Heads up; Low Flying Planes coming to Valley

DAVE WHITFIELD CANMORE

“Up go the flaps, down go the wheels…”

No, wait, that was a different flight with Joni Mitchell…

Low Flying Planes, on the other hand, which will touch down, Sunday, Aug. 29 at the fifth annual Canmore Indie Music Festival, are Edmonton duo Lynett McKell and Megan Kemshead, who will add a touch of out-of-town musical flavour to the largley local fest.

The festival runs Aug. 28 (noon to 8 p.m.) and Aug. 29 (noon to 6 p.m.) and features 14 acts and three ‘Tweeners. Of the assembled talent, only three bands are from outside the Bow Valley.

Low Flying Planes will also play Bruno’s Bar and Grill in Banff, Sept. 10.

McKell (vocals, guitar, accordion), a born and raised Edmontonian, and Kemshead (bass, guitar, vocals), a transplanted Red Deer native, met as backing vocalists for folkster Scott Cook.

That was a couple of years ago. At the time, said McKell, “we saw a melodic chemistry happen.”

Since then, McKell and Kemshead combined as Low Flying Planes, incorporating, at different times, percussionist Matt Grier and banjomeister Bramwell Park, who will accompany the duo at the indie festival. They’ve put out an EP and are working toward recording their first full-length album this winter.

Aa an indie band, McKell said, they are applying for grants to aid with the recording process, “but funding is pretty skinny in Canada.” Luckily for the pair, they both have day jobs as photographers and work in portraiture and band promo work.

While Low Flying Planes have been playing gigs in the Edmonton area and into B.C., a festival like the Indie Music Festival is ideal, said McKell. “Music is kind of feast or famine. Summer is real busy and winter not as much. So festivals are kind of the bread and butter.”

While festivals help butter LFP’s bread, McKell said the Valley is lucky to have an event like the Garry Gonis-created festival. “It’s nice to see a festival with so much local talent. Some festivals you go to, all the bands are from abroad.”

With an eye to a future album release, McKell said she and Kemshead have enough material for a pair of works. In the last six months, the pair have been co-writing, “which is a bit of a challenge, because we have different songwriting styles. But it’s also nice to be able to share thoughts and work on something together.

“Sometimes a melody or the lyrics come first, sometimes the music. It’s about 50/50.”

Genre-wise, McKell said, if she was to be pinned down, the Low Flying Planes offer a mix of everything from folk to gypsy and from blues to bluegrass.

The gypsy sound, said McKell, comes from not only her accordion, “but Megan has an interesting finger picking style that gives a gypsy flavour.”

Songs are of the life experience variety – related to camping, motherhood, love and loss, travelling, etc. Some are downright comical, as in the love song “Ketchup”, which features lyrics like “You are the aspirin for my hangover”, “You are the cherry for my pie, you are the strings for my guitar”.

And for anyone who has stuck out a bad weekend’s camping, “Camping” relates to an adventure in Waterton National Park. From a fire ban to setting up in the dark to bear warnings, it’s a comical ode to a favourite pastime – all performed with sweet harmonies.

The Planes have been garnering radio air time, with CBC and college radio ranging from Edmonton to Montreal.

“Things are going really well,” said McKell. “I think we’re lucky to be where we are, moving at a nice pace.”

Local bands to appear at the indie fest include John Van Hall and Josh Smith, 4 O’Clock Shadow, Gruesome Two, Lori Reid Band, Chris Dymtriw and Ratbait, Kill Your Radio, Sarah Harper and Louder Than Satan.

The Canmore Indie Music Festival is free over the two days, no alcohol is allowed on the grounds and Harvest Moon Acoustics has put up an Epiphone guitar and case as a draw prize (the winner must be on hand at 6 p.m. Sunday to claim it).

Local businesses who have chipped in to make the event happen include Zona’s and Bow Valley Basics.