"Think Good Lovelies meets Test Their Logik" - Emily Slofstra, vocals, violin
The Tra La Las are Laura Ashfield, Janice Lee, Emily Slofstra and latest addition, Adam F.Lewis. They started making music together in 2008 after meeting in the Radical Choir. Drawn together by their mutual hairstyles and equally toothy smiles, their first songs were a mix of Andrews Sisters covers, unique versions of popular songs such as M.I.A’s Paper Planes, and an array of original songs that could largely be described as “cute”. While the standard instruments of guitar and piano are prominent in the music of the Tra La Las, violin and ukulele are also oft present, and the stage is usually stocked with other fun and unconventional gadgets such as the omnichord, melodica, glockenspiel, shaker, kazoo, harmonica, and trumpet, amongst others.
Over time Ashfield, Lee, Lewis and Slofstra branched out by stepping outside the “cute box” and to tackle deeper issues and musical ideas in their songwriting. All four have a passion for social justice, whether it is in Canada, Gaza, or in any area around the world affected by climate change. This passion is reflected in their songs, such as Police Man, which encapsulates shared experiences of police brutality in Copenhagen, Egypt and Toronto.
Onstage The Tra La Las share a fun and relaxed attitude, constantly joking and making their audiences laugh as they switch from ironic songs about tea parties gone wrong to sincere lyrics about missing friends. One week the band was playing their covers of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, and the next week they were asked to open for Fred Penner, a greater honour they had never imagined. 2011 brings the band back together with the new addition of Adam F. Lewis on drums after a 15-month hiatus. The Tra La Las released their EP ‘Fight The Tide’ October 7th, 2011.
“If there is one defining feature of The Tra La Las it’s their harmonies. The trio create a sound that is both nostalgic and yet somehow fresh and unheard of at the same time.” – Anthony Damaio, The Cord (Waterloo)