Wailin' Jennys

Few acts start with a pun on a country legend's name, yet the Wailin' Jennys built a career around one. The Canadian group took shape in 2002 at Sled Dog Music, a Winnipeg guitar shop, where Ruth Moody, Nicky Mehta and Cara Luft were brought together for a joint show. A 2011 review said they sing like siblings and play like seasoned veterans, a line that points to the close harmonies at the heart of their sound.

Their name nods to Waylon Jennings, and it landed badly at a music conference where they played in the month he died, with some listeners taking it as mockery. The members never expected more than a few shows, since all were part-time musicians. They released a self-titled EP and 40 Days in 2004; 40 Days won the 2005 Juno for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year (Group), and Bright Morning Stars won the same award in 2012. Heather Masse, a Maine-born singer, replaced Annabelle Chvostek in 2007 and now sings alto with Moody and Mehta. Their repeated appearances on A Prairie Home Companion round out the record.