Band of the Month: Jacob and Lily
By way of the RV they call home, the Canadian folk-acoustic roots duo takes its ‘be yourself’ message on the road
By Carlye Wisel
Published: June 1st, 2007 | 11:22am
WHO IT IS
Karla Adolphe on vocals and guitar; Caleb Friesen on drums and percussion
LOCATION
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
FILE UNDER
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin + Snow Patrol + Sarah McLachlan + Gomez’s vocals
IN A NUTSHELL
It may seem a bit odd that Karla Adolphe and Caleb Friesen — the two musicians who comprise Jacob and Lily — are neither named Jacob nor Lily. However, a closer look into their world reveals the meaning behind not only their name, but their mission as artists.
Stemming from a conversation about what they want their music to represent, Adolphe and Friesen chose their name from one of the oldest texts in existence: the Bible.
“It became obvious that we both loved the story of Jacob where his name was changed to Israel as a sign of a deeper work within his life and character,” Adolphe says. “We chose Lily, as opposed to Israel, because we wanted a female counterpart to represent the guy/girl duo, and that name means ‘pure and innocent,’ quite the opposite of ‘deceitful,’ which is what Jacob means. It represents the duality we all face of who we aim to be and who we are in this very moment.”
If there’s one thing Jacob and Lily know, it’s who they are. Joined by Adolphe’s husband Gary, dog Sampson, and a load of instruments, the two musicians travel from show to show in their own version of a tour bus — a 35-foot motor home they permanently reside in.
“See, the thing about us is we want to share a message with our audience and the music industry that we are defining the terms of our success,” Adolphe says. “Success is playing music every day, seeing the country, meeting incredible people and actually having time to have a coffee or chat with these incredible people. That is who we are, so selling our homes and quitting our jobs to tour full time in an RV seemed to be the best way to accomplish our goals and be ourselves.”
Jacob and Lily’s full-length 2006 release The Cathedral, is no exception to the uniqueness of their story. In order to capture unique, organic sounds, the album was recorded in several Winnipeg locations, including a church, a restaurant, and their former home.
“It was a very intense experience, as we were selling our house and transitioning into full-time RV life at the very same time,” Adolphe says.
GOALS
With 70 shows and 500 copies of The Cathedral sold in 2007, Adolphe and Friesen are proud of what they’ve accomplished during the past four months of touring. “Grassroots marketing, booking, and promotions [are] a lot of work, but very rewarding,” Adolphe says.
The duo also hopes to get its message across to the audience. “We feel we carry a responsibility to sew seeds and ‘stir the pot,’ so to speak,” Adolphe explains. “Our music serves our message, which is to be yourself, redefine lifestyle and success, and find a lifeline to feed your spirit as you allow yourself to be you.”
MORE INFO
Jacob and Lily's website
Jacob and Lily's MySpace
—
This is the first installment ofVenus Zine's "Band of the Month" feature, which is published on the first day of each month. Visit our Sonic Bids page to submit your profile for coverage consideration.
Comments
Please login to be able to comment on this article.
more