Madviolet

Madviolet proves that when it comes to music, it doesn’t matter who you know, what you know, or even what you know about who you know. What matters is having good hair. Oh, wait…talent. Talent is what matters. A famous brother will only get you so far. A superstar producer is only half the battle. Being surrounded by stellar musicians is a great start. Being cute, well, that’s just icing on the cake. But the talent - that's what ensures success.

Brenley MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac are the two talented musicians who make up the core duo Madviolet. While the musical melding is evident to anyone who has the pleasure of hearing these two perform, many might be surprised to know that they are also wonderful friends with a great personal symbiosis.

It all started with Brenley eavesdropping on Lisa's conversation in a café. After getting over her initial outrage and sense of personal invasion, Lisa quickly realized that she and Brenley had a lot in common, including the fact that their fathers were high-school buddies. So of course they had to start a band. As with most of the great bands the world over, it's all about who their parents knew in high school. What may be an obstacle for other bands - musical incongruity - is in fact the very thing that makes Madviolet's sound so unique. Brenley, the former frontperson of an ambient pop band called Zoebliss, provides the melodic rhythm for Madviolet; her acoustic and tenor guitars give a dark, unyielding element to the music. Lisa, a traditional violin player, stamps the music with dreamy fiddle and acoustic/electric guitar, which set the mood and weave listeners effortlessly into the heart of the songs.

The two provide exquisitely intertwined rich vocals, with harmonies that add warmth and depth. Madviolet is as intimate as it is intense, as acoustic as is it electric, as organic as it is electronic, as retro as it is modern, and as traditional as it is eclectic. The songs are haunting, ethereal, and surprising; in the blink of an eye, you may find Lisa on electric guitar, Brenley on acoustic, or the two of them kicking out a mean synchronized belly dance.

Pre-Madviolet, Brenley shared stages with Tricky, The Wild Strawberries, and K's Choice, and toured solo throughout Switzerland and France. Lisa toured extensively across Canada and the U.S., performing with various artists, including Bruce Guthro, Mary Jane Lamond, Adam Gregory, and Ashley MacIsaac.

In the summer of 2001, Lisa played the part of Michele Philips in the new musical Dream a Little Dream: The Nearly True Story of the Mamas and the Papas, with original "Papa" Denny Doherty. Together (at last), Brenley and Lisa have graced stages across North America and Europe, and performed at the infamous Montreux Jazz Festival during their 2002 Swiss tour.

Madviolet recorded their debut album in London, England with legendary British producer John Reynolds (Sinead O'Connor, Indigo Girls, Bjork) in his studio, Ghostrooms. For two months, Brenley and Lisa worked with some exceptional musicians (Sinead’s former backing band) and the result is Madviolet's early 2004 release Worry The Jury. With guest appearances by Jon Klein (Souxsie and the Banshees), Clare Kenny (Indigo Girls), Matthew Seligman (Softboys, David Bowie), and Kieran Kiley (Pogues), the album is a testament to amazing musicianship.

Their second album, “Caravan” (produced again by John Reynolds) was released in the UK in September 2006 and the girls toured the UK as the special guests of Hothouse Flowers in October.

Following a 2 month tour of Australia in Spring 2007, Madviolet are currently touring the UK as the special guests on the “Wine, Women and Song” tour featuring Gretchen Peters, Suzy Boguss and Matraca Berg).

Official website