds.
“We met in Montreal, about eleven years ago,” says Keeler. “We met through some musician friends, and we did a lot of performing on the street. Then I gave Lisa a ride to Halifax one time. The genesis of the band was right after that.”
After some busking in Canada, the duo decided to take a new route–literally. “We booked a cheap flight to Ireland,” says Keeler. “We did a DIY tour with another group, through community centres and punk houses and things like that. And we performed on the street a lot, too.”
Both women grew up playing piano. Maria says this gave her “a solid foundation” and “a musical ear.” Keeler adds, “I grew up with a guitar player for a dad, so guitar was my first instrument.”
With two albums recorded, Mama’s Broke wants to continue making music. Their second record, Narrow Line, was recorded in Montreal in 2022. It received a CFMA nomination for Vocal Group of the Year at the 18th Canadian Folk Music Awards, and a JUNO nomination for Traditional Roots Album of the Year in 2023.
Throughout their musical collaboration, Maria and Keeler have been able to cross borders and find new places to play. “We recorded Narrow Line in Montreal,” says Maria, “but it was created in many places. We wrote it in all different parts of the world. ”
The album is full of gorgeous vocal harmonies. The pair says that their approach to singing together is “very intentional.” It’s clearly resonating with listeners. Folk Radio UK describes Narrow Line as “raw, rootsy and alive–uplifting and a joy to hear.”
Maria says, “It’s something we spend time doing together. We spent a lot of years traveling in a car together, singing, and practicing our harmonies.”
Mama’s Broke will be at the Edmonton Folk Festival throughout the weekend of August 7 – 10, playing a concert and a number of workshops. Schedule details can be found at edmontonfolkfest.org
“How It Ends” is from the album Narrow Line.
