By Jay Scott Kanes

CONCEPTION BAY SOUTH, Newfoundland, Canada – With sweet sounds, pleasant personalities and bright futures, there’s lots to like about the Palmer Girls.

So much that they probably can be forgiven for leaving musical instruments lying all through their house – that is, when they’re not practicing in the living room.

Teenagers or soon-to-be, the five talented sisters named Palmer form an entertaining Celtic-style, folk-country band starting to step beyond Newfoundland, their home province. They mix original material with dynamic renditions of traditional songs.

“I love hearing the Palmer Girls,” said Bill Brennan, an acclaimed pianist, also from Newfoundland. “They have five of the sweetest voices you’ll hear on the face of the Earth.”

“We all do a little of everything,” said Kaliyan, the eldest sister, aged 19 when she spoke to Cairns Media Magazine. A student at Memorial University, she sings, plays guitar and keyboards, fiddles and step dances.

“To me, success may not mean being famous or popular,” Kaliyan said. “But I want to get good at what I do.”

Her band mates (oldest to youngest) are Cassy (lead fiddle, harmonica, bass, vocals), Joesie (tin whistle, fiddle, snare drum, banjo, mandolin, guitar, vocals), Thea (fiddle, bodhran, guitar, vocals) and Shaelin (vocals). The slick sisters sometimes switch instruments in mid-song, and they all step dance.

“They wear their hearts on their sleeves when making music,” said Brennan. “Their honesty and integrity are palpable. They’re innately musical and sing so beautifully together.”

In 2004, the Palmer Girls, then aged nine to 16, issued a CD, titled Sisters and recorded at Great Big Studios in St John’s, the provincial capital. They hope to release another soon.

The influence of Brennan, who produced Sisters, had a positive impact. “They were a joy to work with,” he said.

Among the 11 tracks on Sisters are: “Gypsy Rover”, “Stolen Angels”, “Moonlight Mist”, “Over the Hills” and “Buskin’ on the Street”.

Dropping their change as they walk by,
I look around at smiling eyes.
People dance and clap and sing
As the fiddle takes the lead.
I wink at a kid who returns a smile.
I think we may be here a while.
What a lively feeling,
Buskin’ on the street.
From “Buskin’ on the Street”, Palmer Girls, 2004

“We wrote that song about some of our best experiences as performers, busking downtown (in St John’s),” the sisters said. “We’ve met people from all over the world and just being caught up in the moment is truly an exciting feeling.”

Listeners enjoy themselves too. “The Palmer Girls are very much appreciated here in the St John’s area,” said Brennan.

In 2007, this band of siblings did a mini-tour to neighboring provinces. They drove 10 hours across Newfoundland, took a five-hour ferry ride and then drove again to reach the first venue in New Brunswick. Next they played gigs on Prince Edward Island and in Nova Scotia.

So how do the Palmer Girls explain Atlantic Canada’s wealth of musical talent? “The people like to have a good time, and there’s something special about Celtic music,” said Kaliyan.

For advice and support, the sisters rely on their parents Ted and Suzie. “Dad plays the guitar,” Kaliyan said. “Mom plays the banjo and fiddles a little.”

Somehow Ted and Suzie guided all five of their children into music. “There was no force or anything,” Kaliyan said. “It just happened. We all picked up on music, and it became something we loved to do. Once we started playing together, we realized we had a band. At first, we performed in church. Then we moved on to folk festivals.”

The Palmers live in Conception Bay South, near St John’s. With the entire band in the same house, it’s easier to rehearse. “We practice for at least a couple of hours a day in our living room,” said Kaliyan. “At our house, we have musical instruments lying around everywhere.”

The Palmer Girls showcased at the 2002 Juno Awards. In 2005, they played for the Qatari Royal Family at the opening of a College of the North Atlantic in Qatar. They’re regulars at the St John’s Folk Festival.

Having embraced music together, the sisters hope to make it their careers. “We love playing music and enjoy traveling,” said Kaliyan.

According to Brennan, “Their future looks very, very bright. They’re wonderful performers, absolutely beautiful girls, with a solid Mom and Dad who love them very much.

“Most importantly, I think their future individually, as human beings, is brilliant. They are lovely young women who no doubt will make a positive and generous contribution to this world.”

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