Searson Sisters sizzle in Sharbot Lake

Mar 08, 2012

Photo: Searson at The Crossing pub in Sharbot Lake, l-r: Erin, Colleen and Heather Searson

The band of three sisters, known simply as Searson, got the crowd on their feet at The Crossing pub at the Sharbot Lake Country Inn on Saturday night with their high energy blend of Ottawa Valley flavored Celtic pop/country/blues originals.

The tightly knit trio, comprised of Erin on keyboard and lead vocals, Colleen on fiddle and back up vocals and Heather on bass, have been playing and step dancing together since they were tots. So it's no wonder that their sound is seamless, natural, mature and polished, like long-time family bands often tend to be. The high-energy solos of fiddle virtuoso Colleen loomed large in the trio's second set and she was front and center, often playing a number of fiddle tunes that got the festive crowd up and dancing.

Erin, who studied classical piano for years at the Royal Conservatory, is the band's lead vocalist, and her sweet, crystal-clear voice shone like a bell when the group slowed things down for their more pop-inspired originals like Runaway, a pretty and moody Celtic-flavored tune sung by Erin with Colleen backing her up with beautiful harmonies.

Heather keeps time on the bass and can handily funk things up when called upon. Their best tunes were their upbeat Ottawa Valley inspired full throttle fiddle tunes with Colleen leading the way with her bouncy and boisterous bow handling. Their version of Footstomp from their 2005 CD titled "Searson Live" was one example of how the band can always be counted on to get people up and out of their seats. The sisters, who grew up near Douglas in the Ottawa Valley, have six CDs under their belts, the latest titled "Fade and Shine". They are well known for their dynamic live performances and they have a notoriously busy touring schedule that has brought them to numerous stages all over North America and Europe.

“Fiddling and step dancing was a natural thing for us growing up in the Ottawa Valley,” Erin said when I spoke to her following the Sharbot Lake show. “We grew up with hundreds of kids who were all doing the same. That and the fact that our grandparents were huge supporters of fiddle music. When we were kids our grandparents used to have these huge house parties where sometimes as many as 30 musicians/dancers would crowd into their living room. That really inspired us and is a big reason why we all started playing and studying music at such an early age.”

The sisters played a final encore Saturday night and preceded it by inviting their newly found fans in Sharbot Lake to join them this October in Ireland where they will be touring. Anyone who missed the show can visit the band's website at www.searson.org to sample their music. With any luck this will not be the last time these talented sisters visit Sharbot Lake.