Once upon a time in the misty hills of Seattle, a group of women joined their voices in harmony and The Drunken Maidens, an unconventional acoustic band, was born.  They specialize in tight vocal harmonies, inspired by performers such as Sweet Honey in the Rock, Mediaeval Baebes, and the Wailin’ Jennys. In addition to their voices, the band incorporates guitar, fiddle, mandolin, whistles, and percussion. Threads from traditional ballads, shanties, old­-time and bluegrass, fiddle tunes and early music are woven together to produce their colorful and varied repertoire. Their blend of British and American, old and new material includes the wistful strains of Appalachian music, saucy English folksongs, ancient melodies and recently written songs, all arranged to showcase the intricate blend of their voices and instruments.

The Drunken Maidens have an excellent rapport with their audiences, and the group’s joie de vivre and merry banter enliven their shows. Notable recent performances have included the seventh annual Princeton (BC) Traditional Music Festival and The Pacific Northwest Folklore Society’s Folk Musicians Showcase. 

The group is currently working on their first recording, featuring some of their nontraditional arrangements of traditional songs. Selections include: “The Keeper” an allegorical ballad with roots in the seventeenth century, that somehow found its way to the Appalachian region in the twentieth; the classic Carter Family love song “Are You Tired of Me My Darling?”, the delightfully cheeky warning song “Maids, When You’re Young, Never Wed an Old Man”;  “Maiden’s Choice”, an original instrumental with renaissance overtones; and of course, their infectiously syncopated interpretation of “Drunken Maidens”, the song that gave them their name.