Yellowknife (Feb 06/04) - No cats were harmed in the course of this interview, though one did get its head stuck between the slats of a set of blinds.

Nicky Mehta, who sings mezzo-soprano for folk trio The Wailin' Jennys, was laughing as she explained the crisis to a reporter. Thankfully the cat managed to extricate itself without her aid.

"Now where were we?" said Mehta.

It was a perfectly legitimate question. Mehta described the past two years as a "crazy whirlwind." The group has just celebrated its second birthday. The trio formed in 2002 and has since toured all over Canada. They've produced a six-song self-titled CD and have a second album due out in March.

The Jennys, who perform at NACC tonight and tomorrow on a double bill with The Gumboots, thrive on three-part harmony. Complimenting Mehta's mezzo-soprano, Ruth Moody sings soprano and Cara Luft sings alto.

All three are also songwriters and bring their diverse influences to the group's songs.

"Cara's stuff is a blend of folk influences and her desire to be a rock star," said Mehta.

"Ruth's stuff has a more traditional feel, more down home and acoustic. And my stuff is sort of ambient contemporary folk. But they all end up sounding like Jennys songs," she said.

Together they produce a sound Mehta described as roots with influences from Celtic music, country and alt country.

On the phone from her home in Winnipeg, Mehta said all three Jennys were excited about coming to Yellowknife.

"We were in Whitehorse last summer," she said.

"So we're looking forward to the chance to experience both extreme seasons."

Mehta decided to take a year off school before pursuing her Masters degree. That was eight years ago. She fell into folk music when she attended the North American Folk Alliance festival as a back-up singer.

"What a scene," she said.

She found the folk music community very supportive.

"They make it possible to actually make a living," she said.

Mehta's first solo album, Weather Vane, was nominated for a Canadian Music Award.

Gumboot Ray Bethke told Yellowknifer he was pleased to bring the Wailin' Jennys up north now because a year or so down the road, they might be impossible to book.

"It's so funny to hear stuff like that," said Mehta. "It's hard to imagine that. I'm sure we'll always play smaller places. We'll be back."