The Goddamsels are all about friendship.

 The Edmonton meets Montreal alternative country duo will be playing the Slice, Wednesday, Aug. 17.

 The duo, Montreal based Frédrique “Freddi” MacDougall and Mallory Chipman met while playing with the house band of popular Edmonton venue the Blue Chair, and found an instant connection.

 MacDougall was playing with the band  in 2011 and Chipman joined in 2015. They decided to form the Goddamsels in 2017 , finding common inspiration in modern acts like First Aid Kit and country artists Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton and Emmy Lou Harris plus the Chicks.

“ I also grew up listening to people like Lucinda Williams,” she said.

  MacDougall loves singing with Chipman.

“It’s great . It’s a lot of fun. I  love the way she can sing harmonies. She sings just the right harmony. She’s so talented,” said MacDougall from Montreal.

“Our voices blend so well together. She sings higher and my voice is lower,” she said.

“For years people said they liked how our voices complemented each other so we decided to start a group together. And then the pandemic happened,”  she said, adding they had just started to write music together. 

“ It’s challenging, but it also opened up a creative space for new narrative in country music,” she said, adding they started working on new music in fall 2020.

“We started working together around the same time I moved to Montreal. So we did  a lot of FaceTime and sending texts with lyric ideas,” MacDougall said.

 In August 2021, they got in the studio with producer Scott Franchuk, who has worked with a lot of popular groups including Scenic Route to Alaska.

“ I do a lot of back and forth from Montreal to sing with her,” she continued.

Kobotown was the perfect soundtrack to sweltering summer weather at Sandman Signature, Aug. 3.

 The Toronto  band brought a Carribean feel  to the Geomatic Attic’s second Wide Skies music Festival event  in as many weeks.

 While I missed Blue and Gold ( Trish Kevin and Ndidi O)and Alameda, the crowd was well warmed up for Kobo Town and dancing in the parking lot.

 They had an unstoppable, toe tapping, yet laid back  groove,. They emitted a  beautiful peaceful, loving vibe.

The bassist played in the pocket and  the audience gleefully danced the night awa  their cups overflowing with love and positivity.

A crack saxophonist and a trombonist  added the toe tapping melodies.

 They were called back for an encore, the apt “Summer Light,” as the moonlight beamed over the coulee.

— by Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor

 Thursdays are starting to hop downtown.

 In addition to Upside Downtown, and usually Shakespeare in Galt Gardens, there is also live music in festival square outside Telegraph every Thursday at 7 p.m..

 This past Thursday, it was Daylan Delaney, Aug 4.

 Delaney was howling out impassioned  ’90s alternative rock and pop favourites accompanied by his acoustic guitar.  

You could hear his powerful voice singing all over downtown and into Galt Garden.

 James Moore is on stage tonight at 7 p.m. and Delaney is back, Aug. 25.

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor

 The slice was also in a country mood, Saturday, Aug. 6.

 I missed up and coming country duo Badlands, but caught an impassioned solo acoustic set from Zach Passey.

 Passey was testing out some new songs for an appreciative audience.

 He tried out some new songs as a couple from his band Biloxi Parish.

 I only caught the end of his set, but it was an entertaining look into some new material.

— By Richard Amery L.A. Beat Editor