Rebecca and Megan Lovell hail from Georgia, USA. Formerly known as the Lovell Sisters alongside their sister, Jessica, they now perform as Larkin Poe. With a fast-growing reputation as the belles of the US bluegrass scene, the siblings have been thrilling audiences across North America - and even Scandinavia - in recent months. Now nearing the end of a successful tour of the UK, Peter McGee caught a few words with the girls.
“It’s odd coming into a foreign city. It looks so exotic and different” said Rebecca, the dark-haired sister and primary spokesperson for the act. A short time was spent discussing the joys of sightseeing (including visiting John Bonham’s grave and the boat on which their Glasgow gig would later occur) before “serious” questioning took place.
PM: You could forgive people for mistaking the name as a reference to two famous poets, although, of course, that is not the case. Could you tell us a little about the name and why you chose to use it?
Rebecca: Yeah! Larkin Poe was the name of our great-great-great grandfather on our dad’s side, and since we are sisters we wanted to have a name that had familial significance, and Larkin Poe seemed right. It’s an interesting name, and he was a very interesting fellow, involved in a lot of the history of our area.
PM: I suppose you’ll have asked a lot of family members for stories about him?
Rebecca: Mmm-hmm! Lots of crazy stories! Moonshine stills, going to the Georgia State Penitentiary; all kinds of crazy things.
PM: Is this your first visit to the UK as Larkin Poe?
Larkin Poe: Yeah!
PM: Had you ever been to the UK as the Lovell Sisters?
Rebecca: We had never been to the UK as the Lovell Sisters, though we did have one showcase show in London last October, but this is our first time getting out and about in the UK. And it’s our first time in Scotland! Tonight is our very first time ever being in Scotland! It’s been a beautiful drive up, too. We had about six hours though the countryside today. It was really pretty!
PM: On the one day of the year that it’s not raining, too!
Larkin Poe: Yeah!
PM: For such young ladies, you’ve achieved so much as musicians. With all the temptations that surround you, how do you stay so focused while a lot of young bands can get distracted from their love of music?
Rebecca: I think you just said it: love of music. For us, music is what we love; it’s what we do all the time.
Megan: People ask us “what are your hobbies?” and we say “music is our livelihood,” but it is our hobby as well.
Rebecca: So we lock ourselves in our rooms and we practice and write songs and we get together with our band and we practice more! All of our friends are musicians, so back in the States we’re always goin’ to pickin’ parties and sitting in with bands at live shows. I guess we’re lucky in that that is our only focus.
PM: What plans lie ahead for Larkin Poe in 2011?
Rebecca: We’re hoping to record an album in the summer, so we’re in pre-production for that now. We have songs written and we’re pretty excited about that! So, that’s going to take up some of our time. In fact, we already have plans to come back to the UK in the fall. We’re going to be opening for Elvis Costello on a run of dates. We’re very excited about that!
Young, talented, and undeniably sweet, Larkin Poe seem well on their way towards establishing a long and successful career. Regardless of whether or not you care for Elvis Costello, you’ll be glad to give him the fare if it means catching Larkin Poe. For more information, visit their website.