The Moulettes are definitely difficult to pigeonhole into a musical genre, something that seems fine to band leader Hannah Moule.
Formed in Glastonbury in England’s southwest region, the ensemble combines folk, prog rock, rock, pop and classical music to create a sound like few other bands touring nowadays.
Described as “the most thrillingly nimble ensemble the UK has produced in decades” by Prog Magazine, and “Orchestral folk at its finest” by Time Out, Moulettes have captivated Canadian audiences on previous tours.
And now, area residents have an opportunity to experience the Moulette’s unique sound for themselves with the band set to take the Midland Cultural Centre stage Thursday evening.
“This will be our sixth time in Canada,” Hannah Moule tells MidlandToday during an interview prior to boarding a flight across the pond to begin the group’s 12-date Canadian tour.
“It feels exciting to go back, but it’s familiar for us as well.”
Moule says members of the quintet are also ready for their sudden surge into a Canadian winter once they land at Pearson International Airport in Toronto.
She jokes: “We’ve got layers so we should be all right.”
The influential British newspaper The Guardian calls the Moulettes a “compelling and original” band.
“Moulettes don’t fit easily into any musical category,” the newspaper notes in an article. “Prog folk & psych-folk with added classical & rock influences. Immaculate & thrilling female harmony vocals and unexpected instrumentation.”
The band typically leaves a visitor’s book outside in the lobby during shows for people to write how they felt about the band’s performance. And Moule recalls a couple of comments as perfectly summing up the band’s style with notes like “deliciously free of genre” and “genre defying.”
“We have a love of eclecticism and my favourite artiest are like that as well,” she said, adding she’s currently listening to a band named Cowbell, which has a “really creative dreamy sound” and is a big fan of Iceland’s Bjork.
“In every record, she’s redefining her music.”
After their main-stage performance at Winnipeg Folk Festival a few years back, CBC q host Tom Power called the Moulettes the best act at the festival that year.
That summer they went on to perform at Montréal International Jazz Festival, Mariposa, Calgary and Vancouver folk festivals, Nova Scotia’s Stan Rogers Folk Festival, as well as prestigious theatres such as Palais Montcalm in Québec City and Montréal’s Theatre Outremont.
Moule, who comes from a musical family and plays cello after starting out with the violin at age four, noted that all band members are classically trained and multi-instrumentalists who experiment with the interplay between electric and acoustic instruments through effects and distortion.
“I think there is something for everyone,” she said.”We’re going to take you on a quest.
“I do think people are going to come away (from the show) with a slice of something they didn’t know they needed.”
For tickets to Thursday’s show that gets underway at 8 p.m., click here.