How The Belle Miners Struck Gold With Their Debut Album

It's been a relatively long road but Belle Miners have finally released their debut album. Relatively, because a long-player a few years in for most bands is long enough - not only for the band but impatient fans too. And yet, a few years is understandable given the dual-nationality of the Australian-Canadian trio.

When duo Man & Minx - featuring Aussie Jaime Jackett and Canada's Felicia Harding - crossed paths with Canadian folk songwriter Marina Avros, it was the musical equivalent of love at first sight. Since combining forces, the trio have mesmerised audiences with their spine-tingling three-part harmonies and, depending on what review you read, their "festive folk pop", "eclectic alt folk" or "new folk" sound.

"I love that festive folk pop one!" Jackett laughs.

"Felicia said one time if you took ABBA and Crosby, Stills and Nash and they had babies the Belle Miners would be their children," Avros adds.

The sound that has delighted so many in the live setting since their inception back in 2014 is now literally in the hands of their listeners, with the release of Powerful Owl, made while travelling and playing in Australia earlier this year and produced by JUNO award-winner Joby Baker in British Columbia. Harbouring the intensity of lyrics that run the full gamut of jubilation, loss, and love; the personal trials that each of the Belle Miners themselves have experienced in the past couple of years has made for an album that is in itself sweet reward for its creators.

"It's the pinnacle, it's the pinnacle moment," Avros admits. "We've all been slaving away, and just been passionately creating. And sometimes, especially for me, these last couple of years I've been a little bit down with music. And when we got those masters, I remember just lying in my bed and crying and thinking, 'wow, all of the sacrifices of the last several years have really paid off'.

"The income from music can be a little sketchy. And I think just that bit of heartache can kind of wear you down after a while, but then after listening to those masters it totally burst that bubble of heartache. I was just like, 'worrrrrth it'. It was so worth all the tears. It's about time. It's such a magical record. We're very excited to share it with the world."

Of the 10 tracks that grace Powerful Owl, none had the impeccable timing that single Fall In Love With Me had upon its release. Its lush melody and gentle croons unravel a tale of same-sex love, and by complete coincidence, its release coincided with the week our nation went to the polls to vote on the same-sex marriage survey. Not that the group would have shied away from this fortuitous meeting of moments; with Harding and Avros members of the LGBTQIA+ community, coupled with the starkly contrasting fact that Canada has enjoyed marriage equality since 2005, meant the trio were watching closely when the 'yes' result was announced.

"I was holding my breath for our community," Avros said. "I think it was nighttime when I saw it and it was a good end to the day. There's just so many more important things than worrying about who's loving who; I mean if it's not hurting anyone then why would you spend millions of dollars on something that you could spend on helping the homeless, the environment, refugees? You could go on and on about where that money could have been better spent. So it was really great when we found out but really, it shouldn't have happened like that in the first place."

On top of their new album, that major political decision will be another thing to celebrate when they regroup for a bunch of shows around the country in early 2018. As the trio currently prepare with some intimate gigs in snowy Canada, Jackett - being the only Aussie in the group - is looking forward to assuming the role of tour guide in Australia again.

"I'm married to an ecologist as well, so I also take on the nature guide role who picks up the lizards and the spiders and the girls just go 'eeeeeewwww'."