Singer-songwriter siblings Matthew and Jill Barber have been supporting each other’s passion for music since they were teenagers, but it wasn’t until 2016 the talented brother and sister joined forces to release a joint record.
Although their tour for The Family Album wrapped up months ago, the Barbers will be making a special stop at the Bragg Creek Community Centre May 5, as part of the Bragg Creek Performing Arts music series.
“This project has really been a lifetime in the making,” Jill said. “I think we always knew we would do it, it was just a question of when. And to finally collaborate in this way, as grown-ups, has been a really awesome experience.”
According to Jill, the siblings grew up in a home surrounded by music. When Matthew, her older brother by two years, started learning to play guitar, she followed in his footsteps. Since then, each has enjoyed a successful solo career – but Matthew said it was easy to merge their individual styles into a joint album.
“Jill has kind of dabbled more in a jazzier sound, and I’ve gone a little more rock and roll over the years, but we both have a solid foundation in folk songwriting – just simple, effective storytelling and songs with acoustic instruments,” he said. “We wanted to build the album around that.”
The pair also drew inspiration from the music they grew up with. In addition to original compositions, The Family Album features a selection of curated cover songs, including pieces by Neil Young, Townes Van Zandt and Ian Tyson.
“We revisited a lot of our musical, family roots,” Jill said. “Neil Young was such a big part of our soundtrack, growing up, and to be able to offer up interpretations of these songs we’ve been listening to our entire lives was really cool.”
Although Matthew and Jill live on opposite sides of the country, they often contribute to each other’s independent albums by providing additional instrumentation or harmonies. According to Matthew, they have always been close, but working on a collaborative project and touring as a family – accompanied by their mother and Jill’s young daughter – has deepened their relationship significantly.
“There’s something about going on tour and spending hours in the van together, and the camaraderie of playing shows night after night – it’s been really nice,” he said. “We’ve been away from it for a while now, this show in Bragg Creek is kind of a one-off, but I’m really looking forward to coming back and singing those songs again with my sister.”
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit braggcreekperformingarts.com
