In a city that embraces its folk roots, it’s easy to see how inspiration came out of four women interested in making music that people could embrace as their own.

Formed in 2008 by banjo player Allison De Groot with friends Marie-Josee Dandeneau, Vanessa Kuzina and fiddler Rosalyn Dennett, Oh My Darling seemingly exploded onto the scene after its first performance at Festival du Voyageur, under the name Fill’d’Riel (daughters of Riel). However, shortly after their first performance, Oh My Darling was born.

Starting off with a bang, their self-titled EP from 2009 got a Western Canadian Music Award nomination for best roots album, boasting the same nomination at the WCMAs a year later for their first full-length album, In the Lonesome Hour.

OMD’s latest album, Sweet Nostalgia, aims to deliver just what the title suggests.

“This album we aimed to capture more of a live feel,” guitarist/vocalist Kuzina says about the blending of the new songs with old favorites. “We’ve found a balance between both to create something completely unique”.

Performing at Canadian festivals such as the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Festival du Voyageur and receiving regular plays on CMT and CBC radio, the folk rockers have had their plate full with much deserved promotional gigs to showcase their bluegrass, rootsy sound.

“ We’re like a little family, and with every family comes those little fights that make it more and more challenging, but our music is what keeps us close.

Vanessa Kuzina, Oh My Darling

Constant touring would make most people lose it, but Kuzina is quick to point out how they avoid those exhausting squabbles.

“We’re like a little family, and with every family comes those little fights that make it more and more challenging, but our music is what keeps us close,” she says.

Oh My Darling has a fan base that reaches from coast to coast sending everyone in its path into a dancing frenzy.

“Winnipeg is definitely our favourite place to play,” she says. “Ottawa is one of the best - the hardest folk rockers.”

OMD has plenty of places to compare to its beloved Winnipeg, as the band kicked off a cross Canada tour in September, making stops in the United States for shows in New York and Oregon, and eventually finding their way home on Nov. 5 when they will be playing at the West End Cultural Centre in promotion of their new album.

Published in Volume 66, Number 10 of The Uniter (November 2, 2011)