Miranda Mulholland possibly has played alongside every Toronto musician. She’s in Great Lake Swimmers, Belle Star and Rattlesnake Choir in addition to playing alongside a slew of solo musicians. For her new duo, Harrow Fair, she teams up with Andrew Penner, of Sunparlour Players, and cranks up the volume for their debut album out Oct. 21. They celebrate the release with a special show at the Dakota Tavern on Oct. 25.
How was Harrow Fair born?
I met Andrew years ago just as part of the Toronto music scene. He actually played on my first solo record, and both of us have been involved in theatre, especially with Soulpepper Theatre, so we kept meeting again and again. Maybe two years ago, I brought him a song and said that we should work on this. And it’s just been so organic from the beginning, from the song to let’s write an album. We started recording one year ago, and now we’re about to release it out into the world.
Was the plan to make this album heavier than your previous work?
It’s a really nice departure for me, I’ll be honest. I’ve had so many side-person projects. My solo record was also a bit more folky. With Andrew, he has this sort of amazing power, and my voice is very sweet, which I’ve always sort of struggled with. It’s not my taste. I like being edgier. His roughness takes the edge off my sweetness.
What made you want to get into music?
I don’t think it was a choice. I went to university to study opera. I love opera and love classical music. But I got sucked into folk music and started playing in Irish pubs in Montreal after school to pay my rent. That was the gateway drug to everything else.
Did you first pick up the violin or another instrument?
It was the violin. My brother played, and I am very competitive, and I wanted to be better than him. I also play a little guitar and a little banjo. But the fiddle is my true love.
Who were some of your early influences when you started getting more into folk?
I was in a Celtic group at the time, the Mahones. It was a punk Celtic-type band, and so I started doing a lot of Celtic music. And then Alison Krauss, she’s been a huge influence on my folk trajectory. She’s amazing. When we started the record, we were veering into that territory with her and Robert Plant. She’s got that very sweet voice. And Plant takes the edge off that.
Tell me about your first gig
The first one I remember, other than sessions at Irish pubs, we had two gigs back to back. It was my first big tour with the Mahones and we played in Halifax and the Marquee Club. It was packed. Jimmy Rankin was there, and it was sweaty and awesome.… For the second one, we flew to Winnipeg and played at a strip joint that turns into a venue at night and there were video lottery terminals everywhere. At the hotel, there was blood dripping down the door. Literally someone’s head was just shoved into it and bleeding. It was a crazy juxtaposition. Welcome to music! And I stayed, weirdly.
And what can we expect from a Harrow Fair show?
I think it’s a lot louder than stuff I’m used to playing. The two of us make quite a nice noise. We have a lot of sort of more uptempo songs, which is great. I actually get to shred on the fiddle. I don’t get to step up and shred much in Great Lake Swimmers.
