The Lonesome Valley Singers | en

The Lonesome Valley Singers are an odd bunch. Mixing Folk, Roots, Pop tapered with an early punk upbringing they bring a truly original sound to center stage, with the muse of a wrecked mind, apocalyptic visions and a heart worn on the sleeve so long it's gotten dirty and misshapen.

Led by “misfit fiend turned haggard crooner” David Chenery, David spent his formative years in Summerland BC vandalizing private property and recording obscure home recordings of his various punk outfits until his 1999 departure to Victoria BC where he became immersed in the Victoria music scene, discovering the likes of Clay George, David P. Smith among others who unwittingly put their hand in re-shaping his once contemptuous view on country music exposing him to the likes of The Carter Family, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and Gram Parsons. Though he was still focused on dark melodies, his delivery became softer as he experimented with merging old-time country/folk sensibilities with the dramatic underpinnings of punk rock, cabaret and folk noir.

Since then David has involved himself in a number of projects notably his time spent in The Moonshine Revellers followed as a solo artist, sharing the stage with such acts as Smog, Elevator To hell, Dale Morningstar, eventually being a feature artist on CBC's nationally syndicated 'Connect the Dots' tour.

In 2004 David Chenery formed what is now known as The Lonesome Valley Singers, a group of five including Chelsea Wakelyn on back-up vocals, Martin Courchaine on drums, Kelly Klassen on bass and Jana Mclaughlin on banjo. Their eclectic mix of styles creates an amazing dichotomy of lush and stark, like a pall bearing accidentally cutting into parade traffic. Their debut release 'Memorial' was praised by critics and laid the ground work for The Lonesome Valley Singer's strange legion of followers.

In 2006 David Chenery had the honor of being subject to a short run tribute CD. Eighteen Victoria based artists paid homage to his highly regarded song writer, spanning from his earliest demos to tracks from 'Memorial'. Artists on the compilation included Dan Weisenburger (Leeroy Stagger), Joey McDonald (Away, Rio!), Ryan Beattie (Himalayan Bear/Chet), Scott Henderson (too many projects to even start...) among others.

July 2007 will see The Lonesome Valley Singer's latest release 'Corpse Circus Revue'. The bands most ambitious project to date. Featuring a slew of guest musicians such as Grayson Walker (Godspeed You Black Emperor), Sara Hart (MeatDraw) and Tolan McNeil, Corpse Circus Revue is an album that is as original as it is outstanding.

Press

“Just because the sun is shining more and more these days doesn’t mean we can’t indulge our darker sides and enjoy a few moments of the macabre. Case in point: the new album from David Chenery and his Lonesome Valley Singers. With the jovial juxtaposition of upbeat singalongs peppered with death-obsessed subject matter, Corpse Circus Revue sounds just about right for those summer nights that drag on well into morning. Kicking off with the stomping title track, one of their most energetic to date, LVS are in fighting form. The album winds through similar shitkickers on “I Often Long For Home” and “Tombstone Yodel” - this Circus certainly highlights some of Victoria’s finest talents and the payoff is LVS’ strongest album to date." - Monday Magazine

"A time comes when aging punks pour whiskey over their wounds and cast off their chains. In such times it is a special breed that picks up the acoustic guitar and plays melodies haunted by tradition, to words written in the flames of their own lost youth. Victorian David Chenery is one such man — a Misfit fiend turned haggard crooner. Chenery has crossed the wild alt-country plains, with twangs of spiritual expansion and pangs of disillusionment in his dust. Chenery and his infernal quartet follow their initial release, Tonight I’ll Singing in the Devil’s Choir of 2003, with Memorial. Their latest is a further distillation of the sounds Chenery concocted with his former band the Moonshine Revellers. New influences are heard in echoes from the twisted accordian and the anguished jowls of fellow Victorian, David P. Smith, whose song “Sunday” the band covers. Notable ghosts include Hank Williams’ “When God Comes and Gathers His Jewels” and the traditional “St. James Infirmary.” Chenery imbues the haunting spectre of tradition with a beautifully sad and wandering soul, to which his original songs are equal testament. If you find yourself drawn towards the destitute, or simply see better in the dark, make your way to the Lonesome Valley and the tattered hymnal of David Cenery." - Travis Richey

"If you've read this site's coverage of Slim Cessna's Auto Club over the past several years, you'll no doubt be aware that I love that band to the point that, were I seventeen years younger and a girl, I would be spending all of my time writing "Mrs. Brett Cessna" on my noteboooks and carving "BM + CS 4 EVER" on the old oak tree. To be fair, my abject love of this band is simply the strongest expression of my general love for modern takes on old-timey, wrath-of-the-Lord, bad-doin's-in-the-holler Americana. Which is why David Chenery & The Lonesome Valley Singers are threatening to become an all-new love affair. From the opening wail of "Dead Birds", it's obvious that Chenery clearly attended the Jay Munly School of High-Throated, Vaguely Disconcerting Redneck Warbling, and graduated Summa Cum Laude. Moreover, the song is based on an insistent 6/8 guitar figure that's punctuated by a Civil War-style snare rat-a-tat and ringing bells. It's like Christmas, I tell you.
As it turns out, much of the rest of Memorial shies away from "Dead Birds"' sinister, implicit threat: tracks like "In The Morning" (which calls to mind Harry Nilsson's brilliant "Everybody's Talking At Me") and the gentle perfection of "Late September" recast the group as a tender, folky outfit highlighted by the interplay of Chenery's vocals and some beautiful female backing vox. There are only eight tracks on Memorial, but each one is a highlight in its own way. The group's treatment of Hank Williams's "When God Comes and Gathers His Jewels" does the legend proud, and Chenery's rendition of the traditional "St. James Infirmary" is a powerful evocation of death and beauty.
Memorial's closer, "The Last Parade", brings back some of the feel of "Dead Birds", though this time that sound is recast in a major key, producing a lazy-day shuffle that screams springtime. As is the case throughout, Chenery's vocals sound just on the edge of cracking, which lends them a poignancy that's hard to describe, and the aforementioned vocal interplay never disappoints. As near as I can tell, Memorial may be available only from the band's website, or from the group itself on tour. Take a listen to the sound clip and the boombox track; if you like those, rest assured that the rest of the album is just as good." - Brett McCallon - Splendid Zine

"Killing country from Victoria, B.C. When you're sitting up in your booze shack this winter polishing your shotgun and wondering if that sun-thing you remember seeing a long time ago was just a dream... pull out this album and be assured that, yes, it was all just a dream." - RedCat Records

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