The Katherines at The Drake Hotel

The Vancouver trio of girls The Katherines held an album release party at The Drake to get a big push and make their names known. The band consists of sisters Kate and Lauren Kurdyak and their friend Kaitlyn Hansen-Boucher as they perform a variety of styles from pop to jazz to folk to rock as their lively band backs them allowing them to showcase their beautiful harmonies. After the first song they played the girls all introduced themselves and told a bit of their back story before moving their microphones into a semi-circle to sing more to each other then to the crowd as they performed Primitive, a song that will get stuck in your head like an infectious ear worm.

Throughout the evening Kate would talk about the history of the group or the meaning of the songs they were playing adding a layer of intimacy to the show. Heart on the Table was apparently the first song they wrote after being signed to 604 Records marking a shift to being a professional band. They performed a song called Thelma and Louise that doesn’t appear on their new album to all the “nasty women in the crowd” a clear nod to Hillary Clinton and all those who oppose Donald Trump.

The girls asked if the crowd knew who Hawksley Workman is, a bit of a rhetorical question as the legendary artist has a solo career for over twenty years and been a producer for almost as long. The crowd cheered as the story behind Cherry Lips was explained, stating how he working on the track with The Katherines before they jumped into it. The show also consisted of a cover of Angus and Julia Stone’s Big Jet Plane. The Kurdyak’s younger brother came on stage to play the cello as Kate played violin. On this track Lauren and Kaitlyn handled lead vocals for a tender family moment.

Throughout the night almost all the songs off of their album To Bring You My Heart were played giving those in attendance a full offering of what the band is capable of. They ended the set with the title track settling into a great groove that had everyone dancing along before very briefly leaving the stage as friends, family and fans in attendance cheered them back out very quickly. The girls gave the crowd a choice for an encore of Royals by Lorde or Valerie by Amy Winehouse, with the unanimous decision being Valerie. Each of the three girls took a verse showcasing they have their own powerful voices outside of being able to form harmonies.

The show was a success with people swarming around each girl after they came into the crowd to congratulate them and buy merchandise. The music looks to be better known as tracks like Ultra Violet are shooting up the charts on Spotify.