Doing what they Lovey
Quirky quartet now a favourite festival act
LAST year they were the toast of the Mullum Music Festival, held in New South Wales’ Northern Rivers.
Though they didn’t appear at this year’s event, The Loveys – a Mullumbimby quartet – are still having a busy end to the year. A four-piece multiinstrumental band, who write their own material, The Loveys are booked to appear at some of the country’s top events during the next few months.
They had the Ukulele Festival in Newcastle, a festival in Western Australia and now will play a pre-Christmas show at Brunswick Heads and then the big one – Woodford Folk Festival to bring in the new year.
Not bad for four women on the wrong side of 40 from the Mullumbimby-Brunswick area who started out as a ukulele band. Aged from 40–71, The Loveys are Belinda Eadsforth, Pamela Freeman, Janet Swain and Jenny Parenteau.
On stage they are better known as Miss Bee, Pammy, Delphi Coral and Jen Jen – a cabaret act complete with ukuleles, oboes, beautiful four-part harmonies and songs that you won’t hear anywhere else.
Jenny, the oldest of the group, is the one responsible for their smoky lead vocals and songs that tackle everything from ageing (It’s Great Being Old) and living on your own again (Dinner for One) to life in general (Have I Left It Too Late). The songs are about the joys, struggles and ordinary things in life presented in a way that’s sometimes poignant, sometimes irreverent and often humorous.
Originally from New Zealand, Jenny has survived breast cancer, having the man she was going to spend her retirement with come out, sung with a Maori band in New Zealand, learned Edith Piaf songs in New Caledonia, tangoed in Argentina, and taught ukulele in Qatar and Singapore.
It has made her lyrics and her life rich and she is writing her life story through her songs in a book for her children and grandchildren. It was during her time in Singapore when the real genesis of The Loveys occurred, with Jenny meeting Janet – a music teacher, community choir leader and events organiser with a background in theatre.
Janet’s mother Elizabeth is a long-time music teacher who runs the group Dynasty8 around the Brunswick Valley. Dynasty8 appeared at the Mullumbimby Festival this year.
“Jenny and I were both living in Singapore about five years ago,” Janet explained. “I told her I was moving home and not long after she moved too, ending up – by chance – both in the same town.”
Back in Australia, the duo decided to get some friends together and form a band.
‘‘ I TOLD HER I WAS MOVING HOME AND NOT LONG AFTER SHE MOVED TOO, ENDING UP – BY CHANCE – BOTH IN THE SAME TOWN. JANET SWAIN