The eclectic, harmonic tunes performed by The Tomlynns are sure to put a smile on any listeners’ face.
Aaron Lemay and Carrie Schneider-Lemay are a husband-and-wife duo adept at reinterpreting rock, bluegrass, reggae, and folk songs to meet their cheery and whimsical musical style.
“We’ve been playing together for 10 years,” Carrie says. “Our goal is to entertain the audience, and be creative with our favorite songs.”
Their act includes Aaron on acoustic guitar, and Carrie on the ukulele. While searching for her musical muse in Hawaii, Carrie discovered the quaint, traditional string instrument that packs a punch.
“It has a mellow sound that is therapeutic,” she said. “It adds a fun sound to the music, and blends well with our vocals and Aaron’s guitar.”
She occasionally busts out the kazoo to add some layers to a song, and to lighten up the atmosphere. The universal instrument is sometimes passed out to the audience to join in the song.
“If you can hum, you can play the kazoo,” she says. “Audiences love it.”
The couple’s talented vocals complement each other, creating melodic harmonies reminiscent of the Eagles or Crosby Stills and Nash.
The Tomlynns reinterpret covers from a wide variety of musicians, including Lyle Lovett, the Nitty Gritty Dirt band, Dolly Parton, Alicia Keyes, Prince, Alison Krouse, Violent Femmes, Brandi Carlile, plus many more.
“We’re an acoustic cover band with a twist,” Aaron says. “We rearrange the song completely so it sounds original, but the listener also senses a familiarity.”
The combination of Aaron’s solid guitar playing (“I’ve been in bands my whole life”), Carrie’s impressive ukulele chops, and the couple’s soothing, tonal vocals creates a curious effect that’s easy on the ear and hits the funny bone just right.
“We’re having fun, and because we’re married it’s easier to practice a lot and anticipate each other musically,” Carrie said.
Check out their YouTube channel, CarrieAaron Tomlynns, at http://bit.ly/1IRsmjO
The musical power couple will be giving a free concert at the Dolores Harvest Festival on Oct. 10 from noon to 2 p.m.
jmimiaga@the-journal.com