Underneath We Were Lover’s sweet melodic hooks and dance-inducing beats are a number of influences from various genres that contribute to the duo’s musical output and help make the sound accessible to everyone.

“We are very well rounded in terms of music,” says lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Elsa Gebremichael over the phone while going through some pre-tour preparations. “We listen to old classics as well as up-and-coming bands. One of our favourites is Cut Copy, but we listen to everything from Beach House to The Cure to David Bowie.”

Formed three years ago as a six-piece, the duo (rounded out by vocalist/guitarist/synth player Ash Lamothe) suffered scheduling conflicts within the group, resulting in the two core members breaking off and playing together as We Were Lovers.

Ironically, the first EP Breakup was released at the original band’s final show in Saskatoon. 

For people who know little of Saskatoon’s music scene, it is interesting to note that very few cliques are associated with genres.

According to Gebremichael, everyone goes to see everyone’s shows, no matter what kind of show it is.

“We have a very strong community for every genre,” she says. “We have a strong folk scene but we also have a strong metal scene. There is tremendous support in the community for musicians.”

She admits that the music scene is booming so much that it is often difficult to fit in all the shows as a spectator.

At any rate, the duo won’t have to worry about that for a while because they are set to embark on a North American tour starting in Winnipeg on Thursday, Oct. 6.

However, this is not the first time they’ve toured – they have played some big shows, including opening for Tegan and Sara at the SaskTel Jazz Fest this summer.

“Really, we just applied to be part of the festival, and were lucky enough to open for them,” Gebremichael says.

This tour, which finds the duo hitting up locations across Canada as well as a few shows stateside, will be different from others.

Gebremichael and Lamothe recently received $10,000 from Saskatchewan-based radio company Rawlco Radio’s 10K20 project, which provides money to Saskatchewan artists or groups to help them create a CD.

We Were Lovers plan on recording at various locations while on the road.

Published in Volume 66, Number 6 of The Uniter (October 5, 2011)