DINNER BELLES – "WEST SIMCOE COUNTY"

“The barn, where we practice during the summer, is on a farm that is owned by the Harleys … we love going there to play. We will go there on Sundays and play all day long. And it really has become a big family affair where friends and family come over and and hang out and barbecue while we practice. It creates a really neat sense of community.” – Terra Lightfoot, Dinner Belles

"What began as a barroom brawl, blossomed into a family of fast friends forged over a mutual love of folk, country, and roots music. The Dinner Belles call Southern Ontario home, and are all about good vibes and good times."

The description above is from the band's website and tells you all you need to know about Dinner Belles. From a group of strangers came a collective of musicians who, even surprising themselves, released their debut album, West Simcoe County, back in August.

In fact, it was the exposure and positive response they received from La Blogotheque that led to this album. I'll admit, their Take-Away Show is how I learned of them as well. The impromptu session gives you a look behind the scenes at the spirit of Dinner Belles. Each member plays for each other and seven equal voices contribute to their sound.

Their love for folk, country, and roots music shines through as each song bears a different member's heart. While most songs are brought to the group by one particular member, during a regular Wednesday evening rehearsal, Dinner Belles work together to make each song come to life. It's that process that brought them closer together.

Their touring schedule is light, giving consideration to each member's work schedule, other musical endeavours and family, but when they get a chance to play live, the audience is invited to join the family explains Lightfoot. “We all love playing live and when we perform, our shows are meant to just be a big party and everyone’s invited!”

You can pick up a digital copy of West Simcoe County over at Bandcamp. The Belles were also nice enough to allow RGT to upload a few of their songs to our SoundCloud so we could share them with you. You can hear the first three tracks from their new album below.