Victoria-based band West My Friend is the next group set to perform at Ponoka United Church as part of the Home Routes Network.
Tickets for the show, slated for Nov. 25, are available at the church office or through Eventbrite at coffeehouseseries2atpuc.eventbrite.ca.
“We met at the University of Victoria, and we both had been in different bands with a mutual friend. Those bands all broke up, and then we came together and made a new group,” explained Eden Poynter (guitars/vocals).
Her husband Jeff Poynter (accordion/vocals) completes the duo.
“We got together with a couple of other players and we all decided to play instruments that we weren’t studying for hours every day,” she added with a laugh.
From the get-go, this was indeed a versatile group.
“We used to switch instruments with every song because we all played multiple instruments,” said Eden, who studied flute in university.
Ultimately, they settled into an indie/folk style that is truly unique, thanks to their talents. “I would also describe it as reflective, thoughtful, intricate, unique, and original music played on accordion and guitar,” she said.
Eden said that singing is also something that was honed in her life over the years.
“My mom always sang, and we would sing together as I was growing up,” she said, adding that her experience as a music teacher has helped develop her vocal strengths further.
“I also think that the flute really informs (my voice) a lot, too. It’s a wind instrument — it’s very expressive, and there is a lot of movement in it as an instrument as well.”
For Jeff, attending a fine arts school was integral to introducing him to the magic of music.
Piano lessons were part of growing up, as was band throughout middle and high school. He ultimately studied the saxophone at the University of Victoria.
“Along the way, I was also given an accordion by someone who had it in their attic, and didn’t want it anymore,” he added. “I had that when the band started, so I was just playing it for fun and learning it.
“I think it’s pretty unique. The colour that it adds can be cool. It’s kind of like a wind instrument but one that you don’t actually blow into — it’s like a cross between the piano and the saxophone in that you play it like a piano, but it has reeds inside.
“It has a different kind of texture that can complement the guitar as well,” he explained.
Their latest project, In Constellation, was released in 2019. As their website puts it, “Mingling grassroots guitar, accordion, mandolin, orchestral instruments, and interweaving harmonies, In Constellation features longtime members conceiving a new box, then thinking outside of it.”
Both enjoy the creative richness that the recording process offers.
“Whenever I record with any group, it feels like it makes me better at playing my instrument because there is so much focus and detail,” said Jeff.
“It makes you listen in a different kind of way than if you are just performing. I also like the little things you can try out — you might start playing a song in a new way, and that can change things quite a bit. I find it really fun.
“I also like to work with someone who can be that fresh set of ears for our songs,” he added.
“To have someone say, what about this, or try this idea — it can definitely help freshen things up.”
Eden agreed.
“You can hear in detail how it’s coming together. You can see things more clearly because you’ve got it recorded, and you can hear it back. You can refine it.”
For Jeff and Eden, being a part of the Home Routes series offers a fun and engaging way to connect with folks in all kinds of communities.
“It works really well in smaller communities, and I think it’s a nice way to get a diversity of acts into smaller communities, too,” said Eden, adding that the process of creating new music is always compelling.
“I always find it motivating,” she said. “You are creating meaning in the world, and that is kind of what we all want to do - make meaning out of life.
“Creating songs is (making meaning) at its core.”
Next up in the Home Routes series are Pat Byrne on Feb. 4, Lynne Hanson on March 12, Kitty and the Rooster on April 12, and Kalyna Rakel and Dan Gurman who will be rounding out the season on May 16.