divinemaggees/osakapearl
Yes! The rumors are true. divineMAGgees are becoming a new band called The Electric Pearls! Though it may sound sudden, this exciting change has been a long time coming. Since starting divineMAGgees 5 years ago as primarily a folk duo, Danielle and Cregan have expanded theirr sound and their instrumentation to focus more on the electric instruments (electric guitar and violin) and have recently added the synthesizer and cello. The new music has a more emotional, rock and R&B vibe to it that we love exploring. They are finally adding a drummer to become a 3-piece band.
After blazing their way through New England in 2002 & 2003 (while based out of Rockland, ME), this progressive, electrified duo -- Cregan Montague on acoustic and electric fiddles and Danielle Tibedo on acoustic and electric guitars -- spent the year of 2004 based in Athens, Georgia, before settling in Asheville, NC, in 2005.
Throughout the east coast, divineMAGgees (pronounced "Maggies") have attracted the attention of a consistently diverse and devoted audience for their provocative, yet surprisingly accessible music. The duo has also created a strong national presence, with a performance at this year's Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, yearly showcases at premier Hollywood venues including The Hotel Cafe and Genghis Cohen, and a feature on the upcoming On-Demand cable music channel, Publik Music.
Soon after moving to Asheville, Cregan and Danielle began production on their first fully-produced studio album, Love Me Like The Roses, released September 2005 (divineMAGgees' previous three releases were recorded live). Combined with the talents of engineer/co-producer/musician Chris Rosser, drummer/percussionist River Guerguerian and stand-up bassist Eliot Wadopian, they created an urban-slick folk-rock album that "takes the Indigo Girls' sound and gives it a swift kick in the ass" (Mountain XPress). All eleven tracks on the cd (including the duo's unique version of Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine") reflect and build on divineMAGgees' dynamic live show: featuring provocative vocal counter melodies and harmonies, in a rich texture of acoustic and electric fiddles, guitars, piano, bass and percussion. Voted by WNCW listeners as one of the top 100 new albums of 2005, Love Me Like The Roses and divineMAGgees are emerging as one of the South's most provocative new musical acts.
Individually, Danielle and Cregan bring years of musical training and experience to this mutual labor of love. Danielle, born into a family of professional jazz musicians (Lovey Ann Bosteels), began writing songs with her guitar when she was 16. Before she picked up her first guitar, she had become a self-taught pianist and received intense education in jazz trumpet and musical theory. Danielle earned a BFA in sculpture from the Maine College of Art, Portland, in 1996, and continued on to Graduate Studies in multi-media performance art at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
The art world gave her the foundation for her spirituality and music, leading her straight to her voice, back to her guitar, back to her childhood filled with music, back to her inspirational source. Cregan has played violin/fiddle since a young child, her talent taking her overseas to Ireland, England, France and Japan, where she shared stages, street corners and pub sessions with the likes of Martin Hayes and Ani DiFranco (she hopped on stage with her fiddle to join Ani on a couple tunes in Central Park and Providence). As a child, Cregan witnessed the passion that music can express through connections with Pete Seeger, Raphael Rudd and Pete Townshend. While Cregan was attending Berklee College of Music, Boston, (she is also an alum of Wellesley College) she joined forces with Danielle as divineMAGgees, and their fate was sealed.
"Cregan and Danielle make sweet, dreamy alt-folk rock that draws on everything from bluegrass to punk to jazz, intertwining acoustic and electric guitars and fiddles with their perfectly matched, harmonious vocals.
"...music that takes the Indigo Girls' sound and gives it a swift kick in the ass. Punk leanings meld perfectly into flourishing harmonies, giving the duo a confident air missing in most bands that flirt with various styles .
"Their sweeping harmonies and lush textures echo traditional folk, seamlessly mixed with the urgency and raw power of punk. A potent mix, indeed .
" "The duo exudes sexiness on stage, no matter what the setting, giving their dreamy ballads and punkish pop tunes a lasting and sweet aftertaste .
"Cregan's fiddle, with its tantalizing and ethereal sound, balanced with the rousing chords of Danielle's guitar: edgy and forthright. Such panache and harmony, so organically blended, are what make divineMAGgees such an engaging and provocative act .
"Danielle Tibedo's voice at times whispers in your ear and at times sends chills down your spine. Cregan Montague's voice is the perfect complement: Simon's Garfunkel. The interplay of their harmonies, Danielle's guitar and Cregan's haunting violin, offer an organic feast for head and heart .
