The global all-ages appeal of the Swinging Belles

The Swinging Belles is a swing band for children, but the band members say they have fans of all ages.  

"We do often joke that playing at 2 p.m. for children is in a lot of ways similar to playing at 2 a.m. for those who are still out at 2 a.m. in the bars," says the group's guitarist, Duane Andrews.

"There's good times on both sides."

International appeal

Andrews, Laura Winter, and Erin Power's combination of witty, rapid fire lyrics set to French gypsy jazz-influenced music has made the Swinging Belles an in-demand touring act in Canada and beyond.  

The first time I heard the version with all the horns on it, I started to laugh out loud, with glee, with joy.- Laura Winter

The group recently played a summer festival in the Normandy region of France, where they translated all their lyrics into French, and led multi-generation audiences in their own version of Running the Goat, called Running the Kid.  

"People were just totally on board to jump up," said Andrews.

Grownups in the studio

When it came to the recording of their third album, The Superstar Sibling Detective Agency, the band approached its studio work with the meticulousness of adults.  

"We go in and lay a track at a time, and we get to listen back, and it builds," said Winter.

For the title track, the Swinging Belles recruited a number of accomplished jazz musician friends to add horn and percussion parts.   

It's those precise musical moments, said Winter, which give her a sense of childlike wonder and connection with her audience.

"The first time I heard the version with all the horns on it," said Winter, "I started to laugh out loud, with glee, with joy."

Do you have a new album of music that Weekend AM should know about for First Listen? Email us and tell us about it.

You can hear First Listen on Sundays on Weekend AM from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. (5:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. in most of Labrador) on CBC Radio One.